The Meadows Day Nursery

Inspection of The Meadows Day Nursery 79 Bells Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 5QJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children arrive happily at nursery and settle quickly in this calm atmosphere. They find their friends and make independent choices about the resources they play with. Children build strong and warm relationships with staff. They go to them for cuddles and reassurance, and receive these in abundance. This helps them to feel safe and secure in their care.

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The provision is good

Children explore mark-making opportunities in a range of ways. Young children make marks and in sand, using their fingers and tools to make patterns. They talk with staff about the marks they have made. Older children practise their increasing skills and pencil control. They select from various stencils and focus, as they trace along the edges with their pencils. They smile as they reveal the shapes when lifting off the stencils. Babies strengthen their fingers and hands in readiness for their next stages in learning. For example, they play with resources to pull, push, turn and make other movements. They grin as their actions turn on lights and make sounds.

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The provision is good

Children are keen learners and make choices about what they do. They have opportunities to practise their new-found skills, such as cutting with scissors. They make effort to hold scissors correctly so that they can make snips in paper. Children gain the skills they need to prepare them for their next stages in learning and the eventual move on to school.

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need to do better?

n Managers have designed a curriculum that provides children with the sequence of learning they need to develop their skills and knowledge, and make continual progress in their learning. Staff know the children well. They use the information they gain from their observations of children to plan for each child's learning. As a result, children generally gain the support they need to make progress. n Communication and language is promoted well. Staff model clear speech and introduce new words to help increase children's vocabulary. Staff use additional programmes with all children, including those in need of additional support to develop their speaking skills. These programmes help staff to focus the support they provide for children to help them to catch up. As a result, children are becoming effective communicators. Babies are keen to talk to visitors about their toys. For example, they tell them, 'It's a tyrannosaurus rex' and 'a horse.'

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need to do better?

n Children behave well. They respond well to the positive methods used by staff. Children learn to be kind to each other, to wait and to take turns. For example, when older children build a tower using construction toys, they take turns to add their pieces. Other children are proud when they complete jigsaws. Children use words of praise for each other. They happily count the number of pieces they

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need to do better?

17 January 2023 have. Children show positive attitudes during play. n Children show increasing independence in lots of ways, such as putting on their own coats, managing their own personal care needs, and confidently selecting their own resources to use. However, there is scope to provide further opportunities for children to develop their skills and increase their independence, particularly at lunchtime. n Children develop increasing physical skills. They have fun while playing outdoors. For example, they increase their coordination as they use the frames to climb up and down. They master the use of steps up, and sliding down. Other children particularly enjoy racing the range of wheeled toys up and down in the dedicated space. This contributes towards their physical health. n Managers ensure that staff access regular training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from their

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need to do better?

managers to fulfil their roles. However, the arrangements for support and guidance are not yet fully effective to help staff to enhance their teaching skills to extend the learning, so that children make the best possible progress. n Parents speak highly of the nursery and staff. They say their children are happy attending and comment on the information they receive from the staff. Parents say they are kept informed about their children's care and learning progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff, including those designated to take the lead for safeguarding, are able to identify signs and symptoms that indicate a child may be at risk of harm. Staff understand their duties to protect the welfare of children. They know the local procedures to follow in the event of concerns about a child's welfare. This includes when concerns may arise about the conduct of a colleague towards a child. Recruitment procedures are robust. The required background checks are made to ensure the suitability of staff working at the nursery. All areas of the premises are routinely checked, to ensure that the nursery is safe for children to attend.

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should:

n provide further opportunities for children to develop their skills and increase independence, particularly at lunchtime n strengthen the support and guidance provided to staff to further develop their teaching practice, so that they extend the learning for children to gain a deeper understanding and make the best possible progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 257187 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10270072 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 91 Name of registered person Michelle Brain and Donna Barrett Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 458 2200 Date of previous inspection 21 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The Meadows Day Nursery registered in 2001 and is located in Birmingham, West Midlands. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff, of whom 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, and two at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The deputy manager and inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the organisation and intent of the curriculum, and how the environment is arranged. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching throughout the inspection and considered the impact this has on children's learning. A joint evaluation of the quality of teaching within an activity took place between the deputy manager and the inspector. n The inspector spoke to parents at appropriate times and took account of their views of the nursery. n The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager and discussed how the setting is organised. The inspector reviewed relevant

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Inspection activities

documentation, including evidence of qualifications and the suitability of staff working at the setting.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

17 January 2023 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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