Little Scallywags Day Nursery

Inspection of Little Scallywags Day Nursery 34 Bucklands End Lane, BIRMINGHAM B34 6BP

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are full of excitement and energy as they enter the nursery. They eagerly tell staff about what they have been doing at the weekend. Staff welcome children in with bright, happy faces and show warmth and kindness towards them. Children receive lots of cuddles and reassurance from staff and build strong relationships with them, which helps them to feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Children are exposed to a wealth of culture and diversity in the nursery. They enjoy learning about festivals and dressing up in different clothing from around the world. They taste food from different cultures. For example, at Eid, parents bring in different fruits for the staff and children to try. These experiences help children to respect and celebrate the differences in their own community.

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The provision is good

Staff work hard to embed a love of reading and literacy. Children have opportunities to read stories throughout the day. For example, children snuggle up with staff outdoors in a tepee. They laugh and giggle as staff read to them. Leaders also provide books in various languages to support parents who speak English as an additional language to read stories to their children. These opportunities help children to develop their early language skills.

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need to do better?

n Leaders plan a broad and exciting curriculum for children to enjoy. The indoor and outdoor learning environments are well resourced and promote an array of learning opportunities. However, the staff's learning intentions are not always focused precisely enough on what children need to learn, to help them to build on their knowledge and skills. Therefore, children's learning is not sequenced as well as possible to help children to make the best progress. n Younger children enjoy making marks with paint. They use a variety of tools to explore and mix colours. They enjoy placing toy dinosaurs in paint and using them to make dinosaur footprints on the paper. Children explore the different marks they can make with foam, cotton wool, cars and tractors. This also helps to build children's small-muscle skills in preparation for later skills in life, such as handwriting. n Children display positive attitudes to learning and engage well in adult-led

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need to do better?

activities. For example, they learn about emotions while using play dough. Staff support children to talk about how they are feeling and to create faces out of the play dough. Children enjoy manipulating the play dough between their fingers and create a smiley face. This helps children to have an awareness of their own emotions, to build confidence and express how they are feeling. n Children learn about early mathematical concepts while they have fun baking. Staff support children to make choices about the size of the spoon they need for

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need to do better?

22 May 2023 the activity. They then count the spoonfuls they use. Children learn to listen to and follow instructions. They learn to take turns. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the help and support they need to make good progress. Staff are competent in making referrals and work in partnership with external agencies. The manager has recently introduced a sensory room for children who need one-to-one support in a calm and relaxed environment. This calm environment helps children to self- regulate and improve their focus. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are very happy with the service provided. They comment that they feel well informed of their child's day and are confident to continue their child's learning at home. They mention that staff have shown help and guidance with potty training and speech delays. They say that staff are very professional. n Leaders offer staff training opportunities as a part of their continued professional

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need to do better?

development. Staff who work with babies receive dedicated training that specifically relates to that age group. Staff feel that this really helps them to support babies' learning and development. However, leaders do not support less-experienced staff as well as possible to extend their teaching skills so that they provide children with the highest quality of learning experiences.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know how to protect children from harm. They can recognise the different signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to report their concerns. They are aware of the nursery's whistle-blowing policy and feel confident in reporting any concerns they have about another adult's conduct. Staff are well versed in a wide range of safeguarding issues, including female genital mutilation, radicalisation and witchcraft. The premises are safe and secure. Every room door also has a fitted stairgate for added security. The manager follows a robust recruitment procedure and ascertains the ongoing suitability of staff.

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should:

n review planning to make sure that learning intentions are focused more precisely on what children need to learn so that learning is well sequenced and helps children to make even better progress n give new staff further support and guidance to help them to extend their teaching skills and have more meaningful and purposeful interactions with children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2633059 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10285885 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person Williams, Emma

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reference number

Telephone number 01212424490 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Scallywags Day Nursery registered in 2021. It is open from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery employs 13 members of staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 5. 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 that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The manager and the inspector had a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the manager about the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

22 May 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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