Chatterbox Private Day Nursery

Inspection of Chatterbox Day Nursery 1 WALKER STREET, NETHERTON, DUDLEY, WEST MIDLANDS DY2 0JT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy to attend the nursery and staff give them a warm welcome upon arrival. Children have formed positive bonds with the staff who care for them. This helps them feel safe and secure. Managers allocate key persons to children when they start to help them get used to the environment and become comfortable attending. Children generally behave well. Staff give them lots of praise and encouragement, which supports their well-being.

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The provision requires improvement

Managers have devised a curriculum that focuses solely on the prime areas of children's learning, including personal, social and emotional skills, communication and language, and physical development. Although this is appropriate for babies and young toddlers, this approach narrows the educational programme for older children. Furthermore, the quality of teaching does not consistently meet the needs of all babies, toddlers and pre-school children. For example, staff provide them with a range of activities that they keenly explore. Babies happily shake instruments to make sounds, and share books with staff. Toddlers and pre-school children show interest in table-top activities related to caring for their teeth. However, staff do not make the most of these learning opportunities to challenge children and extend their learning. Therefore, children do not achieve their full potential. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities

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need to do better?

n The curriculum is not ambitious enough as staff do not make the most of what they know about children's interests and stage of development to plan activities that build on their learning. Babies are sometimes rushed by staff and not given long enough to play and explore. Toddlers and young children are not always aware of what they need to do during an activity so remain quiet, which goes overlooked by staff. Finally, some activities are not stimulating or challenging enough to hold pre-school children's attention for very long. This does not help them to gain all the skills they need for the eventual move on to school. n Staff support children's physical development. Babies enjoy tummy time and are supported by staff to sit up. They enjoy holding and exploring sensory materials and toys they are given. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy whole-group physical sessions where they act out going for a walk, which requires them to

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need to do better?

stretch and move in varied ways. n Children begin to develop increasingly confident communication and language skills. Staff routinely talk to children, explore music with them and read books each day, which helps to build on these skills. n Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the curriculum has been sharply focused on supporting children's personal, emotional and social development. Children are

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need to do better?

5 January 2023 learning to be independent. For example, older children hang their own coats up on their pegs, and at mealtimes they are encouraged to serve themselves. Children wash their hands before eating and also access their own water bottles during the day to keep themselves hydrated. n Children take part in activities to help them learn about oral health and healthy eating. For example, staff talk about healthy and unhealthy foods and impact of this on their teeth as children use a toothbrush to practise cleaning laminated mouth pictures and teeth made of building blocks covered in shaving foam. However, the nursery menu somewhat contradicts the messages they are being taught. During snacks and meals, children are offered foods that are high in sugar content. For example, at lunchtime, they eat ice-cream in cones with added chocolate sauce. n Staff take into account the home lives of children, and some activities are

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need to do better?

planned to enhance their life experiences. For example, children who do not have access to a garden at home enjoy spending time in the garden at nursery. n Parents say their children enjoy coming to nursery and staff are very friendly. They are greeted by staff at drop-off times and receive brief verbal feedback on their child's day when they pick them up. However, staff do not always consistently share two-way information with parents regarding their children's learning. This means they do not work as collaboratively as possible with parents, including those who have children with SEND. n Managers ensure staff receive regular supervisions and training updates. Staff talk about how they feel supported by managers. However, managers do not monitor the quality of staff's teaching or children's progress robustly enough to develop practice and, ultimately, improve the outcomes for all children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager follows robust procedures when recruiting new staff to check their suitability to work with children. Staff understand what they must do should they have a concern about a colleague's suitability. They receive regular training to ensure they have up-to-date knowledge of how to safeguarding children, and the manager tests their knowledge of the nursery child protection policies regularly. Staff are aware of signs that could indicate a child is at risk of possible abuse, neglect or radicalisation. They know how to report concerns about children's welfare to the relevant authorities. The setting is secure as unauthorised persons are not able to enter the premises.

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Due date

5 January 2023 improve the curriculum and make the most of what is known about children's interests and development to ensure all children, including those with SEND, progress well 09/02/2023

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Due date

monitor the quality of staff's teaching and children's progress more carefully and provide targeted support to enhance practice. 09/02/2023

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should:

n review the nursery menus and give children clear messages to help them learn about the importance of healthy eating and oral health, to ensure this is fully promoted n share more detailed two-way information with parents about children's development, including those with SEND, to ensure they are fully involved and work collaboratively in their children's education.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253794 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 10265288 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 38 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person Peagram, Tracie

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reference number

Telephone number 01384 457771 Date of previous inspection 1 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Chatterbox Day Nursery registered in 2000 and is situated in Netherton, Dudley. The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including two with qualifications at level 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm, except for bank holidays. It receives funding to provide early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspectors viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the deputy manager joined the inspectors on a learning walk and talked about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided. They also carried out a joint observation with the manager of a group activity related to oral hygiene. n The inspectors spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors spoke to staff and managers and looked at relevant documentation, including 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

5 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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