Little Smarties Academy Limited

Inspection of Little Smarties Academy Limited 218 Hamstead Road, Handsworth, BIRMINGHAM B20 2RE

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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

Staff greet children and their families warmly as they arrive at this welcoming and friendly nursery. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure as they seek out their friends and confidently explore the array of stimulating activities that are on offer. Staff help babies to feel safe and secure. They follow babies' individual sleep and feeding routines from home. Staff provide babies with plenty of cuddles throughout the day. Because of this, babies are settled and content. Staff show children that their opinions are valued. For example, children decide on whether they will go into the nursery garden or for a walk to the park.

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The provision is good

Staff support children to do things for themselves. Children in the pre-school manage their own personal care. They serve their own lunch using different utensils, such as tongs, and pour their own drinks. Toddlers learn to put on their own coats, and babies are encouraged to feed themselves. Children enjoy healthy snacks and home-cooked nutritious meals that are provided by the nursery, which include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Children learn about the importance of good oral hygiene.

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The provision is good

Children develop a positive attitude towards their learning and make good progress from their starting points.

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need to do better?

n The manager provides good leadership. She has worked closely with staff to devise a well-sequenced curriculum that covers all areas of learning and, overall, is implemented effectively. Staff provide activities that link to children's interests and current themes. n The manager monitors children's progress and takes swift action to close any gaps in children's learning. She has systems in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should the need arise. n The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision and peer reviews. She provides useful feedback and discusses any training needs. Staff have good access to training to help them to further enhance the quality of their teaching. n Staff teach children to be kind and respectful to each other. For example, children listen to each other and take turns to speak. Where necessary, staff are quick to reinforce the rules and boundaries within the nursery. Consequently,

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need to do better?

children acquire good social skills and develop firm friendships. n Staff encourage children's interest in the natural world. They introduce life cycles, using child-friendly, factual books and butterfly life cycle models. This helps to extend children's vocabulary and further develop their understanding of the topic. Children proudly recall what they have learned. They confidently explain the change from a 'caterpillar' to a 'chrysalis' then into a 'butterfly'.

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need to do better?

28 May 2024 n Children engage as they use a variety of craft materials, including matchsticks, sequins, tinsel and dough. Babies are encouraged to investigate sensory trays. However, at times, staff overly direct these activities and reduce the opportunities for children to develop their creativity and build on their own ideas and ways of doing things. n Staff use their good teaching skills to motivate and engage children. They prepare children well for their next stage of learning, including their move on to school. They provide plenty of opportunities for children to develop their small- muscle skills, in readiness for future writing. n Staff help children to learn to identify letters and write words. They support children to develop a good understanding of mathematics. Staff help children learn to count and to recognise numbers and shapes as they play. n Overall, staff support children's language skills. They engage children in

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need to do better?

conversation, introduce new words and help children to build sentences. However, on occasions, some staff do not fully support children's thinking and communication skills as well as possible. For example, staff do not give children time to think and respond to questions before asking another question in quick succession or answering themselves. n Parents and carers are highly complimentary about the nursery. They talk about how they receive daily information about their child's day and regular updates on their children's learning and development. Parents comment on the good progress their children make, which they attribute to the 'wonderful' staff. Parents appreciate the ideas that staff provide on how to carry on their children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n help staff to identify when to step back during adult-led and child-initiated activities to enable children to develop their creativity and build on their own ideas and ways of doing things n support staff to strengthen their teaching techniques so that they give children the time they need to respond to questions and discussions to fully support their developing language and thinking skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY467307 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10335843 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 47 Number of children on roll 61 Name of registered person Little Smarties Academy Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01216791355 Date of previous inspection 28 June 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Smarties Academy Limited registered in 2013. It is situated in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of whom, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 to level 4. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 8am 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 provider 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 provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the nursery's curriculum and what they want the children to learn. Staff talked to the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector spoke with the manager about the leadership and management of the setting. The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors. The impact that this has on children's learning was assessed by the inspector. The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

28 May 2024 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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