Little Hands Daycare Stourbridge

Inspection of Little Hands Daycare Stourbridge 16-18 Hagley Road, Stourbridge DY8 1PS

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children are excited to arrive at the nursery. They receive a warm welcome from familiar staff who are kind and nurturing towards them. Children form close relationships with staff and are happy and contented in their care. They readily go to staff for comfort and cuddles, which they receive in abundance. This helps them to feel safe and secure in their care. Staff use their highly effective skills to engage children in purposeful learning during play and routines. For example, pre-toddlers are motivated and eager to explore role play, taking out jugs, play food and utensils. Staff comment on what children do next and children smile and pause, to wait for their commentary. Staff include action words in the context of what is taking place, for children to hear and understand.

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The provision is outstanding

Children's behaviour is exemplary. This is because staff use a gentle approach to help children learn about and understand their emotions and their impact on others. Staff intentionally model kind and respectful behaviours between themselves and children. Over time, children make very rapid progress. They develop the skills and understanding they need to enable them to make and sustain friendships with their peers and are very well prepared for their move on to school.

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need to do better?

n Leaders include all staff in the design and sequencing of the setting's curriculum. The curriculum has highly ambitious intentions for what all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can achieve. Staff have expert knowledge of child development and make adaptations to the curriculum to ensure that they meet all children's learning needs effectively. n Staff make excellent use of the information they gather from parents when children first start about their prior experiences and their progress so far. They use this information meticulously to decide where children are developing and to make precise decisions about what they are ready to learn next. n The support that leaders provide for staff is exemplary. Staff receive highly rigorous training and coaching that are tailored to support individual staff in the areas they need to reach their exceptionally high standards and understanding

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need to do better?

to enhance all areas of teaching practice. As a result, the quality of staff teaching is consistently high across all areas of the nursery. n Staff are innovative in their ideas to engage children in exciting and purposeful play experiences. For example, tidying away is equally as fun as the activity. Children delight in completing the tasks to collect matching items to put away. They watch with awe and wonder as staff place a towel on some remaining liquid. Staff build anticipation for what will happen next. Children gasp with excitement as they find that the liquid has disappeared, while staff explain how

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need to do better?

9 December 2024 the liquid was absorbed by the towel. n Pre-school children learn how to play cooperatively and begin to learn how to share. For example, staff provide foam tiles as children use their imaginations and decide to build a pathway across 'lava'. Staff initially facilitate turn-taking, and children continue this, deciding whose turn is next. Children work together successfully and then agree to take turns to run up and down the pathway, grinning and giggling together. n The promotion of communication and language is of utmost priority in the nursery. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching to ensure children develop the language and understanding they need. For example, to help very young children know how to tidy away, staff embark on a simple game, giving simply structured sentences as they comment on what they are doing, such as 'Red car, put it away'. They repeat this pattern until children begin to say this for

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need to do better?

themselves while putting away the cars. This helps children to gain a deeper knowledge of how to form sentences, while also understanding their meaning. n Children make rapid progress in their independence and become secure in these lifelong skills. For example, pre-toddlers learn to feed themselves, using appropriate cutlery and utensils. Toddlers learn to manage self-help skills, such as managing their personal care and dressing in outdoor clothing. The oldest children show high levels of confidence in their abilities as these skills are fully embedded by the time they move on to school. n Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Parents comment that they receive regular opportunities to meet with their child's key person to discuss their child's learning progress and agree on their next steps in learning. Staff provide a varied range of workshops for parents to attend, in the setting and online. These workshops support key areas of children's development, including

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need to do better?

managing behaviour, toilet training and preparation for school, and parents say they are invaluable.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number 2724779 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 10373823 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 94 Number of children on roll 179 Name of registered person Little Hands Daycare Group Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01384 396920 Date of previous inspection 5 September 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Little Hands Daycare Stourbridge registered in 2023. The nursery employs 31 members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold early years qualifications at level 6, one holds a qualification at level 4, 21 hold qualifications at level 3 and one is qualified to level 2. The nursery operates all year round, except for Christmas and bank holidays. The nursery provides government funded early education for children aged nine months onwards.

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Inspection activities

n All areas of the premises were viewed and discussions held about how staff ensure that the premises are safe and suitable for children to attend. 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 during an activity took place between the assistant manager and the inspector. n The inspector spoke to parents at appropriate times and reviewed the written information provided to take account of their views of the nursery. n The inspector spoke to the children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector held a meeting with the leader and the managers and discussed how the setting is organised. The inspector reviewed 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

9 December 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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