Alphabets @ Cofton

Inspection of Alphabets @ Cofton Cofton Primary School, Wootton Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B31 4ST

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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

The quality of education children receive requires improvement to ensure all children benefit from a consistently high standard of teaching and learning. This is because some staff plan activities based solely on children's interests, rather than on children's learning needs and/or next steps. This does not support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good enough progress in their development. In addition, staff are not clear enough about the expectations for children during transitions. Consequently, some children lose focus and do not know what to do.

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The provision requires improvement

Despite these weaknesses, children are happy and content at this pre-school. They receive warm welcomes from staff as they arrive and are well supported to settle into their day. Staff take time to get to know children and their families. Consequently, all children, including those who have recently started to attend, form good bonds with staff. Staff demonstrate high expectations for children's behaviour. They talk to children and offer guidance to support children to learn how to play safely. Children play cooperatively alongside one another in the home corner and as they explore using their senses in a water tray filled with lemons, limes and herbs. They pour, fill and empty the water into different containers. This supports children to develop their hand-eye coordination.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of a concern about children's safety and welfare, but they acknowledge this was an oversight. Ultimately, they do understand how to manage concerns about staff's practice appropriately. This includes liaison with the local authority designated officer. Although leaders do not keep the most accurate records of these concerns there is minimal impact on the children. n Staff know the overall priorities for children to achieve before they leave the pre- school, this informs their curriculum. They give some consideration to children's communication and language development. Staff include children interests when planning activities. However, some staff do not think well enough about children's next steps. As a result, some children, including those with SEND, are not supported to continually build on their skills. n Staff generally meet the needs of children with SEND well. They make timely

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need to do better?

referrals and create individual plans with targets and strategies. This helps to ensure children receive the specialist help they require from other professionals. n Staff report that they feel listened to by leaders. For example, they share interests and training needs with leaders at termly supervisions, which leaders act on. Since the last inspection, leaders have prioritised increasing mathematical experiences for children to access and so staff have attended

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need to do better?

4 September 2025 relevant training. However, leaders' oversight of the overall teaching and learning children receive is not yet fully developed. As a result, some staff do not receive the targeted guidance or support they require from leaders to improve their teaching practice further. n All staff work hard to build positive relationships with individual families, offering individualised support and guidance where needed. Home visits are used to begin building effective partnerships with families and to learn about children's needs and cultural backgrounds. Staff continue to invite parents to nursery events, such as play-and-stay sessions. They share information with parents about children's interests and stages of development. Parents comment positively about the pre-school. n Children follow familiar routines, such as tidying up, sitting in circle time and coming inside for lunch. However, transitions are sometimes confusing for

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need to do better?

children as staff are not clear with their instructions. n Children show emerging independence. They manage their personal hygiene, such as going to the toilet and washing their hands. Staff support children to make their own breakfast and serve themselves lunch from a sharing platter. n Leaders and staff promote children's good health. They provide nutritionally balanced meals and access to water. Staff use the outside area well to help promote children's physical skills. Children ride bikes and climb large apparatus in the garden, helping them practise balance and coordination. Leaders use a range of methods to support parents in providing healthy and balanced meals for their children 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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Due date

keep and maintain accurate records for all safeguarding matters 30/11/2025

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Due date

ensure learning experiences and/or activities take into consideration children's learning needs and their next steps. 30/11/2025

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should:

n improve the organisation of routines, particularly during transitions, to ensure that all children have a clear understanding of what is expected of them n strengthen the methods used to monitor staff practice with an aim to provide staff with the targeted support they require and to improve their teaching practice further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY313625 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10413733 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 20 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Longbridge Childcare Strategy Group

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 477 6279 Date of previous inspection 28 February 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Alphabets @ Cofton registered in 2005. The pre-school employs six members of staff. Of these, four have relevant qualifications at level 3 and one has a level 5 qualification. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 8.45am until 2.45pm. The out-of-school club runs from 7.30am to 9am and from 3pm to 6pm during term time, and from 7.30am to 5pm during the school holidays. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector viewed the pre-school and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of a personal, social and emotional activity. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and interactions, both inside and outside. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n Parents shared their views of the pre-school with the inspector. n Children communicated with the inspectors during the inspection.

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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

4 September 2025 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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