Unicorn Day Nursery

Unicorn Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY386701 Address: Shelsey Avenue, Oldbury, B69 1BP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/05/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Sandwell Supply Nursery Services Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children acquire the knowledge and skills they need at different ages and stages of their development, preparing them well for future learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well because of early identification and swift intervention that promotes their learning and development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children enjoy their learning and develop inquisitiveness and curiosity about the world around them, for example when hunting for bugs in the outdoor garden. They benefit from practical experiences that enrich their learning, for instance through visits to local farms and zoos.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children use their developing language and communication skills to express themselves and talk about their thoughts. For example, older children talk about how eating carrots and swede will help them to grow big and strong. Babies babble and learn first words as they point to the pages in books that staff read to them. Children who speak English as an additional language move from using single words to sharing their thoughts and ideas confidently in short sentences.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop important independence and social skills through the setting's routines. For example, they are learning how to follow the 'golden rules', such as helping to take care of their environment by tidying away toys.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop an understanding of mathematical concepts and counting skills. For example, they sort objects by colour and learn early counting when singing nursery rhymes. These skills help children to become ready for their move to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. Children respectfully follow the setting's 'golden rules' and routines and the instructions given to them by staff. Staff typically establish support for children's behaviour. For example, they remind children to use 'kind hands' and share toys when playing with their friends.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff are positive role models for behaviour, interacting with children respectfully and modelling polite behaviour. Staff recognise when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities need help to follow routines. For example, they share information and give timely reminders to children when activities are coming to an end to help them understand what will happen next. This builds a sense of security and inclusion.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, children demonstrate enjoyment and engagement in learning. For example, when drawing and colouring pictures of their friends and family, children show perseverance to complete the task. Staff recognise and praise this achievement, building confidence and self-esteem in children. Children learn to take turns, listen to others and share resources with their friends. Staff talk to children about making the right choices that help to keep them safe while playing. For example, children respond by patiently waiting until the climbing wall is clear and ready for them to have a turn. This promotes positive behaviour and children's safety.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff support parents to understand the importance of children attending the setting, regularly and on time. Leaders follow up on any unexplained absences promptly to ensure that children are safe. This helps to establish positive routines that promote children's attendance and the progress they make.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff work collectively to monitor the progress all children make. They check what children know, understand and can do, ensuring that each child makes progress from their individual starting points. Despite the lack of a clear key-person system, staff sequence learning opportunities to reflect the individual needs of children. Staff understand what children need to achieve at different ages and stages of their development. They interact with children as they play alongside them, supporting and consolidating their learning, helping them to make progress. Staff make timely adaptations to activities and learning opportunities to support accessibility for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This encourages their participation in learning, promoting their progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's communication and language development is generally prioritised by leaders. For example, staff share songs and stories with children throughout their daily routines. They introduce new words during play, such as 'tall' and 'tumble' as towers of bricks children build fall. This typically promotes children's language skills well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally introduce the curriculum for mathematics through play opportunities, both indoors and outdoors. For example, children sing nursery rhymes, fill and empty containers with sand and draw and name simple shapes. These experiences help children begin to recognise mathematical concepts and practise their counting skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders endeavour to plan and implement a curriculum that is inclusive and accessible to every child. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Leaders and staff use ongoing assessment and observations of children's play to swiftly identify children who may face barriers to their learning. Leaders work in partnership with other professionals to gain additional support when needed, promoting the learning and development of children with SEND.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff adapt activities and provide focused support to meet the individual needs of children with SEND. Staff have attended relevant training with other professionals to support and promote children's language and communication skills. For example, staff use visual timetables and picture cues to support children who need extra help to understand and follow nursery routines. This also helps children learning English as an additional language to understand and feel included, reducing the barriers they face to learning.

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Needs attention

Leaders have used additional funding creatively to support and broaden the learning experiences of disadvantaged children. Staff understand that some children learn better outside, and a climbing wall and frame were added to the garden area. This promotes outdoor play opportunities and the physical development of children who may have less time to do this away from the setting. A sensory room supports children who face emotional barriers to their learning. Staff recognise when children may need quiet time to talk or help regulate their emotions. This promotes positive outcomes for children's behaviour and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children's welfare and safety are not consistently prioritised by leaders and staff as children are not always supervised safely. For example, children make independent choices about their play, moving freely from outside to inside play, entering rooms that are unsupervised by adults. Therefore, children are out of sight and hearing of staff, and this does not promote their wellbeing and safety effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The key-person system is not implemented effectively to support children within the setting. For example, some staff are unaware of who their key children are. This does not ensure that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs or that positive relationships are built with children and parents and/or carers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Generally, routines and care practice are implemented across the nursery effectively. Children learn good personal hygiene, such as washing their hands before eating and disposing of tissues hygienically after wiping their own noses. Staff consider the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they recognise when children would benefit from quiet time, in a dedicated sensory area, away from noise and activity.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders recognise that local data reflects a high rate of obesity and oral tooth decay in the area. They promote and share information about healthy eating and good oral hygiene with parents. Leaders provide children with healthy meals and snacks and promote physical exercise, such as yoga, dough disco and outdoor play. This promotes children's good health and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders do not always consider the safe supervision of the children in their care. For example, they do not consistently deploy staff to ensure that children are always in sight and hearing. This is a breach of early years requirements and does not support children's safety and wellbeing effectively.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders recognise the importance of information-sharing with parents about how to further support children's learning at home. They share information about good oral health, healthy diets and the importance of good attendance to promote positive outcomes for children. However, leaders do not ensure a key-person system is implemented effectively to support this. Some staff lack knowledge about the individual needs of their key children. Some parents feel uninformed about their children's key person. This does not promote positive relationships with parents or children, help to meet their individual needs or promote their learning, safety and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders understand the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement. For example, they implement training for staff to personalise teaching and learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This improves staff knowledge and skills and promotes progress for children with SEND.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders implement supervision sessions for staff, who report that their wellbeing and workload are considered. Leaders spend time coaching and modelling practice, for newer or less-experienced staff in rooms, to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff regularly undertake professional development to develop their practice further, improving outcomes for children.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive happily at the setting and are welcomed by friendly and caring staff. However, children's safety is not always prioritised by leaders in the setting. Children sometimes have access to rooms that are unsupervised by staff. This does not always ensure their safety and wellbeing as they play out of sight and hearing of staff. In addition, the key-person system does not consistently promote working in partnership with parents to support children's ongoing learning and development. Staff do not always develop a thorough knowledge of children or share next steps in learning with parents and/or carers consistently. That said, children make effective progress from their starting points and enjoy their time in the setting.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children develop a love of books. They enjoy listening to the animated stories read to them by staff. Children use their imaginations and the toys made available to them, role playing the events of familiar stories. For example, older children go on bear hunts in the outdoors, and younger children enjoy drinking tea with tigers. This promotes children's language and communication skills well.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Babies develop physical skills and confidence as they climb and manoeuvre their way up and down low-level ramps and slides. They approach staff for reassuring hugs, demonstrating that they feel safe in their care. Children greatly enjoy the many opportunities they have to play outside in the fresh air. They enjoy riding bicycles, navigating their way safely around obstacles. Children laugh and giggle as they excitedly roll hoops to their friends and throw and catch balls. Children play cooperatively with their friends, showing care for their baby dolls and taking turns to ride on bikes. As children play, sharing toys and taking turns, they are praised by staff, building their self-esteem and confidence.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children learn independence skills. At lunchtime, older children serve themselves potatoes and other vegetables from serving bowls and pour their drinks from jugs into open cups. Children make choices about the healthy fruits they enjoy at snack time. They demonstrate

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Address:

Shelsey Avenue care and kindness towards each other as they help their friends to clear away cups and plates after eating. This prepares children well for the next stage of their education.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

deploy staff effectively across the setting, to ensure the safe supervision of children at all times 27/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure an effective key-person system is in place that builds positive relationships with parents and children, helping to meet children's individual needs. 27/05/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Oldbury B69 1BP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Sandwell Supply Nursery Services Limited

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 08:40,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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