Noah's Little Ark day Nursery

Noah's Little Ark day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2813364 Address: 529 Harborne Park Road, Birmingham, B17 0PS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 27/11/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Cohesive Care Limited

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. Safer recruitment processes are not robust. While references are obtained, they are not always from appropriate or sufficiently reliable sources and are not consistently verified. This means leaders cannot be assured that all adults working with children are suitable. Staff do not have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. Not all staff understand the roles and responsibilities around safeguarding within the setting. This reduces their ability to act if concerns arise.

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders' monitoring of safeguarding practice is not effective. These weaknesses have not been identified or addressed promptly, resulting in inconsistencies in practice. This means children are not fully protected from potential harm.

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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 Urgent improvement

Children do not develop the secure knowledge and skills they need across the areas of learning. In particular, weaknesses in teaching limit children's development in communication and language, as opportunities to build vocabulary and express themselves are not used well. Children who speak English as an additional language are not supported effectively to develop their understanding and use of English, which limits their ability to communicate and make progress.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning do not benefit from the support in place and do not make the progress they should. Although some support is provided, it is not effective enough to help children catch up or keep up with their peers.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Weaknesses in leadership, teaching and assessment significantly hinder children's progress and limit their ability to develop the knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of learning, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders have not established clear or effective approaches to behaviour, attitudes and routines. Expectations for children's behaviour are not understood or applied well by staff. As a result, children experience varied responses, which does not help them to feel secure or understand what is expected of them. Staff use inappropriate approaches to manage behaviour, including physically removing children from situations and using language such as 'last chance' without supporting children to understand or regulate their emotions. This does not help children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop the skills they need to manage their behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not provide learning experiences that engage children or support them to sustain their attention. Staff do not plan or deliver activities in a way that motivates children or supports their involvement, such as story time. Children disengage, move between activities without purpose and are not supported to participate in meaningful learning. Leaders monitor children's attendance and follow up absences, including contacting parents and other professionals where needed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Relationships between staff and children show some warmth. However, these are not used to guide behaviour or support children to develop positive social skills. Staff do not help children to understand how to interact appropriately with others, which leads to repeated conflicts and unsettled behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leadership of children's welfare and wellbeing is not secure. There are weaknesses in health and hygiene practices, with oversight in the arrangements to ensure that essential resources are always available, such as soap in handwashing areas. Records relating to accidents and injuries, as well as the use of physical intervention, are not accurate or well maintained. Records do not include key information, such as when and where the accident or incident occurred or whether parents have been informed. This reduces oversight of children's care and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Routines do not support children's wider wellbeing or development effectively. For example, mealtimes are quiet and largely functional, with minimal interaction to support children's social development. Staff do not use these opportunities to encourage communication or social skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children's welfare and wellbeing are supported at a basic level, but important aspects are not developed well enough to ensure all children feel secure and are able to thrive. Leaders ensure that children's basic care needs are met. Staff support children with personal care, such as nappy changing, and respond to children who need comfort. Children benefit from nutritious meals and snacks, which supports their physical health and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders' curriculum does not help staff to be clear about what children should learn or how learning should build over time. Staff provide a range of activities. However, these are poorly planned and lack a clear learning purpose. Planning focuses on the activity itself rather than what children need to learn. Staff do not use assessment effectively to identify children's starting points or to shape learning that meets the needs and interests of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders do include opportunities within the curriculum for children to develop an understanding of the world and their community.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders monitor what staff do rather than what children learn, so they do not identify or address weaknesses in teaching quickly. Therefore, children do not develop the knowledge and skills they need across the areas of learning, particularly in communication and language, and to manage their feelings and behaviour.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Teaching is weak. While staff organise daily opportunities for outdoor play, these are not used effectively to support purposeful learning. Staff do not use what they know about children effectively to adapt teaching. This means that some children repeat what they already know, while others struggle because activities do not match their stage of development. As a result, there is a significantly negative impact on children's progress, especially in communication and language.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that inclusive practices meet the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Although children's individual needs are identified, these are not translated into effective practice. Adaptations to the environment and teaching are not in place to enable children to access learning independently. As a result, some children rely heavily on adult support and cannot engage fully in learning.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

While leaders engage with external professionals and have introduced strategies, these are not used in a way that supports children to communicate their needs or access learning.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders demonstrate awareness of children known to social services and those with complex needs. They take steps to work with families and other agencies. However, this is not reflected in practice. Support is not precise enough to reduce barriers or meet children's needs effectively.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders' monitoring of inclusive practice is weak. Weaknesses in how support is implemented are not identified or addressed. This means children with additional needs do not receive the support they require and do not make the progress they should.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leadership and governance do not ensure that children receive safe, high-quality care and education. They do not have an accurate understanding of the quality of education and care provided. Although leaders identify some priorities, their monitoring and oversight are not effective in identifying or addressing weaknesses in safeguarding, staff practice and the quality of teaching. As a result, significant weaknesses, including those relating to staff deployment, behaviour management and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have not been addressed. Leaders do not ensure that staff are deployed appropriately to meet children's needs or that staff included in ratios hold the required qualifications. This means that children are not always supported by suitably qualified staff, which reduces the quality of supervision and increases the risk to their safety and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that statutory requirements are met. There are breaches in safer recruitment procedures, and records relating to accidents, injuries and the use of physical intervention are not accurate or well maintained. Staff do not have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. These weaknesses mean that safeguarding arrangements are not sufficiently robust to protect children.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that the key-person system is implemented effectively. Parents are not provided with clear information about their child's learning and care, including who their child's key person is. This means that parents do not know who is responsible for supporting their child or their needs, particularly for those with SEND. As a result, partnership working is weak and does not support children's learning and development. Leaders support staff wellbeing, and professional development is in place, but it is not focused or effective in improving staff knowledge. This has a negative impact on children's early education.

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

Children do not experience a safe, well-organised environment where their needs are well met. Weaknesses in staff recruitment and staff deployment mean that children's safety cannot be assured. Staff are not always deployed effectively to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, children's safety is not prioritised.

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

Children's health and wellbeing are not consistently promoted. Weaknesses in the recording of accidents and inconsistencies in hygiene practices mean that children are not fully protected. However, children benefit from some appropriate care routines. They enjoy nutritious meals and snacks, and staff support their basic care needs, such as nappy changing and mealtimes. Despite this, practice is not underpinned by consistently secure practices, which reduces how effectively children's health and wellbeing are promoted.

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

Children are not supported effectively to manage their behaviour or understand their emotions. Staff provide some reassurance. However, strategies to support behaviour and the management of emotions are weak. As a result, children, including those with SEND, become unsettled and disengaged and are frequently involved in conflicts with others. At times, staff use inappropriate approaches to manage behaviour, which do not help children to understand expectations or learn how to regulate their feelings. Children receive some caring interactions from staff who respond to their basic needs, such as nappy changing, comfort and mealtimes. Children enjoy being outdoors and access some familiar resources, such as a mud kitchen and simple physical play equipment. However, these positive experiences are not built on to support children's learning and development. Children, including those with SEND, spend much of their time disengaged,

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

moving between activities or handling resources without purpose. Teaching is minimal and does not build on what children already know and can do, particularly in communication and language.

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Next steps

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

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Action Completion Date

implement robust vetting procedures, including obtaining suitable references from current employers, to ensure staff suitability 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure all staff understand and can apply safeguarding procedures in line with local safeguarding partner guidance and setting procedures 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve arrangements for staff deployment to ensure children are adequately supervised and their individual needs are always met 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

maintain accurate records of accidents and injuries, ensuring all required information is recorded and parents are informed 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve health and hygiene practices to ensure they are applied effectively and necessary resources are always available 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop effective procedures for managing children's behaviour, including appropriate strategies and accurate recording of physical intervention 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve arrangements for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure teaching meets their needs and supports their progress 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

establish an effective key-person system and improve partnership working with parents so that children's care and learning are shared 04/05/2026

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Address:

529 Harborne Park Road Birmingham B17 0PS

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Action Completion Date

improve professional development to ensure it is focused and leads to improvements in staff practice 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop a clear curriculum that focuses on what children need to know, understand and do, particularly in communication and emotional development 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure planning and teaching are based on children's individual starting points and learning 04/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve leadership oversight to ensure the quality of education and care is accurately monitored and improved 04/05/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and a special educational needs coordinator 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. Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Cohesive Care Limited

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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

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