Angels Day Nursery Birmingham Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into the homely nursery by the nurturing staff. They help children to settle quickly into the routines of the nursery. This helps children to feel safe and ready to learn. Staff provide children with enriched learning activities. For example, when children push cars along the mat, staff make connections for them by talking about the cars their parents drive. Children use their imagination to make colourful flowers from bricks that stick together. Furthermore, children enjoy stories being read to them by staff. They show high levels of listening and attention skills as they answer questions about the story they are hearing. Younger children engage in singing songs and rhymes. Babies experience water through sensory play. They explore the bubbles in the water. As a result, children show positive attitudes to learning.

Children behave extremely well at this nursery. Staff are positive role models for children and remind children of the nursery's golden rules. For example, children explain why they need to flush the toilet after use and say that someone else will need to use it. Children point to their ears as staff remind them about good listening. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders have designed an effective curriculum. This supports all children to achieve in their learning. Staff have a good understanding of child development, which helps them to decide what to teach children next. Staff recognise children's interests and use these to develop learning experiences at the nursery. This ensures children are happy and engaged in their learning.
• There are nursery procedures in place that have been set by the leadership team. However, leaders have yet to ensure these procedures are consistently followed by all staff. For example, some staff are not always clear about how to follow some procedures in the nursery. That said, leaders are proactive and recognise what they need to do next to rectify this quickly.
• Children are making sense of numbers and shapes. Staff take opportunities to teach numbers in a fun way. For example, children count their friends to find out how many children there are in nursery today. Staff extend this further by developing children's number recognition by modelling how to write the numeral 10. Staff use a range of skills to help children with their shape recognition. They talk about squares having four sides. These experiences support children to become secure with their mathematical development.
• Parent partnership is variable. The nursery is not consistent at helping parents to understand the use of the nursery app. Parents feel that information-sharing in regards to the meals provided at the nursery could be more effective if this information was shared in advance. That said, parents are happy with the verbal feedback they receive about their children each day.
• Children are developing their understanding of the world. For example, they learn all about different occupations. They say a lifeguard goes into the water and saves people. Staff use what children already know to talk about the importance of wearing armbands when they are learning to swim. This ensures children are being taught how to keep themselves safe and are making sense of the world around them.
• Staff are good role models at promoting children's good health and well-being. They praise children as they wait patiently in line for their lunch. Children are encouraged to serve themselves and benefit from a balanced meal. Staff encourage them to eat their vegetables by saying, 'They are going to make your muscles big and strong.' Furthermore, staff are on hand to remind children how to manage their own personal hygiene. This ensures children are developing good attitudes to their own health and self-help skills.
• Staff feel they are supported well and value the advice they receive through supervision sessions. They benefit from the teaching and learning training they receive from the management team. Staff in the baby room receive specific training to ensure they have the skills to work with babies.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen parent partnerships so that all parents receive regular information about their child's learning and development
• review and improve systems for staff to ensure they understand and follow all nursery procedures.