Magic Moments at Barnt Green

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time in this welcoming and friendly setting. They form secure relationships with practitioners, who are kind and caring. This helps children to develop positive relationships and confidence.

Practitioners work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's individual needs are fully catered for. Children receive specialist help, where necessary, such as from speech and language therapists.Practitioners provide a curriculum that focuses on children's interests and supports the next stage of their learning.

Children play happily and show high levels of concentration. Ba...bies confidently engage in activities such as music time with instruments and exploring sensory bottles. Toddlers develop their communication skills through pretend play, such as talking on the phone and washing their hair.

Practitioners focus on literacy with older children, with activities including a letter of the week and name writing. This helps them to be confident when the time comes to transition to school. Children thoroughly enjoy their outdoor play in the garden areas.

Babies and young children enjoy a separate outdoor area, where they explore sensory activities, such as water and sand. Older children develop their understanding of road safety as they use pedestrian crossings and traffic lights to keep themselves safe.

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

Managers have a clear vision for what they want the children to learn.

There is a regular structure to the day, with both formal learning opportunities and free play. Children enjoy engaging in a wide range of activities and with a range resources. However, practitioners do not always build on comments or ideas children have, particularly during free play, to help them make even more progress in their learning.

At group times, older children are exposed to measuring equipment, such as rulers and tape measures. They use these tools to measure different-sized objects. Children predict whether an object is going to be bigger or smaller than the last one.

This helps to develop their understanding of mathematical context.Parents speak exceptionally highly of managers and practitioners and of the supportive relationships that practitioners have with their children. They say they are extremely happy with the progress their children are making.

Parents are incredibly positive about how practitioners communicate with them and comment on the wide range of experiences their children have in the setting. Practitioners use a variety of methods to share information with parents about their children's progress and development.Children generally behave well.

They respond to boundaries given to them. However, when children display unwanted behaviours, practitioners do not expand on why they are asking them not to do something. As a result, children do not gain a clear understanding of why rules are in place.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) devises clear strategies, alongside the children's key person, to ensure that children receive effective support. They liaise closely with parents and other professionals to provide the best support available for all children. Regular meetings with parents ensure a consistent approach.

Children benefit from healthy, balanced snacks and meals. Portions are appropriate for the age of the children. Practitioners plan specific group times when children can learn new knowledge.

Children learn about healthy and unhealthy foods. They confidently identify which foods are healthy and unhealthy. This promotes children's awareness of healthy choices and lifestyles.

Practitioners consistently report that they receive high levels of support from managers. Routine supervision takes place to provide practitioners with opportunities to discuss their performance and training needs. Practitioners and managers regularly observe each other to share good practice.

This contributes towards the continually improving quality of teaching.The management team prioritises the mental health of the practitioner team. Practitioners feel well supported, and they have regular check-ins with managers.

They feel that the manager values their opinion and considers their mental health. The setting subscribes to a mental health app, so staff can access outside support whenever they need to. This support improves staff morale and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and practitioners have a secure understanding of how to safeguard children. They are aware of what actions to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare or safety.

Practitioners are confident about the local procedures to follow if they need to report concerns relating to a child or adult. Practitioners benefit from knowledge tests during supervisions to support their understanding of a range of safeguarding subjects. Managers follow a robust recruitment process which ensures that all practitioners working with children are suitable.

Managers understand the importance of risk assessments. Practitioners can identify hazards and take appropriate action to reduce risk to children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider ways to strengthen interactions between staff and children during free play to extend children's learning opportunities even further support children's understanding of the impact of their behaviours and why there are rules in place.

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