Smethwick Youth and Community Centre (GNG Nursery)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery is safe and secure. Staff place an emphasis on children's well-being. As a result, children are happy and settled.

Staff have a good understanding of how to manage children's behaviour effectively. They deal with any negative behaviour in a positive manner. Children behave well and show positive attitudes.

Staff generally have a good understanding of their key children's development. They plan activities that enable children to make good progress in their learning. Babies and young children enjoy sensory experiences.

For example, they make marks using their fingers in sand. Older children enjoy bei...ng creative in the home corner. They pretend to make ice cream for themselves and staff.

Overall, older children show high levels of independence, confidence and concentration during their play. For example, when staff ask children if they want help making Easter nests, they respond, 'no thank you'. Staff provide children with the opportunity to make their own choices, including where they want to play.

They give them the freedom to change their minds too. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff seek advice where needed to ensure all children are given the best start in life.

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

The leader and the newly appointed manager are passionate about early education and child development. They have a clear vision for where they want the nursery to be. They identify ways that the nursery can continue to improve outcomes for children.

Staff comment positively about the managers and the steps they have taken to reduce their workload. They have regular supervisions and are set personal targets to work on. However, these are not consistently focused on extending staff's teaching skills and embedding excellent practices.

On occasions, activities that staff plan and provide result in children losing interest because the challenge from staff is not high enough to further extend their learning.The curriculum covers different areas of learning, with staff placing strong emphasis on children's social, communication and language skills. This focus is due to staff's awareness of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a commitment to helping to narrow any attainment gaps.

Staff read stories to children with expression and children eagerly give them books to read again. Staff sing rhymes to younger children, who show their enjoyment through smiles and join in with some of the actions. Staff working with older children encourage them to join in and build relationships with their peers.

Staff provide all children with group-time activities. Older children enjoy group circle time and respond to staff when they ask open questions. Older children are excellent communicators.

However, there are occasions when babies and younger children engage in large-group learning experiences that are above their level of understanding. This limits their enjoyment and engagement.Staff praise children and encourage them to keep trying, which builds their self-esteem.

This works well and older children show high levels of confidence and resilience. For example, children keep going until they eventually place a puzzle piece in the correct position. When mixing melted chocolate into shredded wheat, children comment, 'This is too hard'.

Staff say, 'You can do it,' which encourages the children to persist and achieve the task.Staff work effectively with parents to obtain valuable information about children before they start, including what children already know and can do. Staff observe children, identify any learning gaps and set next steps for children to achieve.

Where there are concerns, staff work well with external agencies to ensure early help can be started and children's welfare promoted.Parents comment positively about the nursery. They state that they are kept up to date with their children's learning and development and feel that their children are making good progress.

Staff are positive role models and speak respectfully to the children and each other. Children learn from their example and behave well.Staff provide a range of healthy meals and snacks for children.

Mealtimes are relaxing, calm and social times. Babies and younger children are starting to feed themselves independently and staff help where needed. Staff support children's good health and hygiene by ensuring they wash their hands before and after eating, helping younger children use the soap where required.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and managers take appropriate steps to ensure that those they recruit are safe to work with children. They have effective systems to ensure that all staff remain suitable.

Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding policies and the appropriate steps they should take if they are concerned about a child. The manager has a clear understanding of safeguarding and the appropriate actions to take to ensure that children are kept safe from harm. The manager shares relevant child protection information and works with external safeguarding agencies as needed.

The nursery is clean throughout. Leaders and managers ensure that staff are well deployed and children are supervised.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to ensure that babies and younger children receive a consistently good curriculum that fully promotes their individual needs, particularly during large-group activities strengthen teaching practice to help all children benefit from high-quality learning experiences that enable them to make excellent progress in their learning.