Ofsted inspection Archives - Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery

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In today’s article, we give you 25 reasons why Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery would make an excellent choice for your child’s early education and childcare needs. What’s more, Ofsted independently back up many of them. With that in mind, we’ve included several comments from the Ofsted Inspector, who most recently inspected the setting and released her official report in April 2023. Her comments make good reading and represent useful independent feedback about the setting. What’s clear is that, if you have a baby, toddler or preschooler and live or work around the Edgbaston/Birmingham area, Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery would make an excellent choice for your childcare. Let’s take a look.

1. A ‘Good Provider’ Says Ofsted

Quality of education is good at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery and that’s official! Here’s how Ofsted graded us in their latest report (April ’23):

Overall effectiveness — Good
The quality of education — Good
Behaviour and attitudes — Good
Personal development — Good
Leadership and management — Good

We’ll take a closer look at some of these below.

2. Children are Happy at Leaps & Bounds

Ofsted also confirmed that children are happy at Leaps & Bounds, commenting in their latest report that…

“Children settle quickly and are happy as they join their friends in play and learning.”

3. Parents are Happy Too

During her most recent inspection of Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, the Ofsted inspector asked for the opinion of parents. Here’s what she found:

“Parents report that they are happy with the nursery.”

4. Open Early until Late

Leaps and Bounds Day Nursery is open from early in the day until late in the afternoon. Opening at 7.30am and closing at 6.15pm means that parents/carers are less likely to have trouble getting to and from their places of work in time to drop off or pick up children.

5. Free Childcare Supported

All Government childcare funding schemes are supported at Leaps & Bounds for eligible families. This includes the free ‘15-hours’ and ‘30-hours’ childcare schemes for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds as well as valid childcare vouchers, tax-free childcare, student childcare schemes and many more (subject to eligibility etc.).

6. Forest School

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is pleased to be able to include Forest School sessions for its children as part of our curriculum of educational activities. This allows children to get outdoors in local, natural spaces where they can enjoy and learn from everything that nature has to offer. Nature is incredibly beneficial to children, so this is doubly important. And remember: not all childcare nurseries and early years settings offer Forest School.

7. A Warm, Welcoming & Nurturing Environment

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is a warm, home-from-home environment. Here, every child is welcomed, valued and nurtured as a unique individual. We bring out the very best in each child and, during their time with us, give them all the tools, knowledge and encouragement they need to absolutely thrive. Ofsted recognised this through the following comments from their latest report in April 2023:

“Staff are warm and nurturing. They provide kind words and reassurance to children throughout the day. Regular praise helps children to become confident and motivated to learn.”

8. Free Guided Tours

If you’ve not yet enrolled your child at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, why not take up the offer of a free introductory tour? Bring your child along, so you can see how well they’d fit in. We’ll show you both around and answer any questions, without obligation or pressure. Then, if you decide to enrol your child, we’ll do everything we can to help them settle in.

9. Competitive Pricing

At the time of writing, the cost of half-day sessions is just £35 for an afternoon session, £38 for a morning session and £55 for a full day. That decreases, pro-rata, if your child attends full-time Monday to Friday. For a week it costs £230 — the equivalent of just £46 per day, which is very competitive. Prices are correct at the time of writing (June 2023), but please check our Fees page for the latest figures.

10. Discounts Available

Various potential discounts are available for childcare at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. These include the following:

A 10% discount is available if your child already has a sibling at the setting.
A 10% discount is available for NHS staff (N.B. valid NHS ID will be required).

11. High-Quality Teaching

Our talented early-years practitioners offer high-quality teaching. This is backed up by Ofsted who, in their latest Ofsted report, said, “The quality of teaching is good. Staff are skilled and use children’s interests to challenge what they know and can do … Staff pose questions that help children to begin to problem solve.”

12. A Well-Organised Curriculum

Ofsted recognised our well-organised curriculum and made the following comment in their report:

“The curriculum is well organised. It builds on the experiences children hold and what they need to learn next to be successful.”

They added that staff, “target children’s individual learning so that children make the best possible progress from their starting points. Children gain a range of skills that they practise and build on. This prepares them well for their next stage of learning.”

13. Bespoke Learning and Development for Every Child

A bespoke learning and development plan is developed for every child – after all, each one is unique. A custom plan will bring out the best in them, helping them to achieve personal bests in every area. This is achieved through cooperation between staff, room leaders, each child’s ‘Key Person’ at the setting, parents/carers and any external specialists should their expertise be required (see below).

14. Good Support for Special Needs &/or Disabilities

There is good support for children with special educational or developmental needs at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. Ofsted agrees with this, concluding that…

“Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. Staff work with external agencies and parents to provide care and education that is specific to each child’s needs.”

15. A Strong Relationship with Parents

Ofsted’s most recent report backed our strong relationship with parents through comments including, “Staff speak to parents daily and share information about what their children learn and the activities they are involved in.”

They go on to say, “A range of home resources helps parents talk about any changes in their lives, such as the arrival of a new baby, with their children. This strong partnership helps to strengthen children’s emotional well-being and security.” The resources referred to include a smartphone app, which allows our childcare professionals to keep parents up-to-date in real time about what their child has eaten, when they’ve slept at the nursery and what activities they’ve been taking part in during the day. It’s a great way to keep in touch and to ensure all parties involved in the child’s care are on the same page.

16. Great Facilities & Equipment

The setting at Leaps & Bounds is purpose-built for childcare and early years learning and development. It is extremely well-equipped, both indoors and outdoors, with a wide variety of equipment, facilities and resources to suit babies and children aged up to five. Inside, there are several light and spacious age-specific rooms, along with a separate communal room accessible to all. Outside, there are two well-designed and highly interactive play areas which offer children boundless opportunities for learning through play. Learn more about our facilities here.

17. Separate Areas for Different Ages

Designating separate rooms for each age group really helps children to focus on age-specific play and learning activities. With that in mind, we have separate rooms and resources for babies, including a tranquil sleep area, a separate room for infants aged 14 months to 2 years, another for toddlers aged 2 years to 38 months, and a preschoolers room for children aged 38 months plus.

18. Good Support for Language & Literacy

There is a sharp focus on improving children’s speech at the nursery. Ofsted comments: “New words are introduced and a wealth of books are used to tell stories and provide children with information to support an enjoyment of literacy.”

19. Good Support for Children’s Emotional Well-being

Ofsted made a series of flattering comments about support for children’s emotional well-being at the nursery. These included the following: “Staff provide good support for children’s emotional well-being. Children begin to recognise different emotions and show empathy for others” … “Children build lovely friendships with each other” … and, “Children cooperate well in activities. They learn to take turns and to share with others.”

20. Appreciation of Different Cultures

Children are also encouraged to appreciate different cultures and communities. Ofsted recognised this with the following: “Children develop their understanding of the wider communities as they talk about what happens during Ramadan and Eid” … “Staff introduce [words] in a different language so that children begin to understand the importance and value of people who are the same and who are different.”

21. Fresh, High-Quality Meals & Snacks

Food, healthy snacks and drinks are included in the nursery’s fees and special diets are catered for, for example, vegetarian or vegan options. The nursery has a 5-star food hygiene rating and food is freshly prepared by an award-winning early-years catering company. Only the most fresh, locally sourced and nutritious ingredients are used.

22. Extra Classes & Activities

At Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, we also offer extra-curricular activities such as sports, music, and physical sessions. An example is Rhythm Time, which is an award-winning music class that helps children develop social skills, confidence, speech, coordination, and creativity. Another is Active Adventurers, where children enhance fundamental movement skills through multi-sport sessions with a focus on motor skills, balance, coordination, and body awareness. More information about our extra-curricular activities is available on our About Us page.

23. Holiday Club During School Holidays

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery also caters for older children during school holidays. The extremely popular ‘Holiday Club’ caters for children aged from 5 to 10 and offers fun and stimulating activities for the children. It costs only £25 per day (8am to 5pm). For a full week (Monday to Friday inclusive) it’s just £120; the equivalent of £24 per day. Prices are correct at the time of writing (June 2023) but check our Fees page for any later updates.

24. Excellent Safeguarding Protocols

As recognised by Ofsted in their latest inspection and report, Leaps & Bounds Nursery has an effective approach to safeguarding. Training and supervision programmes are in place to enable staff to keep children safe while at the nursery and to ensure any concerns are mitigated. The relevant safety checks are all in place too and staff are first-aid trained. CCTV cameras are installed to monitor child safety throughout the nursery, in the reception area and the outdoor areas. Good protocols are in place concerning picking up children, so that only the ‘right’ person can do so. Learn more about our safeguarding commitments, protocols and measures here.

25. Open 51 Weeks of the Year

We’re open all year apart from 1 week between Christmas and New Year and during public holidays.

Childcare Places with a Good Provider in Edgbaston, Birmingham

So, for a good, reliable, welcoming and nurturing nursery/preschool in Edgbaston or Birmingham, do consider Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. To start exploring the possibility of your baby, toddler or preschooler joining our wonderful childcare setting in the near future, please select an option below:

Please note: although we are located in Edgbaston, near Birmingham, we may also be conveniently close for families requiring a high-quality nursery or preschool near Ladywood, Bearwood, Harborne and Smethwick.

19 June 2023/by Mark

Babies, Birmingham, Childcare, Edgbaston, Nurseries, Nursery, Ofsted Inspection, Ofsted Report, Pre-schools

Ofsted Report: Good Childcare Provision from Leaps & Bounds

It’s been a while since our last Ofsted report but we thought we’d highlight the truly excellent feedback received from Ofsted within that most recent report. After all, many parents will be interested to know what the independent UK body thinks of a nursery or childcare setting before committing their child to a place. This post should therefore be useful to parents/carers as a good, impartial view of the nursery, from totally independent professionals.

Good Early Years Provision – it’s official!

The most recent (2017) Ofsted report was full of positive comments from the inspectors — and nothing negative whatsoever. The provision was seen as good, in every single aspect of what we do at the setting. This should be very reassuring for parents. In short, the Ofsted inspector stated …

“The staff team have energy and are enthusiastic about children’s learning. They provide an inspiring range of resources … to motivate children’s learning.”
“Staff work closely with parents and confidently use the observation and assessment system in place to identify any gaps in children’s learning. This strong partnership working with parents contributes to children making good progress.”
“Staff place a strong focus on promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development. Children are supported well to be confident and independent learners.”
“Staff place a clear emphasis on building children’s communication and language skills [… and …] support children who speak English as an additional language well.”
“Keeping children safe is given good regard.”

The Ofsted Inspection

An Ofsted inspection is immersive and thorough — exactly as parents would hope. The inspector carefully observes the quality of teaching, assessing its impact on the children’s learning. She (in the case of the last report) speaks with staff, children and parents and takes consideration of their views. She also undertakes a joint observation of the setting, in action, with the nursery manager, additionally meeting with the deputy and area managers. Appropriate documents are checked, including those which evidence the suitability of staff employed at the nursery.

The inspector’s aim overall is to ensure the nursery’s childcare provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care (the ‘EYFS’). Leaps & Bounds passed with flying colours — on all counts!

Leaps & Bounds passed with flying colours — on all counts!

More detailed analysis from the Ofsted Report follows …

Good, Effective Leadership & Management

The Ofsted inspector said: “Arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and “safeguarding is given top priority. Staff carry out a daily risk assessment to ensure all areas used by children are safe. All staff are suitably trained in child protection issues and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child. Leaders and staff work effectively with other professionals working with the children to share information and secure their welfare and promote their learning. Staff recruitment and vetting systems help ensure the staff employed are suitable and are clear about their roles and responsibilities.” And, despite the nursery already scoring very well against every benchmark, “There is a clear improvement plan in place to help staff build further on the good quality of provision already achieved.”

Our Safeguarding policy is available here to read or download.

Good Teaching, Learning & Assessment Quality

Our nursery staff use an observation and assessment approach to establish precise, challenging steps within each child’s learning plan. This was recognised by Ofsted, who reported:

“Consequently, activities have a clear learning intention and children make good progress. Staff use the outdoor area well to engage children in learning. For example, staff encourage children to consider how the water will flow as they use the pipes and guttering and challenge them to solve problems” then later commented: “Staff are good play partners and quickly get involved in children’s imaginary play.”

They went on to comment on the good approach to speaking, vocabulary and language at the nursery:

“Staff use practical and enjoyable experiences to help introduce new words and ideas and to encourage children to speak … They skilfully let children lead their own play and talk about their ideas” and later commenting: “Bilingual staff often communicate with the younger children in both their home language and English. This helps to reassure and encourage them and helps them make good progress in developing their speaking skills.”

Good Personal Development, Behaviour & Welfare Approach

The Ofsted Report also had glowing comments about the nursery’s approach to personal development, behaviour and welfare:

“Staff place a clear focus on children talking about their emotions and feelings as they greet each other during group time. Staff teach children how to manage their feelings and how their behaviour impacts on others. For example, children consider how the characters in their favourite books feel and why.”

And, for babies, they said:

“Staff caring for babies are attentive to their care and health needs and know their individual personalities well. Staff ensure babies receive close contact and they often sing and communicate with them.”

In regard to healthy food and lifestyles, the Ofsted Report commented:

“The nursery is kept clean and children benefit from a varied range of nutritious meals and snacks. Children enjoy physical activity and learn about the benefits of leading healthy lives.”

Good Outcomes for Children

The Ofsted inspector also reported that all children “make good progress from their starting points” and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities “also make good progress considering their starting points.”

More generally, the Ofsted Report found that “Children show a real interest in learning and enjoy making marks and writing during their play. They show a fondness for numbers and counting as they play with the many natural resources, which they sort and make patterns with. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring sound and rhythm as they use the metal and plastic bins and containers as instruments. Children show good levels of enjoyment in their learning and develop the key skills required in preparation for school.”

The importance of having a good record for child outcomes and readiness for school cannot be over-emphasised, of course. Both are critically important and a measure of a high quality nursery like Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, Birmingham.

Going Forwards to the Next Ofsted Report

Ofsted reports come around approximately every four years, so Leaps & Bounds may be due another inspection soon. We have not been resting on our laurels, though, and our aim is to make Leaps and Bounds even better. Indeed, our aim of continual improvement was recognised by the last inspector who stated that we intend to “build further on the good quality of provision already achieved.” So, watch this space!

A Nursery Place in Birmingham for your Baby or Child

If you would like to explore the idea of a place for your baby or child at an independently proven nursery like Leaps & Bounds, please do get in touch. We’ll be very happy to discuss it further with you. Our nursery is located in Gillott Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, close to Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood and Smethwick. Call 0121 246 4922 for more details or contact us/book a visit here.

19 January 2021/by Mark