Angels Day Nursery, Sutton Coldfield

Real teapots for pretend play, signs practised together and experiments with liquids give Angels Day Nursery, Sutton Coldfield a recognisable character in its March 2022 nursery day. Everyday objects became material for exploration. Those concrete experiences show how children explored ideas in March 2022.

At its 30 March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, while identifying inconsistent engagement of babies and a need for staff development directed more precisely towards teaching. That balance matters: the overall judgement was positive, but families choosing care for a baby have a specific issue to explore.

The nursery cares for babies and children up to 60 months old at Jockey Road, Sutton Coldfield. Its opening hours are 7am to 6pm on weekdays, with year-round opening except bank holidays.

In March 2022, children used both indoor and outdoor spaces, choosing activities and exploring independently. The nursery operated from a detached house. Real teapots in the pretend-play area connected imaginative play with objects children might recognise from home, giving their play a familiar starting point.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care, bringing language, physical development and other areas of learning into the nursery day. In March 2022, activities covered its seven areas, with staff using children’s existing knowledge to plan what came next. That made observation part of planning, rather than a separate exercise.

Language took several forms. During group activities in March 2022, older children answered questions and practised signs, remembering ones they had encountered before and adding new ones. Story sessions also introduced vocabulary through reading and conversation. These were opportunities to participate, listen and respond, rather than simply hear an adult talk.

Experiments offered a different kind of involvement. Children mixed liquids and made potions, watching the changes as they happened. The interest lay in doing something and seeing its effect. Alongside pretend play and group conversation, this gave children different ways to explore an idea.

Babies need a closer reading of that picture. In March 2022, adult interaction in the baby room varied, and some babies were not drawn fully into the activities. The improvement required was practical: strengthen staff understanding of the curriculum and their ability to involve younger children in purposeful play.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported that assessment, referrals and work with external agencies supported children needing additional help to make good progress. These are dated findings about how care and support worked at that visit.

In March 2022, welcome screening drew on information from parents to identify children who might need early help. Most practitioners knew their key children well and used observations to spot additional support needs. Information about development was shared with families, allowing parents to build on learning at home.

Behaviour was handled calmly in March 2022, with adults demonstrating the conduct they expected from children. During larger group activities, staff also attended to the involvement of children with additional needs. For a parent, the useful detail is how participation was supported within the activity, alongside the separate assessment and referral work.

Mealtimes brought opportunities to taste unfamiliar food, including hummus, while babies and younger children practised feeding themselves with help when needed. In March 2022, older children also explored toothbrushing using toothbrushes, toothpaste and tooth models, connecting discussion about health with a practical demonstration.

The address is 386 Jockey Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5XJ. Opening hours run from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; the nursery opens across the year and closes on bank holidays. That opening window is useful for comparing a family’s working day with the hours the setting operates.

Enquiries can be made by selecting Sutton Coldfield in the Book A Place form. Each nursery has a separate form, so choosing this branch directs the enquiry to the intended setting.

In March 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Treat that as the inspection-era funding position. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Baby engagement. In March 2022, some babies were not consistently involved in activities. During a visit, ask staff to demonstrate how they respond to a baby’s interests and sustain shared play.
• Teaching across rooms. The March 2022 improvement priorities included more targeted professional support for staff. Ask how that support now changes everyday interactions, especially with younger children.
• Funding and everyday costs. Funded early education formed part of the March 2022 offer. What funding arrangements and everyday costs would apply to your proposed attendance?

Angels suits families seeking weekday, year-round care in Sutton Coldfield who value practical exploration, imaginative play and opportunities for conversation. Its March 2022 day offered concrete examples of each, from liquid experiments to practising signs.

The baby-room concern deserves equal weight. For families with younger children, the decisive point is how consistently adults involve them in play; the overall Good judgement should be read alongside that specific improvement priority.