Dance Box Academy

Ramps, balancing planks and yoga gave Dance Box Academy a physical, playful character in July 2024. Learning also made room for conversation and early mathematics, with pretend cooking, farmyard resources and number activities providing different ways for children to join in.

At its 18 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. Two improvements temper that judgement: staffing arrangements sometimes interrupted play, and planned group activities did not consistently offer the right challenge.

In July 2024, younger children practised language through a farmyard activity, hearing staff name objects before trying the words themselves. Scooping mud brought counting into play; older children paired cubes with written numbers. These were concrete routes into language and mathematics rather than isolated exercises.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the July 2024 examples show how play could combine those elements: pretend cake-making encouraged conversation, while physical activities offered opportunities to practise movement and make decisions.

Ladders, a ramp and a seesaw featured in July 2024, alongside slightly raised planks for balancing. Older children also joined yoga, choosing cards depicting stretches and following movement instructions. The activities gave children different physical challenges.

The limitation was matching group tasks to individual abilities. In July 2024, some children encountered activities that were too easy or too difficult, reducing their engagement. Choosing an activity was only part of the job; adjusting its challenge needed more attention.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received effective support through developmental assessment and collaboration with parents and professionals, and that the curriculum supported children's progress towards their next stage of learning.

Relationships with core staff were being developed in July 2024. Practitioners joined children's play and explained nappy changes gently, seeking children's permission. Behaviour support was practical too: staff demonstrated safer slide use and helped children understand sharing and turn-taking.

Continuity had a weakness. In July 2024, temporary practitioners regularly supplemented a small core team, and toileting or nappy-changing duties sometimes broke the flow of play. Leaders sought feedback, while staff received training and supervision. The improvement required was better organisation of deployment.

Dance Box Academy's address is 51 The Avenue, Birmingham, B45 9AL. It accepts children aged 2 to 60 months.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas.

• Continuity of play. Staffing deployment interrupted activities in July 2024. On a visit, ask how personal-care duties are now covered while other children remain engaged.
• The right challenge. Group activities sometimes missed children's differing abilities in July 2024. Ask how practitioners adapt a shared task for children needing more support or greater challenge.

Dance Box Academy suits families seeking year-round weekday care. In July 2024, physical play featured alongside early language and number learning. Its July 2024 judgement provides a positive starting point, with concrete strengths in activities and relationships. Staffing continuity and the challenge within group tasks deserve equal weight in a family's decision.