URN 250129 · Inspected 2026-09-21 · Published 2026-10-20 · Inspector: Lisa Robinson
Child 1st Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 250129 Address: Kingshurst Academy, Cooks Lane, Solihull, B37 6NZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/08/1998 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Solihull Child First Day Nursery Limited Inspection report: 21 September 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard Children's learning and development are nurtured across all age groups through a carefully sequenced approach. As such, children secure the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning. They are confident learners who actively explore the rich learning environment and engage deeply with experiences that reflect their interests. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make significant progress from their starting points. Children are extremely confident and skilled in their physical development. They use large motor skills as they skilfully jump with both feet across climbing equipment. They weave in and out of the cones, 'like a snake'. Children develop an understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts. Older children count confidently and use mathematical language to compare the weight and size of their dough. Children are learning to recognise and manage their emotions. This helps children to make positive choices. Children have extremely positive attitudes to learning. They persist to overcome challenges, and show immense pride in their achievements. This firm foundation in their learning ensures children are well prepared for their next stage in learning and starting school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff have established a positive, respectful and nurturing learning environment in which children flourish. They maintain consistently high expectations for children's behaviour, ensuring that children feel secure, understand routines and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. Tailored support is provided for children who may experience barriers to learning or require additional help to manage their emotions. Children are taught about kindness and the importance of considering the feelings of others. Staff offer timely reassurance and cuddles whenever needed, and children's behaviour is exemplary. Children thrive on the encouragement and explicit praise they receive for their achievements. This promotes their confidence, self-esteem and resilience effectively. Children are actively encouraged to have a go and try new things. They develop special friendships and play collaboratively together as they pretend to be hairdressers. Staff are excellent role models for children. They interact warmly and sensitively, promoting consistently positive attitudes and behaviour. Staff know the children in their care extremely well and make timely, effective adaptations to support and reinforce positive behaviour. For example, they model turn-taking and sharing during activities, helping children to develop patience and strengthen their cooperative skills. Leaders promote good attendance and punctuality through careful monitoring and positive communication with parents. They recognise the importance of regular attendance in supporting children's learning, development and overall wellbeing, and work proactively with families to ensure children benefit fully from their time in the setting. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children's health, welfare and wellbeing are prioritised through high-quality care practices and consistent routines. Staff promote effective hygiene, and children wash their hands thoroughly, confidently explaining why this is important. Effective risk assessments ensure resources, activities and learning environments are always safe and secure for children to use. Children manage their own self-care with increasing independence, such as serving their own lunch, pouring drinks and scraping their plates. These opportunities successfully promote children's independence and sense of responsibility. Mealtimes are calm, well organised and sociable. Staff work in partnership with parents and carers to promote healthy eating and follow nutritious, safe eating practices. Staff sit alongside children, modelling and supporting age-appropriate self-feeding skills while responding sensitively to each child's individual needs and stage of development. Sleep arrangements are safe and flexibly tailored to meet individual children's needs. Staff know their key children extremely well. Staff are caring, attentive and responsive to children's needs, enabling them to feel safe, secure and well supported. They recognise when children are less confident or require additional help and adapt their practice accordingly. For example, when children talk about their emotions, staff adjust their interactions to ensure every child can participate fully, using their own level of communication. This sensitive approach promotes children's emotional wellbeing and ensures all children are included. Local initiatives that teach children the importance of making long-lasting healthy habits, such as good oral health and toothbrushing skills, are fully embedded into daily practice. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have developed and embedded an exciting, well-structured curriculum that is firmly rooted in children's personal interests and individual needs. The curriculum clearly identifies what children already know and can do, and builds on this effectively by teaching children what they need to learn next. Staff have a secure understanding of the curriculum and implement it consistently across the setting. They ensure children are highly engaged in their learning and benefit from rich, high-quality learning experiences. For example, children are intrigued to learn about the foods they eat, so staff have developed an allotment area, where children have first-hand experiences of growing vegetables, harvesting these and eating them for their lunch at the setting. This engages children in learning that develops their understanding of nature and the world around them. Songs, rhymes and stories are consistently used through daily practice and make a significant contribution to children's communication and language development. Staff consistently model language and engage sensitively with children as they play, effectively extending and enriching their learning experiences. For instance, staff enthusiastically encourage babies to make sounds, babble and learn new words. Older children are supported to learn about themselves, their families and each other through an 'All About Me' project. This helps children to develop an understanding of similarities and differences in gender, ethnicity and ability. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff are passionate and extremely committed to providing high-quality care and support for every child in the setting. Consistent and well-embedded assessment procedures enable staff to swiftly identify children's individual needs. Staff make effective use of assessment toolkits to recognise and celebrate children's needs and achievements. Individualised plans are created to support children who may require additional support. As a result, staff have a secure understanding of the children in their care and are able to plan and implement targeted interventions at the earliest opportunity. Staff confidently adapt their interactions and teaching approaches to meet children's individual needs. For example, staff use visual cues and sign language to support children's early communication skills and engagement during play activities and daily routines. Staff work collaboratively in partnership with parents and carers, sharing ideas for home learning and providing support through referral processes. Leaders make highly effective use of additional funding to consistently provide additional opportunities for children. For instance, they provide weekly sports sessions that enhance children's core strength, balance and coordination through fun and challenging activities. Leaders consistently review the impact of their actions and meticulously explore all potential barriers to children's learning. This makes a demonstrable difference to children's progress and their readiness for future learning. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders demonstrate a highly positive and proactive approach to driving continuous improvement across the setting. They consistently and effectively evaluate the setting's strengths and identify areas for further development, ensuring that ongoing progress remains a clear priority. Leaders place a high priority on staff's continuous professional development and recognise the significant impact this has on the quality of provision. They are highly attentive to staff wellbeing and ensure it is actively supported through regular staff meetings, supervision sessions and ongoing opportunities for professional reflection and growth. Leaders work closely with specialist agencies and professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who face other barriers to learning, receive the individualised support they need. This collaborative approach enables all children to make sustained progress. Parents and carers report that transitions are managed smoothly and sensitively, preparing and supporting children to handle change confidently as they move on to the next stage of their learning journey. Leaders have a secure understanding of their local community and the needs of the families who attend. Strong partnerships with parents have a highly positive impact on children's experiences and progress. Parents speak very highly of the setting and the high standard of care and education their children receive. They value the guidance and daily communication provided by staff, which ensures children benefit from continuity of care and learning between home and the setting. Leaders consistently promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. As a result, children are confident, resilient learners who make continued progress in their learning and development. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive in this highly nurturing, inclusive and welcoming setting. Families are warmly greeted by attentive staff who know the children and their individual needs exceptionally well. Settling-in times for children are tailored using their particular interests. This helps children to feel safe, valued and ready to learn. All children, including those who face disadvantage or other barriers to learning such as special educational needs and/or disabilities, make strong and sustained progress from their starting points. Children are excited to engage in a broad range of carefully planned age- and stage- appropriate learning opportunities that ignite their curiosity and are led by their interests. They joyfully experience an ambitious and highly inclusive curriculum, which staff skilfully adapt to children's individual needs. For example, staff simplify the language used with younger children as they explore the animal jigsaw puzzles and learn about animal sounds. Older children engage in purposeful conversations as they use their imagination to create colour monsters from dough and talk about their feelings. This promotes children's language skills effectively, extends their thinking and helps children to understand a variety of emotions. Babies independently investigate their environment with confidence and curiosity, enabling them to develop physical skills such as crawling, balancing and walking. Children develop special friendships, always showing kindness and respect for each other. Older children listen and focus intently as they wholeheartedly join in with 'pass the drum' during song time. Leaders work closely and flexibly with parents and carers, placing a strong emphasis on children's attendance and punctuality. As a result, children fully benefit from the learning opportunities provided. Transitions between rooms are thoughtfully planned and sensitively managed, ensuring each child's individual needs are recognised and supported. Parents speak very highly of the quality of care their children receive and the significant progress they make during their time at the setting. Children leave the setting exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator and parents during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The Inspector: Lisa Robinson About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 250129 Address: Kingshurst Academy Cooks Lane Solihull B37 6NZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 20/08/1998 Registered person: Solihull Child First Day Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Solihull Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 21 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. Total number of places 100 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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