URN 2749651 · Inspected 2026-01-21 · Published 2026-05-07 · Inspector: Katie Rudge
Zahra Childcare Centre Unique reference number (URN): 2749651 Address: 279 Gooch Street, BIRMINGHAM, B5 7JE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/10/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Zahra Childcare Centre Ltd Inspection report: 21 January 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. Expected standard Needs attention Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff create a nurturing and welcoming environment where all children feel they belong. All children are happy and settled. There is an effective key-person system. Babies have their personal care needs met sensitively and with respect. Staff meet the emotional needs of children well. They support children to recognise and manage their emotions. They use stories and props to explain emotions, such as 'happy', 'sad' and 'nervous'. Children spontaneously approach staff for cuddles, and staff respond with warmth. The close bonds are clearly evident between them, and children demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their care. Staff are responsive to the children's wellbeing and recognise if children need time to rest or something to eat. Children have opportunities to explore and be physically active. They eat healthy and nutritious snacks and have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day. Children become increasingly independent in managing their own personal needs. They know how to wipe their noses, wash their hands and be independent with toileting. Achievement Needs attention Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching affect the overall achievement of some of the children within the nursery. Some children gain age-appropriate skills across the different areas of learning. They achieve a basic level of communication that allows them to be understood by their peers. Generally, children listen to and follow instructions. They know to line up nicely before moving around the nursery. Most children progress well with their independence. They learn to manage their own personal care needs with increasing skill. They know to wash their hands after playing outside and before mealtimes. They are learning about healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves and others safe. Children demonstrate adept gross motor physical skills, and they gain increasing control as they run, jump and balance on equipment. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Sometimes, staff do not have the specific knowledge of the most effective strategies to implement when younger children argue over resources. The expectations for behaviour are not consistently understood and embedded into staff practice. Leaders have recognised this, and there is a training plan to support staff with this understanding. Leaders identify rooms that need the most support, and they deploy themselves as role models for other staff to learn from. Some staff do not adapt activities and the routine to the age and stage of the children participating. As a result, these children sometimes lose interest and focus on learning. Staff regularly praise children and encourage them to persevere with tasks. Most older children listen to and follow instructions, and they generally behave well. They know to line up before they move around the nursery and sit calmly for snack and mealtimes. Younger children enjoy tidying up resources and helping with simple tasks. Children enjoy choosing activities and working alongside others. Leaders prioritise attendance and monitor this closely so that children benefit from regular sessions. This helps ensure that the most vulnerable children access early education and establish positive habits ready for school. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn during their time in nursery. However, they have only recently taken action to design and improve the curriculum and teaching across the nursery. The implementation of the curriculum does not fully align with what children already know and can do. Assessment of children's progress and planning for their learning is not accurate enough. Some staff do not adapt their teaching to the specific children's progress and what they need to learn next. Leaders can identify some of the weaknesses in staff teaching practice, but strategies to monitor and implement change are not yet effective for a high-quality, ambitious curriculum to be seen consistently. For example, leaders and staff highlight communication and language development as a focus for the children. However, staff occasionally struggle to implement strategies that are effective at closing the gaps in their knowledge. Interactions and teaching lack depth, and the questioning style of staff is sometimes repetitive. This does not support children to think, hear and respond to words well enough. Children's physical development is given high priority. All children enjoy daily outdoor play. They delight in racing on scooters with their friends in the garden. There are lots of opportunities to be physically active and develop their social skills, with the use of play equipment such as bicycles, swings and obstacles to balance on. Staff introduce some mathematical concepts, such as size comparison and capacity. Staff encourage children to try new tasks for themselves and promote children's independence. This builds children's confidence and resilience. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders do not have accurate enough oversight of the implementation of the strategies recommended by external agencies. Some staff have not yet not received training that focuses on helping them apply these approaches effectively. As a result, the way staff communicate and interact with children with barriers to their learning is variable across the staff team. The need for staff training has been identified by leaders, and there is a broad programme of professional development for staff. However, this needs to be more targeted to improve practice. There are many children within the nursery who have barriers to their learning, for example children who speak English as an additional language, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and socioeconomically disadvantaged children. There is a welcoming environment where these children feel safe and secure. Leaders identify children's emerging needs and seek support and advice from external specialists quickly. Staff generally meet the needs of these children appropriately. They share any concerns about children effectively with their parents and carers. Leaders consider the use of funding and identify the use of outdoors as an area that children in their nursery may lack. They plan to purchase all-weather suits so that children can experience the outdoors all year round. This gives children opportunities for learning that they might not get at home. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders have a general understanding of the nursery's strengths and priorities for improvement. They have sought additional support from an early years consultant to improve the overall quality and care children receive. However, this is in its early stages, and the improvements they need have not been brought about quickly enough. Staff do not receive the targeted training and professional development they need to be fully effective in their roles and responsibilities. This affects the overall quality of their practice and outcomes for children. Staff say they are happy in their roles, they feel their wellbeing is a priority and they have a balance to their workloads. Leaders and staff engage with parents in a variety of ways and act as support for wider aspects of community life. For example, staff support families with funding forms and applications where there might be a language barrier. This builds a culture of respect and understanding for others. 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 Weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching mean children do not consistently receive a high-quality education that prepares them fully for their next stage in learning. Although leaders can identify some weaknesses in staff practice, strategies to improve this have not been brought about quickly enough. The quality of the teaching is variable. Purposeful play and interactions are lacking at times. Some staff do receive the targeted training they require to help them implement a highly ambitious curriculum. Disadvantaged children and those with barriers to their learning are identified by leaders, and they get support from external professionals quickly. Some staff do not have secure enough knowledge of how to implement the recommended targets and approaches successfully. Children form secure relationships with their key person and wider staff team. All children are happy and settled. Children clearly feel safe and secure at the nursery. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the diverse community they serve. The staff team utilises its skills and knowledge of languages to break down barriers with the families it works with. Children enjoy daily fresh air and outdoor activities. There are lots of opportunities to be physically active, and staff encourage children to form healthy habits. Children learn to manage their own personal care needs with increasing independence. They know when to wash their hands and wipe their noses. Most children demonstrate skills that are preparing them well for their next stage in education. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Inspector: Katie Rudge About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2749651 Address: 279 Gooch Street BIRMINGHAM B5 7JE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 05/10/2023 Registered person: Zahra Childcare Centre Ltd Action Completion Date monitor staff's practice more closely so that weaknesses in teaching are identified and addressed quickly 30/03/2026 provide staff the training and support they need to be fully effective in their roles and to improve the quality of teaching 30/03/2026 design and implement an ambitious curriculum that supports children to close any gaps in their learning, particularly their communication and language development 30/03/2026 About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff and the special educational needs coordinator 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 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. Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Birmingham Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 21 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 5 Total number of places 52 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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