Busy Bees Day Nursery at Norwich Thorpe

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 254137 Inspection date 26 April 2005 Inspector Susan Cox

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Setting Address Northside, St. Andrews Business Park, Thorpe St. Andrew, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0HT Telephone number 01603 300531 E-mail norwich@justlearning.co.uk Registered person Just Learning Ltd. Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Just Learning Nursery, Norwich is part of the Just Learning Limited national chain of day nurseries. It opened in 1999 and operates from purpose built premises set in an urban area on the outskirts of Norwich. There are a variety of playrooms for children of different age groups with all children having access to fully enclosed outside play areas. A maximum of 72 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 to 18:00 but closed for bank holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 There are currently 134 children aged from 2 months to under 5 years on roll. Of these 45 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area, as many of their parents travel in to work in the city. The nursery supports children with special educational needs, and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 31 staff. Twenty-two of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s health is promoted by staff who effectively follow the comprehensive nursery procedures and regularly exchange information with parents. They encourage children to learn about and manage their personal hygiene with confidence and older ones are keen to explain that they need to wash their hands to, ‘stop the germs getting into their tummies’. Children enjoy their food and are presented with a range of meals to promote healthy eating and that cater for individual dietary requirements. Babies are held comfortably to be bottle fed and toddlers enjoy exploring feeding themselves with appropriate adult support. Children are learning about their bodies and developing physical skills during free play and planned activities. These often take place in the secure gardens, where there is plenty of space to move freely. Staff are sensitive to babies’ individual routines and they are able to rest or be active according to their needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Risks of accidental injury to children are minimised by staff supervising them well and planning activities that are appropriate to their stage of development. The nursery is a secure site with access restricted to authorised persons for children’s safety. Risk assessments are carried out by management but this may be delegated to room staff in future as part of their professional development. Children are learning about keeping safe as they help to tidy up toys or move items from in front of a fire door so the exit route remains clear. Children use a varied range of toys and equipment which is appropriate to their age and stage of development. Much is within easy reach of the children encouraging them to become independent and make their own choices. Babies enjoy the freedom to move around and explore boxes, treasure baskets and, when outside, the natural environment such as daisies in the grass. Older children successfully organise their

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

own play such as setting up a hair dressers and finding appropriate resources. Children with special needs and those learning English as an additional language are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 safe and fully included due to the sensitive care and adaptations to activities and resources provided by the staff. Regular communication with parents contributes to children’s safety. Children are protected by the management having a clear understanding of child protection issues and ensuring staff and parents are fully aware of the policies and procedures which support their safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in the nursery. They are making good progress being sensitively supported by a well-qualified team of staff. The Birth to three matters framework has been introduced and is being reviewed, in the light of recent training, to ensure its implementation is effective. Babies receive lots of cuddles from key workers who know them well and are able to respond to their needs continuing the care routine agreed with the parents and developing their sense of security. They enjoy a range of activities that help them make good progress and show delight in new achievements such as a child finding she could shuffle on her bottom in the garden and move about quickly. Communication skills are developing as they learn that staff will respond to the sounds they make, their facial expressions and what they do. Children are happy and pleased to greet friends and staff as they arrive. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

eagerly join in the range of activities, understanding the routines within the rooms, and being confident to make many of their own choices and organise their play, with appropriate support if needed. Children are developing a sense of caring and responsibility for others such as a child spontaneously helping to feed her friend who was not getting on well with her lunch and both children enjoying the experience. Children, over the age of two, sit together at lunch time and generally chatter happily. They do not have opportunity to become involved with serving the meal or developing independence at this time as staff are busy serving food from a trolley. Some of the children become a little restless as they wait for others to finish their meal. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Regular staff, working with the children, have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and use this to plan, evaluate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and record to promote children’s learning. Occasionally children do not get the full benefit from activities as some bank staff are not clear about what the children are expected to learn. Children are interested and eager to learn taking part in a varied range of activities that capture their imagination. They confidently organise activities displaying independence such as deciding to wash the dolls, finding out the bath, aprons and other resources then asking for help with warm water. Friendships are developing as

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 they invite others to join in their play and mathematical skills are used as they count to see if there is space for them at an activity. They care for the fish, snails and gerbils and listen with interest to the story of the Hungry Caterpillar as part of learning about the life cycle. They enjoying using the new word, chrysalis, look at books to draw pictures and relay their ideas to staff to clearly annotate the pictures. This links to preparations for a spring walk in the local area to help them understand the natural environment and where they live. Confidence with technology is increasing with many adept at using the simple computer packages and displaying good mouse control. Children benefit from using their bodies in a range of physical activities both inside and in the outside play area. They are increasing their skill with using tools and enjoy

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

planned and free play activities in the fresh air. Curiosity is stimulated as they consider the changing colour of the daffodils that they placed in blue and red water and they understand this is due to them, ‘drinking the coloured water’.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children receive a warm welcome and take part in the full range of activities being supported by staff who are keen that they should make good progress and develop self-esteem. They are learning about the wider community and to value the diversity of people that make up our society enabling them to treat everyone with understanding and respect. Children are well behaved and polite. They share and take turns helping each other at times and responding appropriately to the staff. This positive approach fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The partnership with parents is good. All children benefit from the positive partnership which starts at the initial enquiry with clear information available for parents and a flexible settling in procedure. The effective exchange of information enables babies to settle quickly being supported by staff who understand and follow their home

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Helping children make a positive contribution

routines. Parents and staff, throughout the nursery, have a relaxed relationship with an effective exchange of information to promote the welfare of the children and encourage parents to understand and contribute to their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s care and welfare is promoted by the effective use of clear recruitment procedures to appoint staff who are well qualified and suitable for their role with many holding qualifications above the required level. They are appropriately deployed and display good teamwork to meet the needs of the children and work with the parents. Comprehensive induction procedures ensure regular staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and this is further supported by training and appraisal being used effectively to promote personal development. This means the needs of all the children who attend are met. Leadership and management are good. Children benefit from the professional

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 support senior staff give their staff team. They are keen to review current practice and are currently looking at ways to further develop learning for children under the age of three.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last care inspection recommended that regular opportunities be provided for the youngest children to have outside experiences throughout the year and that advice be sought from the fire safety officer regarding the use of heaters. The nursery now provides regular opportunities for even the youngest children to have time outside either with free play or being taken for a walk. This contributes to the children's good health and helps to provide a balance to their day. To promote safety, the nursery consulted the fire safety officer who had no concerns about the way the heaters are used to boost the temperature early in the morning as they are out of reach of the children and used safely. The last Nursery Education inspection raised two points for consideration regarding mathematical development and planning. Children now have a full rage of experiences to help them solve simple problems in everyday activities and they are becoming confident in this area.

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Improvements since the last inspection

A system to evaluate the effectiveness of planned activities is now used to help identify progress made by children and influence future planning to meet their needs.

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Complaints since the last inspection

In April 2004 Ofsted received a concern regarding Standard 2: Organisation, about the key worker system; Standard 7: Health, hygiene practices and Standard 12: Working in partnership with parents and carers, concerning sharing information. Ofsted asked the provider to conduct an internal investigation and report back showing the steps taken to address the concerns and the action taken to prevent such issues arising in the future. The provider reported that a review of practices had been held and a check made to ensure staff were familiar with the correct procedures. Ofsted is satisfied that the provider took the appropriate action to address the concerns, and the provider remains qualified for registration. In December 2004 a concern was raised in relation to Standard 6: Safety, about the procedures and risk assessments concerning children's rest arrangements and staffing within that time. Ofsted asked the provider to investigate and report back

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Complaints since the last inspection

showing steps taken to address the incident, subsequent actions to prevent such incidents, and outline future plans to be considered to ensure safety. The provider reported that the physical environment had been adjusted, the staffing arrangements reviewed to cover rest periods and ongoing risk assessments put into place. Ofsted is satisfied that the registered person took appropriate steps to address the concern, and the provider remains qualified for registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide opportunities for older children to develop independence and encourage social skills at meal times.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage to ensure all are aware of what they expect children to learn from activities and that they support this effectively.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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