Busy Bee Pre-School

Busy Bee Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Busy Bee Pre-School

EY333445 Unique Reference Number 15 November 2006 Inspection date Lynn Reeves Inspector

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Busy Bee Pre-School

Busy Bee Pre-School, The Scout Headquarters, Kidmore Lane, Denmead, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO7 6JZ

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E-mail

Mandy Farmer Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Busy Bee Pre-school has been registered under its current ownership since 2006. It is situated in a scout hall in a rural location in Denmead, Waterlooville, Hampshire. A maximum of 40 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The group is open every week day during term time from 09:15-14:45. Children are able to attend for sessions or full day care.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 64 children on roll aged from two years to under five years. Of these, 28 children receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties/disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight staff, including five with early years qualifications and two who are working towards a recognised early years qualification. The group receives support from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the Local Authority.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene and are developing good self care skills through daily routines and discussions. They wash their hands after using the toilet, when they have finished with the paints and play-dough and before eating, and chat about the germs they might have on their fingers. Children are protected and enjoy a healthy environment because the staff implement stringent hygiene procedures to help prevent the possible spread of infection, for example, using anti-bacterial sprays to wash down table tops, providing paper towels for the children and wearing disposable gloves when changing babies' nappies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are protected from infection because the staff are well informed about children's health and allergies. Good procedures are in place to record all accidents that occur on the premises and parents sign to acknowledge that they have been informed. Staff attend first aid training and food handling courses on a rolling programme, which ensure children are kept safe and healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a healthy and nutritious diet, they confidently choose what they would like to eat from a range of fresh fruit at snack time. They confidently pour their own drinks and help themselves to water from the dispenser when they are thirsty. Children develop a good understanding of healthy eating and are introduced to a range of new foods and tastes during weekly cooking activities. Some children stay for their lunch, which is supplied by the parents, and demonstrate using their good manners at meal times. Staff make themselves available to help and assist if required, they sit and chat with the children about what they have been doing during the mornings play and things they have done at home making meal times very sociable.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily opportunities to participate in activities developing their co-ordination and skills. They develop their large muscle skills through a variety of physical activities during inside and outside play. They play on the slide and climbing frame, ride the sit-on-toys and push prams, where they show good spatial awareness as they negotiate obstacles. Children enjoy singing and acting out movement, for example, bending and stretching as they sing Dingly Dangly Scarecrow.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and safe environment. The premises are warm and welcoming with brightly coloured walls, which have an abundance of number, letter, colour and shape charts, to enhance children's learning. Children's work is displayed on notice boards, valuing their achievements and the parents' notice board displays the relevant information regarding the groups policies and procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from an extensive range of age appropriate toys and resources, which they have easy access to. These are stored at low level and clearly labelled, increasing opportunities

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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 for children to be independent and make their own choices. The toys are cleaned on a rota system throughout the terms and during holiday periods and checked daily for any damage to ensure children's safety. Children enjoy what there is to play with, toys and resources are stimulating, fun and interesting, which provide sufficient challenges to the children who attend.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children move freely and in safety around the setting because staff pay high attention to ensuring risks and hazards are minimised. Visual checks are carried out daily before the children arrive and are ongoing throughout the day to ensure the environment remains safe for children. Children develop a good awareness of safety through practising emergency evacuations, although the last drill was not recorded and impacts on children's safety. Children are given sensitive reminders about keeping safe, for example, not to run when visiting the toilet and to sit on their chairs properly in case they fall. Children's safety is assured because good procedures are in place for the collection of children through passwords and the premises are kept secure and locked.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. They would recognise the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and would contact the relevant agencies as necessary to protect the children. All existing injuries that children arrive into group with are recorded and the required policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happy into pre-school and are greeted by friendly and enthusiastic staff, they quickly settle into the routine, for example, finding their names on the table and sitting with their key worker before the register is called. Staff get to know the children well, they talk to them about their families and what they have been doing at home. This interaction helps to secure relationships between the children and staff developing a strong sense of trust. Younger children are fully included in all aspects of the care and learning as the staff have introduced the Birth to three matters framework to ensure their needs are met. Staff interact well with the children, and talk about how each child is progressing with each other to plan for their next steps of development. Children are provided with a range of experiences to keep them stimulated and interested. Staff recognise the value of play enabling children to play and work together

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in large and small groups as well as independently.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing very well because staff are very knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the early learning goals, enabling them to support the children and help them to progress steadily. They have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and are very active in updating their training, which enhances the quality of care children receive. Staff use open ended questions to make children think and adapt techniques according to the age and ability of the child. They implement a varied range of teaching methods to introduce an exciting range of activities and experiences to all children including those with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. Differentiation is shown on planning and observations of children's achievements are noted on post-it notes throughout the sessions by the key workers and used to inform next

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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 stages of children's development. Staff praise and encourage the children as they develop their own ideas and have realistic expectations of children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate high levels of independence, freely selecting equipment for themselves, helping themselves to water from the dispenser and when visiting the toilet. Children listen well to instructions and participate well during a vast selection of learning opportunities. They independently select books and thoroughly enjoy the nursery narrative sessions where they sit in the comfy corner with a member of staff listening to stories, there they increase their language and literacy skills. Children are beginning to link sounds and letters as they find their name on the tables, see clearly labelled resources and when they discuss the letter of the week. However, during large group activities, for example, learning about the letter of the week, some younger children loose interest and this impacts on the concentration skills of the older children. Some children are able to form clear recognisable letters as they attempt to label their own work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They are given opportunities to mark make during role-play, for example, in the post office to write on the envelopes, where they use an assortment of pens and crayons.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children independently use a range of tools, for example, rolling pins, cutters, scissors, glue sticks and paint brushes. They enjoy a range of media, such as water, sand, pasta, glue, gloop and play-dough. They use their senses and express their feelings as they talk about how they can add flour to the play-dough to stop it sticking and how cold the gloop and glue feels when they get it on their hands. Children learn their numbers when counting how many are sitting down for registration and compare weight and measurement as they pour water into plastic bottles and use the scales to measure ingredients during cooking activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about themselves and their families through discussion and topic work and acquire knowledge of their environment through outings and visitors to the group, which help further their awareness of the local community. They use everyday technology, for example, telephones, magnifying glasses, scales, tills and the computer which supports their learning. Children use their imagination well as they dress up in different costumes, act out who's going to be the postman in the post-office role-play area and push the babies around in their buggies. Children delight in decorating their kites using a range of materials, such as tissue paper, card and strings, and enjoy experimenting with paints as they do leaf printing. Children enjoy taking part in group singing on a daily basis, where they use their fingers and bodies to act out the actions to favourite nursery rhymes, they listen to a range of music, for example, Vivaldi when

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

they are tidying up and use a range of musical instruments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff work very well as a team suggesting new ideas and methods for the planning and monitoring the children in a variety of ways to identify individual targets for children to work towards. Staff recognise the group's own strengths and weaknesses and provide a curriculum which meets the needs and abilities of the children, this ensures children are able to achieve their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are highly valued as individuals as the staff get to know the children and their families. Children develop a positive attitude to their peers and adults, they help to tidy things away

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 and have equal access to the resources and activities provided. Children develop a good understanding of the local community and environment as they travel on the bus to the local library for story telling, visit the dentist, go pond dipping, search for mini-bugs and leaves, and talk about the weather during circle time. Planned activities, resources, visitors to the group and discussions around a variety of cultural festivals extend children's knowledge and promote equal opportunities. This positive approach fosters children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The setting has effective arrangements in place to care for children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The special needs co-ordinator (SENCO) continues to attend training courses and workshops and works alongside parents and outside professionals, such as health visitors and speech therapists, to ensure children's individual needs are met. Their progress is regularly monitored, discussed and reviewed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are confident and show good levels of self-esteem, they behave well because they know what is expected from them. Clear rules and boundaries are implemented effectively by the whole staff team as they use sensitive methods, for example, gentle reminders and distraction. Unwanted behaviour is recorded and discussed with parents to ensure a consistent approach. Children help to tidy things away and work well together co-operatively, for instance, in role-play, sharing the resources, waiting to use the flour bag on the play-dough table and taking turns on the computer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive detailed information about the group's aims, objectives and the curriculum via the prospectus, regular newsletters and clearly displayed notice boards. Parents feel all the staff are friendly and approachable and the key worker system helps ensure their children are settled and supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents of children who receive funding for nursery education is good.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are provided with lots of information regarding their child's development via their achievement records, which they can see and comment on at any time. Parents are encouraged to help out on the parent/rota system and to send in things for the interest table. The home link books encourage parents to get involved with their child's learning, as they can practise familiar letters sounds, words, colours and shapes. Effective informal communication takes place at handover and collection time as parents are encouraged to come into the group and collect the children's creations and discuss any issues with the key workers. Children's learning is significantly enhanced by the contributions parents make and the secure links in place between home and pre-school.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from the good deployment of staff and high adult:child ratios. Staff maintain high levels of interaction with the children and ensure that activities are well planned to keep children interested and stimulated. As a result, the needs of the range of children who attend are met.

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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 Robust procedures are in place for the recruitment of new staff as they are offered an induction programme, probationary period and must read and sign all policies and procedures. Most required documentation is in place and kept confidential, however, some weaknesses have been identified with regards to the information maintained in the registers and visitors' book.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. Staff are knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the early learning goals, which enhances children's care and learning. Management provides very good support to staff, both informally on a daily basis and formally through meetings and annual appraisals. Staff are very active in updating their training, they work well as a team and make good use of regular staff meetings to monitor the curriculum and the impact on children's individual progress. Activity sheets are put on each table, which highlight the resources and staff needed, the intention of the activity and an evaluation to see if things have gone well or to see where things can be improved. Detailed policies and procedures are implemented effectively to successfully promote children's care and well-being. This helps ensure all staff contribute fully to the group and successfully promote positive outcomes for

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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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): • ensure the fire log book is accurately recorded with dates of drills practised • ensure the daily registers are maintained accurately with staff's attendance and contact details are provided of all visitors to the group

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The quality and standards of the care

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 nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • consider how the organisation of large group activities can be improved so all children remain fully attentive and involved

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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