Bumblebees Day Nursery Plymouth LTD

Bumblebees Day Nursery Plymouth LTD

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bumblebees Day Nursery Plymouth LTD

EY338731 Unique Reference Number 24 January 2007 Inspection date Karyn Yarnold Inspector

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Bumblebees Day Nursery Plymouth LTD

BumbleBees Day Nursery, Woolwell Road, Woolwell, Plymouth, PL6 7RB

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Setting Address

01752 77 77 98 Telephone number bumblebees@hotmail.co.uk E-mail Bumblebees Day Nursery Plymouth Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Bumblebees Day Nursery (Plymouth) Ltd. opened in 2006 and operates from a purpose built nursery in Woolwell on the outskirts of Plymouth, Devon. A maximum of 66 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children, toddlers and babies share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 67 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these, seven children receive funding for early education. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs nine members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications and the nursery supports one student who is working towards a qualification. The nursery also employs a cook. The nursery are members of the National Day Nurseries Association and receives support from 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 outstanding. Children and babies thrive because staff follow highly effective procedures and practices which meet the children's physical, nutritional and health needs. Outstanding hygiene routines are in place, to ensure that children learn about personal hygiene and are protected from cross infection. For example, staff check areas for cleanliness prior to children attending, clean up as required, and after babies and children have left. Toddlers and children are encouraged to wash their hands after going to the toilet, before eating and after messy play. Staff spray tables with suitable cleaning products and use antibacterial sprays on changing mats when changing babies and toddlers nappies. Staff also use alcohol gel liquid soap, some which is clipped onto their clothing for easy use when required. These measures help to reduce the risk of cross infection and promotes children's health. Children of all ages are encouraged by staff to clean

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Helping children to be healthy

their teeth after eating and individual names on tooth brushes, toothpaste and pots, storing the brushes, reduces the risk of cross contamination. The exceptional adult support and guidance regarding personal hygiene and healthy habits, helps children gain an excellent understanding of hygiene and a real desire to become increasingly independent in their personal care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children become involved in a wide range of activities that contribute to their good health. They have regular physical play, both indoors and outside, taking part in activities to develop their physical skills, such as riding on trikes, swinging on swings; climbing on outdoor equipment and free play activities. Being able to play outside enables children to receive fresh air which adds to their overall health and develops older children's positive attitude to physical exercise. Children are cared for appropriately in the case of accidents and when medication needs to be administered. First aiders keep their first aid training up-to-date and fully stocked first aid boxes are situated in strategic areas including the kitchen. Suitable medication administration records are maintained. This promotes children's safety and health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive an outstanding selection of snacks and main meals. These include fresh fruit and vegetables, such as, apples, bananas, grapes, cucumber, and carrot sticks. High tea includes a selection of sandwiches, rice cakes, pizza, cheese cubes, raisins, cheese straws, mini pasties, vegetable sticks, wraps and pita pockets filled with various fillings. A weekly menu that is planned over a four week period, and is available to parents, ensures that parents are made aware of meals that their children are offered. Menus include a vegetarian and cultural option. Main meals include fish, home made chips, casseroles, potatoes with seasonal vegetables, chicken curry with rice, jacket potatoes and meat pies. Deserts include cake and custard, ice cream, whips, bread and butter pudding, yoghurts with raisins and fruit salad. Babies receive sufficient bottle feeds that are made up by nursery staff and stored appropriately in a fridge

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Helping children to be healthy

that has a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the fridge, which ensure that goods stored in the fridge are kept at a suitable temperature. Older babies receive healthy liquidised food. This balance of food ensures that children and babies receive nutritious meals to sustain their health. Snack and lunch times are sociable times as staff sit with children and engage in conversation with them. Children are offered milk and water to drink. Older children are able help themselves to easily accessibly drinking water throughout their stay at the nursery as jugs and plastic cups are laid out for children's use.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very well organised purpose built nursery. Colourful displays in all rooms within the nursery, together with individual parent's notice boards and an information board, helps to make the setting inviting. Individual child level coat pegs, which are named, allow children to feel part of the group. Risks of accidental injury to children are minimised because staff are vigilant and use suitable risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. For example, sleeping babies are checked every 10 minutes, stair gates are present at every stairway and a visitors log is maintained. A safe environment is created for babies, toddlers and older children as they have their own rooms, and have access to a very good range of age related toys and equipment. This creates a safe environment for non-mobile babies by restricting the access of more mobile babies. Harnesses in low chairs keeps younger children secure when

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and babies have access to a wide range of suitable toys and resources that are in good condition, appropriate to their age and stage of development, and regularly cleaned. These are stored within easy reach of children. This enables older children to self select. Those learning English as an additional language are safe and fully included because of the sensitive adult support and well-planned adaptations to resources and activities. Regular communication with parents contributes to children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Suitable fire fighting and smoke detection equipment is in place and regular evacuation drills promotes safety for babies and children. Good hygiene practices are in place for hand washing. However, at the time of the inspection different parts of the nursery had different water temperatures. This varied from very hot to tepid. This compromises children's safety when washing their hands and does not help to reduce the risk of cross infection when hand washing. There is a good procedure in place for children to be collected. For example, parents and carer's ring the main door bell and staff observe who is calling, before answering the door.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare and safety is suitably supported with regard to child protection. Staff have a sufficient understanding of child protection issues and are aware of procedure to follow in the event of a child protection issue. A comprehensive induction programme ensures that new members of staff are made fully informed of their responsibilities should a child protection issue arise. The nursery's child protection policy is clear and comprehensive and includes procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children and babies enjoy their time at the nursery. They are offered an excellent and well planned range of activities and experiences during their stay at the group. This includes a good balance of child led and adult directed play opportunities where children learn through first hand experiences. Children achieve well because staff are highly skilled and use their understanding of early years guidance, such as the Birth to three matters framework and the Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage, to provide good quality care and education. Children are able to join in with planned activities or to self select from the good range of

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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 equipment readily available to them. This develops their independence and personal responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children arrive happy and eager to participate. Those who are new to the nursery are helped to settle by staff that are sensitive towards their individual needs. Children for who English is an additional language are given time to adapt and caring staff ensure that all children are treated with respect. Younger children and babies benefit from very good planning and assessment, as staff use the Birth to three matters framework effectively. For example, babies and toddlers enjoy exploring different mediums, materials and textures when playing with different objects in treasure baskets. Parents receive good, relevant information on younger children's development, which enables them to understand how their children are progressing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Children are captivated and often inspired by a good range of stimulating, relevant activities related to their needs. Children have access to an extensive range of pre-planned resources and activities which support their learning across all areas of learning. Children are offered a good range of play opportunities, which is helping them to make good progress along stepping stones towards early learning goals. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and are aware of what children are expected to gain from activities. Children are exposed to an abundance of print and visual information such as labelling of chairs and activity areas. This develops their understanding of literacy and stimulates their senses and imagination.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are made to feel part of the group when, for example, helping with enthusiasm, to tidy away, prior to lunch times. They are developing their concentration and ability to sit quietly, when, for example, they listen to other children in turn during circle time. They are confident to talk about their families and life outside of the nursery, and are patient when giving other children for who English is an additional language, time to give their news. This promotes children's self esteem. Children listen intently when being told stories and are developing their independence, when, for example, using the toilet, accessing aprons when painting and being encouraged to put their own Wellington boots on prior to going outside to play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to develop their writing skills when attempting to form letters of their name on art work. A writing area provides children with lots of opportunities to access mark making activities. For example, children can scribble on compliment slips using pencils and crayons. They are beginning to link sounds and letters when participating in the letter and sound of the week at circle time. Children join in enthusiastically including those children for who English is an additional language. Cards displaying the letter of the week include hand movements such as wiggling fingers above elbows like an ant to introduce children to the letter 'A'. Children have access to an excellent range of age related books that include fiction, non-fiction and educational books. They learn that print has meaning as staff point to words when reading a theme based story prior to lunch.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy participating in the planned physical development activities. They enjoy riding on trikes, playing with bats and balls, hoops and sliding down slides. These physical activities help develop children's larger muscles. They also enjoy running and developing their own free

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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 play. They are developing their fine motor skills by rolling out play dough using appropriate tools and manipulating a computer mouse when playing computer games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to progress their counting skills when joining in a clapping game during circle time. They confidently count to five, and older children attempt to clap to 17. Learning numbers to five is made visual when children play outside and hold materials with large numbers printed numbers on. They join in five little speckled frogs, jumping into a pretend pond when their number is called. Children learn about shapes when becoming involved in a computer game where children are required to find different shapes to fit into a picture. Children learn the shape of different numbers when tracing around pre-cut numbers. They learn about colour when matching different coloured items such as a blue wax crayon and blue wooden brick, to a piece of paper with the word blue written on it. A maths table displays different shapes and number lines, which includes numbers displayed in different languages including Bengali, Arabic

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and Punjabi. This not only introduces children to number sequencing, but also to other ways of writing numbers from other cultures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children become involved in a good range of creative activities. They enjoy free painting, using chalks on a chalk board as well as outside on paving stones. They use their imagination when pretending to be toys such as marching toy soldiers, chuffing using their arms to be a train and bouncing like a ball. They sit in a child sized wheel chair and enjoy having their legs bandaged up by staff in the role play area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in the area of knowledge and understanding. They learn about the natural world when digging in the nursery's garden, and when planting bulbs for the spring. They learn about animals and their habitats when looking at books, listening to animal sounds and walking around the local area to visit nearby horses. They use magnifying boxes to examine plastic mini beasts. Children have opportunities to use technical equipment, such as a computer, where they can access child centred learning programmes. They take create delight in recording their voices into a cassette recorder and discovering what different buttons on it do. Children learn about the wider community when visiting the local post office to post letters, and when visiting the local church and making a book about their visit using photographs and children's own drawings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A suitable assessment system employed by staff ensures that a detailed record of each child's development is made, and staff use information gathered to plan for future activities. Good curriculum plans are drawn up depicting learning intentions, staff deployment and extension activities. Staff make observations on children and use this to progress children's learning, however, this is simple and does not clearly record children's development along stepping stones towards early learning goals. The present system does not fully provide staff with an overall assessment of where children are, or how future planning can be further informed to ensure that children access activities to promote their learning in specific areas. During children's stay at the nursery they are very busy and well motivated, helping themselves to activities. This prevents them from becoming disinterested and encourages them to enjoy their time at the

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children and babies are valued in the nursery, whatever their individual needs. Good deployment of staff, assigned to different aged children, ensures continuity of care and enables babies and children to be cared for by consistent adults. This promotes their well being and feeling of security. They have opportunities to develop an interest in other cultures by celebrating festivals such as Divali. A good selection of multicultural resources including sari's to dress up in, Chinese chopsticks to eat with and balti dishes to pretend to place food in, gives children an insight into difference. Children are able to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them through planned activities, and outings to local places of interest. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff and children have formed good relationships, helping children of all ages to feel secure and relaxed. For example, older children show great affection towards staff and enjoy hugging them. This is done spontaneously by the children. Children are confident, caring and self-assured, with a clear understanding of the routines of the nursery. Children's behaviour is good. Staff promote a conflict resolution approach that includes five steps to deal with unwanted behaviour. Staff use praise and positive language together with reward stickers to acknowledge children's achievements. This promotes children's self esteem and makes them feel good about themselves.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good and contributes significantly to children's well-being in the nursery. Staff work closely with parents. Regular newsletters and a parents suggestion box keeps parents up-to-date with events occurring within the nursery and allows them to offer their own views on how the nursery can develop. Children benefit from a child focused settling in programme, where, both parents and children can settle in their own time. A very comprehensive prospectus informs parents and carers on the care provided by the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery creates a very well-organised and welcoming environment for babies and children. Staff are suitably qualified and hold good skills to plan and provide varied experiences for all aged children. Indoor and outdoor space is laid out to maximise play opportunities for children. All legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place, stored appropriately to maintain confidentiality, and is regularly reviewed. All staff are suitably qualified, hold appropriate first aid certificates and have under gone the required vetting procedure which helps to ensure children's safety. Children receive good attention from staff and their work is well displayed. Systems are in place to ensure that staff continue to attend training to extend their skills for the benefit of the nursery.

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Organisation

A rigorous and robust recruitment process is in place, which ensures that staff with relevant experience and qualifications are employed. Staff work very well as a team and regular team meetings enables the setting to reflect on its own strengths and weaknesses. An effective induction programme that includes all the nursery's comprehensive policies and procedures ensures that these are consistently applied by staff.

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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 The leadership and management of the setting is good. Both staff and management have high expectations of providing good nursery education for children. Children's time at the setting is significantly enhanced by the dedication of staff. Staff have good skills and knowledge of how to implement good quality care and education for children. An effective team use systems to regularly review and evaluate activities and processes. For example, staff evaluate each session, and use information gained to promote children's development. Overall the nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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 water temperature in all areas of the nursery is maintained to a suitable level at all 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): • further develop observation methods to inform future planning.

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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 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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