Busy Bees Day Nursery at Formby

Busy Bees Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

502325 Unique Reference Number 06 June 2007 Inspection date Ann Lee Inspector

p.1

21 Elson Road, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 2EQ Setting Address

p.1

E-mail

Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Busy Bees Day Nursery has been registered since 1993.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

It operates from a converted detached property and there are five play rooms. There is also a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The setting serves the local area.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 151 children from three months to four years on roll. This includes 53 funded children. Children attend for a variety of full and part time sessions. The setting supports children with additional needs or disabilities. None of the children speak English as an additional language.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens five days a week, 51 weeks per year. Sessions are from 08.00 to 18.00. There are 35 staff who work with the children on a full and part time basis, and 15 members of staff are qualified in childcare.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting has completed an Investors In People, Quality Assurance Award. Staff receive support from the Local Authority development workers.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm, clean and child friendly environment where staff take steps to keep them free from infection. The premises are cleaned daily and staff use anti-bacterial spray to wipe work surfaces and changing mats to help prevent cross contamination. There are hygienic procedures in place for nappy changing and staff use disposable aprons when changing babies and when serving food. Staff generally keep the premises tidy during the day but they do not always clear up spillages of sand immediately in order to keep the premises safe and clean for children at all times.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about personal hygiene because staff encourage them to wash their hands appropriately and they know why they must wear sun cream and sun hats to protect them from the hot sun. However, the soap dispensers are not always topped up and children sometimes wash their hands in cold water with no soap. This is not sufficient to ensure that their hands are clean and prevent the spread of infection in the nursery.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Staff ensure that children are safeguarded in the event of accidental injury or illness because they have up to date first aid certificates, maintain a fully stocked first aid box and complete all of the necessary documentation, such as accident and medication records.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Healthy, nutritious meals and snacks are provided for the children and the menu is displayed for parents. The staff also complete a daily sheet which keeps parents informed about what the babies and children have eaten, nappy changes and sleeps. The nursery is committed to encouraging healthy eating and a nutritionist recently visited the group to show the children different sea food and encourage them to feel, smell and taste the fish.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

There are daily opportunities for children to practise their physical skills in the large and well equipped garden. They climb and slide on the climbing frames, crawl in the tents and tunnels and dig in the sand and the soil. Staff also organise races, chase the children round the garden and play ball games and parachute games. Indoors, the children dance to music and play action games. There are also many toys and activities available which help children to develop their small motor skills. For example, they enjoy painting, drawing, manipulating dough, puzzles, shape sorters, construction items and small world toys.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are secure in the setting because the front door is locked and visitors are closely monitored. There are collection procedures in place to ensure that children cannot leave the premises with unauthorised people. The premises are welcoming to children and they feel that they belong in the setting because the walls are decorated with colourful posters, photographs and examples of their art work.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are appropriately grouped in different playrooms according to their age and stage of development. The baby room is a self contained unit with patio doors which lead directly into the outside play area. The other toddlers and pre-school children occupy four other playrooms. All of the areas used by the children are warm, bright and airy and there is sufficient space for them to move around freely and explore.

p.3

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 There is a good variety of toys and equipment which is clean, safe and suitable for the children. In each of the toddler rooms and the pre-school room, there is a home corner and a rest area where children can relax or look at books. The baby room is equipped with a comfortable chair where staff can sit to nurse and feed the babies in comfort. The toys and equipment are stored on low level shelving, so that children have easy access and can make choices about what they do in the setting.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff supervise children closely at all times and they check the premises daily to identify hazards and minimise the risk of accidental injury to children. There are comprehensive health and safety policies and safety equipment, such as socket covers, and stair gates are in place to help prevent accidents. Children learn how to keep themselves safe in an emergency because they practise the fire drill each week. Sleeping babies and toddlers are closely monitored and staff record their checks and inform parents of when their children have slept during the day.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded in the nursery because the staff receive training in child protection and they understand their roles and responsibilities. All of the necessary emergency telephone numbers for Social Services and Ofsted are available to ensure that staff can obtain help and advice if a child protection issue arises.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff are friendly, caring and approachable and they have a good understanding of the needs of babies and young children. They develop close, loving relationships with the children so that they settle in quickly and feel happy and secure in the nursery. Children are provided with a good range of interesting and stimulating activities which help them to make progress in all areas of development. Parents provide information about their children and staff observe the children closely and use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan activities and record their development.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies are held and cuddled and staff respond quickly to their needs. They recognise when a baby is tired or unwell and ensure that they receive plenty of individual attention, so that they feel safe and secure. There is a 'key worker' system in place which is used to help staff with observing and recording. However, the system is not used to ensure consistency of contact and continuity of care for children. Babies can choose to play with a good variety of toys, such as shape sorters, cars, dolls, puzzles and books and staff also provide sand and water play, finger painting and mark making activities. They practise feeding themselves with finger foods at snack time and learn about natural materials when exploring a 'treasure basket' filled with natural materials.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are well behaved, lively and confident. They play well together and develop close friendships with one another. Staff involve them in cooking and arts and crafts activities, and they have fun as they play imaginatively with the dinosaurs, farm animals, dressing up clothes and home corner equipment. The children love playing outside in the well equipped garden. Staff chase the children and organise energetic races which they thoroughly enjoy. They learn about the wider world when growing things in the garden and during visits from the music teacher, the police and the nutritionist.

p.4

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 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have some understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. The staff are currently working with the Local Authority to extend their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and improve their planning and assessments. Children are happy and lively and they confidently explore their environment. Their independence is sometimes promoted, particularly when they serve themselves at lunch time. However, staff help with other tasks which children could be encouraged to do by themselves. For example, they cannot pour their own drinks of water because the jugs are too large and heavy. Children have good concentration skills and they listen carefully at story time. When they are engaged

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in self chosen activities, such as playing with the dough, staff intervene appropriately to challenge them to think and to extend their play. The space, resources and time are organised satisfactorily to support children's play and learning.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show curiosity and express their feelings when finding a ladybird in the garden and they enthusiastically take part in group activities, such as singing and story time. There is a lively, cheerful and sometimes noisy atmosphere in the group. Children develop close friendships with one another. They are well behaved and respond well to the staff who act as good role models. Staff use stories and discussion to help children to understand about feelings. The playroom is set out to provide continuous provision of sand, painting, the computer, mark making, the book area and the home corner. This enables children to make choices about what they do in the setting. Children enjoy looking at photographs of themselves which are displayed on the walls and in a scrap book. They talk about the different photographs and point to themselves and their friends. This helps them to feel that they belong in the group and builds

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff engage children in purposeful conversation, read stories and encourage them to sing songs from memory. This helps children to develop good language and communication skills. There is a wide selection of books which children enjoy looking at in the quiet area. There are examples of writing on display so that children become familiar with the written word. Areas for play and boxes of toys are labelled and children practise their mark making skills using a variety of writing materials. They make lists during role play, write their names on pieces of work and practise forming letters.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some numbers are included in the wall displays so that children become familiar with numerals. Staff encourage children to count and recognise numbers during play and activities. For example, they sing songs which involve counting, such as 'Five currant buns'. Children count to 10 with confidence. They learn about different shapes when hammering triangles, squares and circles on to a board to make pictures.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is promoted through a range of interesting activities. They explore different materials when painting, drawing, making models, cooking and when playing with the sand and water. Other substances, such as washing up liquid and colouring are sometimes added to the water to make it more interesting. Children enjoy music, singing and dancing and they play imaginative games using a wide range of role play equipment. Staff regularly change the role play area so that it becomes a shop, a vets, or a café. This increases the play and learning opportunities for children.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff devise activities which help children to learn about the wider world. They take part in projects which teach them about other countries and cultures. For example, during Chinese New Year a music teacher brought a selection of Chinese musical instruments for the children to look at and play. Children are given opportunities to explore and investigate. They love

p.5

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 digging in the soil using spades, trowels, buckets and wheelbarrows to 'prepare the soil' before planting seeds. Children chop up bananas and strawberries to make a healthy 'smoothie', which they taste and talk about during circle time. There are opportunities for children to learn about technology because they have access to a computer and use the mouse and keyboard with confidence. They also operate a CD player and use telephones and cash registers during role play. Staff encourage children to notice changes in the weather and to learn the days of the week and the seasons.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have at least two periods of outdoor play each day when they can develop their physical skills. They climb and slide on the climbing frames, crawl through tunnels and tents and ride wheeled toys. Staff also devise energetic games and races which encourage children to be active and to have fun. Children are energetic and well coordinated.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff provide a warm, welcoming environment for all children and their parents. They display the children's work and photographs of them enjoying their play and activities which helps to promote their self-esteem. Parents provide information about their children, so that staff can care for them according to their individual needs. Children learn to understand and appreciate the wider world through a variety of resources and activities. For example, there are books, puzzles and dressing up clothes which promote positive images of different cultures and children learn about different countries and festivals, such as Chinese New year. Visits from a nutritionist, the police service and other local people help children to develop a knowledge of their local community.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn to share, take turns and to play cooperatively. They talk confidently to adults and they play well together. Positive behaviour is encouraged through praise and encouragement. Staff are kind and caring and they act as good role models for children. They encourage them to be polite and to share and take turns. Any behaviour management issues are discussed with parents, so that they can work together and provide consistency of care for children. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are made welcome and they are invited for introductory visits with their children so that they feel reassured and the children settle in quickly. They provide information about their children's likes and dislikes and what they can do, so that staff can meet their individual needs. Parents express their satisfaction with the service provided for their children and the caring, supportive staff. Staff provide parents with daily sheets which give them information about what their children have done in the nursery. They are also invited to open days when they can talk to the staff and look at their children's work and tracker books. Regular newsletters are sent to parents to keep them informed about any changes to the service. Information about policies, menus, basic activity plans and photographs of the staff are displayed on the notice board and parents are asked to complete evaluation forms where they can express

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

any concerns or suggest ways of improving the provision. There is also a parents liaison group which meets with some members of staff to discuss issues. A 'buddy' system has been introduced to offer support for parents who are using the nursery for the first time. Parents are given some information about the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum so that they can be involved in their children's learning.

p.6

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

p.6

Organisation

The organisation is good. There are good procedures in place for the recruitment, vetting and induction of new staff. This ensures that children are cared for by suitable, qualified staff. Children are protected in the setting because they never come into unsupervised contact with people who have not been vetted. The correct adult to child ratios are always maintained to ensure that children are well supervised and supported and regular cover staff are available so that there is always sufficient staff on duty. Staff are well supported through regular team meetings and appraisal. The nursery's strong commitment to improvement is reflected in the programme for staff training and the systems which are in place to seek the views of parents. This commitment helps to maintain and improve the quality of care and learning for children.

p.7

Organisation

The space is well organised to allow children some freedom of movement and choice about what they do in the setting. Staff are skilled at interacting with the children. They respond well to them, listen to their ideas and talk to them in order to extend their vocabulary and learning so that they are happy, confident and secure.

p.7

Organisation

All of the necessary documentation is in place to safeguard the welfare, care and learning of children. The records, policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated in line with current legislation.

p.7

Organisation

The quality of leadership and management is good. The providers and managers work together to ensure that children are provided with good quality care. The nursery is well organised to provide a warm, comfortable and stimulating environment where children feel secure and happy. The providers value their staff and have good systems in place to ensure that their training needs are met. The management are committed to continuous improvement through training, self assessment, evaluation and parental involvement. There are good staffing levels in place and a low turnover of staff helps to provide continuity of care for children. Staff are deployed well to ensure that children receive good levels of support and supervision. All staff receive induction training and they are aware of their roles and responsibilities. This ensures that children are safe and helps them to make progress in the setting. Overall, the provision meets

p.7

Organisation

the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the setting has devised a full set of policies and procedures and staff have been identified as responsible for certain areas of work, such as behaviour management, child protection and risk assessment. The resources have been reorganised to allow children more choice about what they do in the setting and freedom to explore their environment. Staff are working with the local authority development worker to improve their planning and assessment skills in order to extend children's learning.

p.7

Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection 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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.8

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.

p.8

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.8

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 that there is always soap in the children's toilets so that they can wash their hands properly in order to prevent the spread of infection and ensure that spillages of sand are cleared away immediately • develop the 'key worker' system to ensure consistency of contact and continuity of care for babies and young children.

p.8

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): • provide more opportunities for children to develop their independence skills • continue to develop staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum, including planning and assessment, so that children are provided with a stimulating and balanced curriculum which meets their individual needs and helps them to make good progress in all areas.

p.8

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

p.8

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

p.8