Busy Bees Nursery and Pre-school

Busy Bees Nursery and Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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EY270241 Unique Reference Number 23 May 2007 Inspection date Janette Elizabeth Owen Inspector

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The Beehive, Clifford, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR3 5HA Setting Address

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E-mail

Busy Bees Nursery and Pre-school 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 satisfactory. 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 Bees Pre-School was registered in 1998 and moved to a new portacabin in 2003, which is located next to the village school. The group serves a very rural community on the Herefordshire/Powys border. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 17.30 all year round. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 66 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these, 20 children receive funding for early education. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight members of staff. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 satisfactory. Children’s health is promoted effectively because the nursery takes reasonable steps to promote children’s welfare, and encourages them to begin to take responsibility for their own health and hygiene. Children are developing their independence in relation to toileting, they are beginning to learn how to wash their hands correctly but still need some guidance to ensure they wash their hands well in order to minimise any risk of infection. Staff follow appropriate daily cleaning regimes in order to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures are taken when children are ill so that children's health needs are met. First aid trained staff are available each session to ensure any accidents are dealt with effectively and details are recorded appropriately. However, procedures for recording information about medication do not ensure all details are recorded in order to ensure staff and parents are fully informed. This

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Helping children to be healthy

means that children's welfare is compromised.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children in the pre-school room learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through everyday routines and practical activities. At snack time children are provided with fresh fruit such as oranges and bananas, and food tasting activities enable children to taste more exotic fruit and foods. They are developing their independence by handing around the prepared fruit and by practising pouring their own drinks at snack time. There is no provision for children to independently access fresh drinking water to keep themselves hydrated during the day; children have to be able to express their need for a drink. Parents provide children with lunch which may be a packed lunch or a cooked meal which is reheated appropriately by staff. Children are learning the importance of a healthy lifestyle through discussions with staff, and activities such as the 'Ready, Steady, Cook' topic. Children have benefited from local chefs visiting the setting and

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Helping children to be healthy

involving the children in cookery sessions, introducing a range of different foods. Children are able to further develop their understanding of healthy eating through activities which are linked well to the current topic of food. Babies are well nourished and have their dietary needs met because staff follow parent's wishes in relation to daily routines and feeds.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have access to a secure outside play area, where they can use physical play equipment, for example, wheeled toys, such as scooters and tractors, which are a favourite, which they pedal with confidence. They are able to use a shady area under the trees with climbing apparatus and a large grassed area with a play house. Children are able to use a varied range of sports equipment such as bats and balls and creative and imaginative resources such as ribbons and a parachute which they use to develop their co-ordination and movement. 'Sticky Kids' exercise sessions and music and movement also help children to develop their co-ordination and range of movements and to get exercise and be fit and healthy. Babies and young children are provided with appropriate activities and resources to support their physical and emotional development, they have sufficient safe space to move freely around as they begin to explore

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Helping children to be healthy

their bodies movements and the environment around them as well a quiet area where they can rest and sleep in comfort.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are well cared for in premises that are safe and secure. Both the pre-school room and baby room are well-organised and provide sufficient space for children to move about freely and safely, developing their independence. Children under two-years-old are cared for in their

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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 own room with a designated sleep area. Space in the pre-school room is managed well to allow children areas for activities and messy play and a separate area for role play, stories and structured activities. Displays of children's work, photographs and posters add to the welcoming atmosphere of the rooms. Children of all ages are provided with a varied range of good quality resources, which are appropriate for children's age and stage of development. This is because the setting provides furniture, equipment and toys which are appropriate for their purpose; they are of suitable design and condition and conform to safety standards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is promoted well because the manager and staff take positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings. Daily premises checks are carried out to ensure the rooms are safe and activities are set out safely in readiness for the children. More in depth risk assessments are carried to identify any action required to minimise the risk or hazard to children. Children are learning to keep themselves safe because staff talk to the children about safety such as how to use equipment correctly and fire drills are regularly practised. Children are well protected by staff that are vetted and have a sound understanding of their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All children are happy to attend, arriving at the welcoming, well resourced nursery. Children throughout the setting are settled, confident and are building positive relationships with each other and the staff. Staff in the baby room ensure that children's care and daily routines are respected which helps them to feel secure and that their needs are acknowledged and affirmed. The children in the baby room are provided with a good range of stimulating activities and bright stimulating toys. Staff are beginning to introduce the 'Birth to three matters' framework which will link into the Foundation Stage curriculum as they grow and develop and move through the nursery. They are able to see and interact with the older children in the pre-school room. This is particularly advantageous for children with siblings at the setting, enabling them to see a familiar face. For example, during outside play older children are able to play with their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children in the pre-school room are provided with a suitable balance of child-initiated and group projects which ensure that children have access to a range of stimulating activities. The staff plan activities following the Curriculum for the foundation stage for all children in the pre-school room and have not yet linked into the 'Birth to three matters' framework, for the children under three years old in the room. This means that the youngest children in the pre-school do not fully benefit from an approach specific for their stage of development. Staff use their knowledge of each child to differentiate activities to ensure they are suitable for the younger children. Children have ample opportunity for independent free play, both indoors and outside, as well as times spent on more adult directed activities linked to numbers and pre-writing work. For example, children enjoy using their imagination using role play and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

dressing-up and topic work enables children to spend more time on activities, developing their skills and knowledge because there are good links between the activities and topics. The children are keen to learn and motivated by what is available to them, demonstrating a sound understanding of the overall theme used at the time. Children's confidence and self-esteem are developed through the attention and praise they receive for their achievements.

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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 The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Most staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a good understanding of how children learn. This knowledge is used well to enable staff to provide children with a broad range of activities which are planned to cover all areas of learning and development. The range of activities are creative and used well to capture children's interest and help them to acquire new skills and develop a positive attitude towards learning. Teaching methods are varied, including practical activities and adult directed structured sessions. However, staff do not always use the learning objectives to guide their teaching. This results in some children not being sufficiently challenged to enable them to make further progress and acquire new skills and understanding during some activities. This is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

because the written plans do not clearly show what the children are intended to learn or how activities will be adapted to suit children who learn at different rates or have particular needs. Although the interaction between staff and children is generally good, staff do not always use questions well to enable children to further develop their understanding or demonstrate what they know, particularly during less formal activities. Staff make regular assessments of children's progress beginning with an initial assessment when the child enters the pre-school provision or using information gathered while child attended the baby room. This gives staff a starting point which is used to plan activities which will help children move on to the next stage of their learning. The assessments are systematic and provide clear information which is clearly linked to the stepping stones and early learning goals. Assessments of all children show they are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

making sound progress with some children already attaining the early learning goals in some areas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their social skills as they interact with other children and form positive relationships with the staff who support the children’s emotional development well. Children receive a good level of support and encouragement enabling them to become confident and independent beings. Their self-esteem is promoted very well through consistent praise for achievements and good behaviour. Children are able to things for themselves, such as meeting their own self-care needs, to help tidy away activities at the end of a session and to ask for toys and activities they want. Good use is made of visitors to the setting and outings which enable children to learn about their community and the world around them. For example, children have had visits from the police and fire service and have gone on a farm visit. Most children are able to communicate to make their needs understood, they happily to talk to staff

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about what they have been doing and share their experiences from home. Staff make effective use of their knowledge of the child and their family to engage the children in conversation, enabling children to develop their communication skills well. Children are using their growing language skills to socialise, become part of the group and begin to negotiate with others as a member of that group. For example, children are learning to share and play together, they chat away during activities such as during role play as they act out situations they are familiar with, placing the dolls into the pushchair for a walk or putting the shopping into the baskets. Children are developing their understanding of the written word because they see words as labels around the room on displays and posters; they see their own names on coat pegs and placements. This helps them to understand that words have meanings. Letter formation and letter sounds are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

introduced to children during more formal activities where they work in a one to one situation on specific tasks and through practical activities such as songs and rhymes. They have ample opportunities to use writing and painting materials to develop their early writing skills. Children are developing a satisfactory understanding of mathematical concepts. They are able to use numbers in a meaningful way as they count the number of children and adults present each session, comparing the difference between the number of boys and girls. They consolidate their understanding and use of numbers in songs and rhymes and begin to learn about more and less than. Children are beginning to develop problem solving skills for themselves, for

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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 example, when building the train track finding the correct size pieces to fit together. Children are able to participate in a varied range of activities which help them to use mathematical concepts. However, staff do not always make effective use of teaching methods or questions to add to children’s learning by making use of these opportunities to consolidate and extend children’s learning further.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is fostered through many practical activities, such as experimenting with water and natural materials which enable children to use their senses as they use different materials and media in their play. Through visitors to the setting who share their experiences with the children and outings which enable children to experience the wider world around them. They learn how plants and animals live by observing living creatures and by planting seeds and vegetables which they water to ensure they grow. Children are able to use a computer and tape recorder which enables them to develop their understanding of information technology. They can use simple programmes and are becoming competent in using the mouse to control what they are doing. Children are able to be creative and explore different media and materials including natural materials in their play and art work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

For example, a large collage was made enabling children to work on a large scale, designing and creating an individual piece of work. Children are able to further develop their creativity and play imaginatively using role play resources and dressing-up clothes to re-enact situations they are familiar with. They use musical instruments and join in with singing songs. This helps children to become confident and self-assured. Children have ample opportunity to be active and develop their physical skills when playing outdoors and during exercise sessions and through other aspects of their learning such as using tools and materials safely.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are able to settle well because staff use information provided by parents to ensure children's daily routines are followed and that they receive a consistent level of care. For example, children are able to bring familiar items from home such as comforters which help them to feel secure. The children have their own coat pegs and storage boxes where they can put their possessions. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging to the group. They are developing good relationships with staff and other children and are emotionally secure and able to express their own needs. Children's understanding of the wider world is supported by a range of resources such as books, posters, dressing-up outfits and activities which are aimed at promoting positive images of people from a wide range of cultures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved; they are beginning to learn how to play together, sharing toys and activities. They respond well to the staff who are good role models, demonstrating respect for other members of staff and children. Children receive a high level of praise and encouragement for achievements and good behaviour, this promotes their confidence and self-esteem well. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers' is good. Parents are welcomed into the nursery and encouraged to be part of their child's learning. Children with learning difficulties and/or a disability are cared for in partnership with their parents. Staff have accessed appropriate training to ensure they are competent to assist children to develop and learn at their individual pace and therefore make progress. Strategies for supporting children who use English as an additional language are used in order to enable the children to see familiar words around the environment or to be involved in activities which reflect their culture or background. Parents and carers' are able to make informed decisions about their child's care because they are provided with written

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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 details about the provision and their child's development which is useful and informative. There is ample opportunity for parents to discuss their child's needs and developmental progress with staff who are knowledgeable and friendly. The views of parents are sought in order to continue to improve the provision for the children and meet the needs of the parents and carers.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The daily organisation of the nursery is generally good and ensures that children are well cared for because all staff are qualified and experienced which means that they are knowledgeable and able to meet the needs of all the children who use the nursery. Staff recruitment procedures are in place and induction processes ensure that staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. However, the registered person has not been proactive in ensuring that regulations are met in relation to informing Ofsted to changes to board of directors and in ensuring suitability checks on the board of directors have been carried out efficiently. Processes for recording suitability details are not effective in ensuring the person in charge and registered person are fully aware of suitability decisions. This means that children's welfare and safety is not fully protected.

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Organisation

The staff work well together as a team and generally have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and are beginning to introduce the 'Birth to three matters' framework in respect of the younger children in the pre-school and baby room. This ensures that all children are provided with a suitable range of activities which meet their developmental needs. There is a commitment to ongoing training to ensure the quality of the provision is maintained and the nursery is starting to work towards a quality assurance award. Documents required for the efficient and safe management of the provision are available although there are some minor omissions in the details of some policies and procedures such as the medication records and staffing details in the operational plan.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. The day to day management of the provision is the responsibility of the person in charge who is supported by the board of directors. Regular staff meetings and appraisals take place enabling the person in charge to monitor the provision and any concerns raised by staff. Information is then passed on to the board of directors. The person in charge is responsible for monitoring the quality of the nursery education to ensure that the quality of the provision is good and that children are making progress towards the early learning goals. The setting has a generally good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses and have made good progress in addressing issues raised at the last inspection in relation to nursery education and satisfactory progress in addressing the care issues.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery was given one recommendation to improve the quality of care provided and two recommendations to improve the quality of the education provision. Generally good progress has been made in addressing the care recommendation by improving the induction procedures for new staff. There is a formal procedure which sets out how new staff will become familiar with the policies and procedures of the nursery. This ensures that new staff will be able to play a role in ensuring the safety and welfare of the children.

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Improvements 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 Generally good progress has been made in meeting the recommendations made in relations to the education provision. The organisation of group activities has been improved to ensure that children are grouped appropriately for their age and level of understanding. This means that the older children are able to spend time on activities with less disruption from younger children who have a shorter attention span. Children are able to develop their imaginative play more fully; they have access to a good range of resources which enable them to develop their imaginative play well and to explore activities of their choice. Satisfactory progress has been made in improving children access to programmable toys and examples of written numbers. Children are able to choose when they use the computer which is set up each session and a

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Improvements since the last inspection

tape recorder is available for children to play tapes and listen to stories. Additional programmable toys are shared with the children in the baby room. This means that children are able to develop their understanding and use of information technology. Children's recognition and understanding of numbers has been imported because they are able to see written numbers around the room on posters and displays.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that require 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 satisfactory. 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): • improve procedure for recording medicines administered to children, and parents sign the record book to acknowledge the entry • ensure fresh drinking water is available to children at all times • continue to develop a suitable developmental framework for the younger children in the setting, such as 'Birth to three matters' • ensure that adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so • ensure compliance with regulation 6.2 (1) (d), notify Ofsted of the changes of the board of directors.

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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): • monitor and improve teaching methods to ensure effective interaction in children's play to give clear explanations and offer challenging questions.

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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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