Manor Hill First School

Busy Bee Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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146918 Unique Reference Number 28 June 2007 Inspection date Jane Davenport Inspector

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20 Bailey Close, Chingford, London, E4 9HG Setting Address

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E-mail

Busy Bees Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 Bee Pre-school was registered in 1993 and is run by a parents' management committee. It operates from a Scout hut porta-cabin, which is situated in Chingford in the London borough of Waltham Forest.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 40 children from three years to under five years may attend the pre-school, and a maximum of 40 children from three years to under eight years may attend the holiday play scheme at any one time. The group operates each weekday during term time from 09:00 to 16:00. The holiday play scheme operates each weekday from 10:00 to 15:00 during the school holidays. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 55 children on roll, 43 of whom receive funding for nursery education. The group is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The provision employs five staff, including the manager. All members of staff hold recognised level 3 childcare qualifications.

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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 The Pre-school is registered with the QUILT quality assurance scheme.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children play in a clean environment and receive appropriate support to develop good personal hygiene. Older children know that washing their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating helps prevent the spread of germs. Staff further support children's learning about health by inviting practitioners from other agencies to visit. For example, they enjoyed an interactive session with a member of the dental services team who came to talk to them about the importance of looking after their teeth properly.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a staff team who have an up-to-date knowledge in first aid procedures. This means they can give appropriate care if there is an accident. Accident records are generally well kept; however, on one or two occasions, parents' signatures have not been obtained. Parents give prior written consent to administer medication, which ensures that children receive the correct dosage according to their needs, but they do not currently give prior written consent for staff to seek emergency medical advice or treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have healthy and balanced snacks as part of a regular routine to reflect their hours of attendance. Parents provide packed lunches for holiday periods and for the lunch club, and these are stored in a large capacity cool box to ensure that they stay fresh. Mealtimes are social occasions when children and staff sit in small groups. They discuss what they have in their packed lunches and what is good for them. Fresh drinking water is available at all times from the water cooler and children confidently help themselves, which encourages them to think about their personal needs. Children's individual dietary needs are recorded, known to staff and fully met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have ample opportunities for physical play and exercise and for developing their physical skills, as they ride on the bikes and bounce on the bouncy castle in the outdoor play area. Many creative activities are also undertaken outdoors in the fresh air. Children develop a good sense of space and move confidently during physical activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a well-organised environment that allows them to move around safely, freely and independently. The setting is made welcoming to both children and parents with notice boards and work displayed, which provides recognition of children's achievements and developing skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good staff interaction helps develop children's awareness of safety within the setting. For example, children are given gentle reminders about why they should not run indoors and why they should sit down to eat so that they do not choke on their food. This effectively encourages children to begin to take some responsibility for their own safety. In addition, visitors are invited to the setting to speak to the children about road safety and several children were observed to be wearing their safety helmets whilst riding their bikes.

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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 Children enjoy safe and easy access to good quality equipment which is appropriate to their age and stage of development. Toys are regularly checked for safety and discarded and replaced when broken. Risk assessments and daily checks are carried out on all areas of the premises, all visitors to the premises are recorded and there are good systems in place to prevent children from being collected by unauthorised people. The outdoor play area is well supervised and staff are vigilant, for example, making sure that children follow the safety procedures for playing on the bouncy castle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and staff practise the emergency evacuation procedure on a regular basis. This helps children become familiar with the routine in the event of an emergency. For example, on the day of the inspection, staff and children were observed to react very calmly to the fire drill whistle and to evacuate the building in a timely manner. Children walked with staff to the fire assembly point, listened well and answered their name when the register was called; they received patient explanations from staff about the importance of knowing what to do if a fire did break out.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are aware of child protection policies and understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. This promotes and safeguards children's welfare within the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time within the pre-school. They achieve well due to the staff's good understanding and use of early years guidance such as the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and "Birth to three matters". Staff use these well to plan an interesting and stimulating range of activities to provide good quality care and education.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Planning is very well implemented and evaluated, and staff have developed effective systems in recording individual children's achievements and using these to inform planning for children's next steps in learning. They observe children during free and focussed activities and use their notes to assess their achievements. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing positive relationships and get on well with peers and adults. They understand the need to share and take turns when playing together. They know the rules within the setting and abide by them, which ensures good relationships and harmony. Circle time is used effectively and well, fostering a sense of belonging; staff and children sing the Busy Bee song together and each individual child is greeted by name and responds with "good morning" or "good afternoon". They wave goodbye to their friends at the end of the session as they are collected by their parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy books and listen enthusiastically to stories. Staff use good questioning techniques, such as asking the children what is their favourite part of the book, and this is an effective way of encouraging the children's thought processes and developing language. Staff demonstrate a good level of one to one interaction and understanding of individual children's needs as one worker stays behind after story time with a child who wants to continue going through the story with her. Opportunities for linking sounds to letters and for children to practise writing or mark making were not so evident at the inspection.

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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 Children regularly count and use mathematical language during activities. For example, whilst making play-dough, they count out how many spoons of flour and how many spoons of water they are adding, note the different sizes of the spoons and bowls and whether the mixture is heavy or light. They discuss shape and number and are able to recognise written numerals. They also practise simple addition and subtraction as they count how many chairs are put out for lunch, how many children are present and how many more chairs are needed so that there is one for each child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to learn about the environment and how to take care of it and this is extended well by thoughtful staff interaction. For example, children regularly access a puzzle relating to re-cycling, showing what happens to rubbish after it is collected, and they discuss how they help to re-cycle their own rubbish at home and why this is important.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They regularly use programmable equipment such as calculators, play telephones, computers and cameras, and this, together with the use of tape measures, magnifying glasses and torches helps to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children move confidently, imaginatively and safely, and use good co-ordination as they use the indoor and outdoor play areas. They demonstrate good spatial awareness and are able to use a range of large and small equipment to develop their large and fine motor skills. For example, they run, ride on their bikes and jump on the bouncy castle outdoors, and expertly use small spatulas and scissors during a cutting and sticking activity indoors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is encouraged well. They are given the space and support to express themselves freely; for example, children who are making play dough with a member of staff thoroughly enjoy the experience. They get their hands right in the mixture and discuss how it feels, the texture of it and whether the amount of paint added to it makes it lighter or darker.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff have a positive attitude towards diversity; they treat children with respect and use lots of praise and encouragement to promote their self-esteem. Children become aware of their own and other cultures through a range of resources, planned activities and as they celebrate a variety of festivals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff offer good support for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff are secure in their understanding of the code of practice, and this, together with the close liaison with parents and outside agencies, ensures that all children are fully included, their needs well planned for and met. Activities are adapted where necessary so that all children can experience a wide range of stimulating activities appropriate for their level of ability.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is generally very good and they show care and concern for one another. Behaviour management strategies are appropriate, according to the age and level of understanding of children in attendance. Children are helpful and enjoy helping to tidy up alongside the staff. Staff are consistent and children know the routine and boundaries when they are at the pre-school. Good behaviour is positively reinforced and rewarded. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships with parents are friendly and supportive. Parents feel welcome, and staff encourage them to become involved with their child's learning and development. Good information is

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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 provided for new and established parents and they freely express their satisfaction with the care provided.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Busy Bee Pre-school meets the needs of the children for whom it provides care. Leadership and management is satisfactory and children benefit from qualified and experienced staff, who are very caring. Staff work well as a team and clear communication and guidance allows them to provide a stimulating, well-balanced programme; they are committed to attending further childcare training and development courses, which will help them to reflect, monitor and improve the quality of care and education they offer to all children.

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Organisation

The premises layout is appropriately organised and children are able to play outside several times during a session. Staff deployment is effective and ensures children are well supervised at all times.

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Organisation

On the day of the inspection, the pre-school was in breach of its conditions of registration as there were more children present than the number stated on their registration certificate. However, the setting had requested an increase and had already implemented their action plan to accommodate this, so the impact on children's care and learning was minimal.

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Organisation

All legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and is regularly reviewed. Record keeping is generally good. However, the attendance record does not currently include arrival and departure times and the staff register is not up to date.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, an action was set to ensure Ofsted is informed of all significant events, and the setting has complied with this. Recommendations were made for the setting to develop their planning systems to ensure organisation of grouping for older and younger children is reflected, and to ensure that children over three years are provided with maximum learning opportunities to develop their self help skills. Planning now identifies children's abilities on an individual basis, and they are grouped appropriately for activities. In addition, resources are now stored in easily accessible trays and trolleys, which are at the children's level for them to self select, and independence is actively encouraged, for example, at snack times when children pour their own drinks. These improvements have had a positive impact on children's learning opportunities and the care they receive.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004, 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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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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): • request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment • ensure that all entries in the accident record are countersigned by parents • ensure that the attendance register is kept fully up to date with the names of children being looked after, their hours of attendance and the names of the persons looking after them.

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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): • provide regular opportunities for children to link sounds to letters and for them to practise writing and mark making

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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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