Beighton Bizzy Bee Family Childcare Centre

Beighton Bizzy Bee Family Childcare Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY281531 Unique Reference Number 28 September 2007 Inspection date Tracey Jane Outram Inspector

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Off School Road, Beighton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S20 1EG Setting Address

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0114 2510583 Telephone number info@bizzybees.org E-mail Beighton Bizzy Bee Playgroups Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Beighton Bizzy Bee Family Childcare Centre is a operated by a voluntary management committee. It has been established for a number of years, and since June 2004 it has been operating from a purpose built modular building, situated in the grounds of Beighton Nursery and Infants and Brookhouse Junior school. The children have access to four large play rooms that are organised to accommodate children at different ages and stages of their development. There is a secure outdoor play area and the centre has a small selection of pets including guinea pigs and fish.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 77 children may attend the centre at any one time and there are currently 150 children on roll. Of these, 56 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the local and surrounding areas. The centre currently supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The centre is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. The setting provides day care and a holiday play scheme. Full- and part-time places are available for children aged from birth to under eight years old. The centre employs 27 members of staff of these, 21

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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 work with the children on both a full and part-time basis. Most staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The children attending the nursery demonstrate a sound understanding of the significance of maintaining good hygiene practices. They are confident and competent regarding the methods of minimising the spread of infection when they are coughing or sneezing. Likewise, they understand the importance of washing their hands frequently, particularly after using the toilet and touching the nursery pets. The premises are sufficiently clean and the staff follow well established routines, to ensure the equipment and resources are frequently washed, and the risk of infections is minimised. The policy with regard to the care of sick children is shared with parents, along with information about communicable diseases; however, the medication policy does not fully meet requirements. All members of staff have recent first aid training, so that they are well prepared to deal with any minor accidents or emergencies involving the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Healthy eating is effectively promoted and the children enjoy a good variety of nutritious food and drinks. Staff responsible for food preparation are trained and the centre works closely with the parents to ensure that the children receive food suitable for health and religious requirements. The children benefit from a healthy diet that contains a high proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition, the dietary needs of babies are successfully addressed because their individual routines are closely followed. Staff are equipped to work in partnership with parents to support the children through the weaning process by providing a range of healthy foods that are puréed and chopped according to the children's stages of development. Drinks are readily available for the older children who are encouraged to serve themselves while members of staff offer younger children drinks at frequent intervals. Suitable arrangements

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Helping children to be healthy

are in place for the hygienic and safe storage of packed lunches that are provided by parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The outdoor play area at the setting provides an exciting and interesting place for children to enjoy fresh air and develop a healthy attitude towards exercise. They have very well developed physical skills; for instance they use small wheeled toys, climbing frames, logs and beams to improve their strength, balance and coordination. In addition, the youngest children and babies also have access to a secure outside area where they can play safely with a range of age appropriate equipment, which successfully enhances their mobility. The children also demonstrate good fine motor control as they skilfully use tools and equipment, such as scissors, paintbrushes and glue spreaders.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are well supervised and cared for in secure surroundings. Members of staff give high priority to children's safety and they effectively supervise the children as they move around the centre and free flow between the indoor and outdoor play areas. Daily safety checks by the designated health and safety officer help to ensure that risks to children's well-being are minimised and the environment remains safe. Fire safety precautions are adequate and frequently practised fire drills help to ensure that the children are prepared to evacuate the premises in an emergency.

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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 The nursery environment is welcoming and provides children with access to a range of activities and facilities, which support most areas of children's development. However, the home corner is not inviting and the display boards do not contain many examples of children's free expression. All of the toys, equipment and resources conform to the required safety standards. They are frequently cleaned and inspected in order to maintain the safety and welfare of the children. Many of the toys are stored safely at child height and, as a result, the children can make some choices.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children's welfare is safeguarded because staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities with regard to child protection. There is a designated child protection officer and there are systems in place for other senior staff to deputise in her absence. Most staff have attended training and they are familiar with many of the indicators of child abuse and neglect. There is a written child protection policy that contains all of the required detail; and the centre has forged close links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children attending the centre benefit from warm and caring relationships with the staff. They have access to a broad range of play provision most of which they can freely access. Most areas of the children's playrooms are generally well organised to enable the children to have some free choice and the daily routine includes a good balance of quiet, active, indoor and outdoor play experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff working with the babies and the children aged under two years are very attentive to the children and strong bonds are in evidence. For example, some children are rocked to sleep while the caring staff sing to them. In addition, the children are motivated and interested in the range colourful and tactile equipment, such as rattles, musical equipment, child friendly mirrors and toys that are safe for children to put to their mouths. The children have many opportunities to enjoy creative and outside play. Their independence and self-helps skills are successfully addressed as they are actively encouraged to feed themselves and explore with the interesting range of resources.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children aged two to three years have the use of a broad selection of equipment and they have many opportunities to enjoy creative activities, which encourage their sensory development. Additionally, the children are encouraged to freely explore with colours and variety of mediums that successfully address their creative development. They are provided with time to finish their activities and the pace of the curriculum and the routine of the day is unhurried and centred around the needs of the children. Consequently, they have plenty of time to consolidate their learning. Overall, the children participate in a selection of worthwhile activities that address many aspects of their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The older children also benefit from warm relationships with adults and access to some valuable activities. They are confident and keen to explore the surroundings. Staff are attentive and the children are cared for in a stimulating environment where their individuality is respected. They are provided with access to an interesting range of activities, which aid children's social, emotional, physical and intellectual development.

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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 teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff plan activities and use the Foundation Stage curriculum to organise the learning environment. Some evaluation of the planning is completed but links to the stepping stones are not clearly evident; therefore, staff who have not been involved in the weekly planning are unaware of the focus of some activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff work together effectively and they use their time well to interact with the children and promote their confidence. The children's assessments records are used appropriately to monitor children's progress. Staff use their knowledge of the children's developmental needs to provide some focussed activities, which are specifically provided to support the next steps in their development. However, there are times when some of the older children are not sufficiently challenged or inspired to initiate their own learning. This is because many activities are not structured to match the children's differing levels of competency and ability.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children enter the setting happily and most are comfortable to join in with the familiar daily routine, which involves finding their names and joining staff on the carpet for the register. The children have very good self-help skills; they are supported by to increase their independence at every available opportunity. For instance, they are able to chop and serve their own snacks, wash and dry their hands and they competently help to pack away the toys and activities when they hear the 'tidy away' music.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are learning about the importance of building relationships with each others; there are some firm friendships in place. The children have good concentration skills and they show very good self-control as they share equipment and wait for their turn to participate in organised and focussed activities, such as making mini-beast biscuits. However, the children's curiosity and creative development is not fully developed. For example, they do not benefit from lots of free expression in arts and craft activities; likewise the end results are not always determined by the children. Conversely, the children have many opportunities to enjoy singing and music. Many of the children demonstrate very good abilities to repeat sounds and they are able to skilfully tap out sophisticated rhythms as they confidently use the interesting range of musical instruments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are making sound progress in their communication and language skills, they are happy and confident to make their needs known and they boldly demonstrate their growing vocabulary as they confidently name many colours, animals, fruits and vegetables. They are introduced to rhyme during the group time and the grasp the concept very well. Books and story time are thoroughly enjoyed by the children who listen carefully to theme related books and join in simple discussions. For instance, the children to identify differences and similarities between different countries weather patterns, temperatures, house styles and native animals. This successfully increases the children's knowledge and understanding of the wider world. However, sometimes staff do not use all available opportunities to help the children to begin to link sounds and letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A variety of interesting activities are provided, which encourage the children's physical development and provide opportunities for them to practice skills such as balancing, climbing and pedalling. The children skilfully move their bodies and manoeuvre equipment to go forwards, backwards and sideways. In addition, the children have very good fine motor control they are able to thread and use small equipment, such as glue spreaders and scissors with ease. The children are developing their hand-eye coordination through the use of malleable materials and tools, such as scissors. Children also have good self-help skills when it comes to putting on dressing-up clothes and fastening their own coats before they go outdoors to play.

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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 Mathematical equipment, such as linking elephants balances and number lines are provided, and the children are self-assured as they rote count in excess of 10 and identify many single numbers in their symbolic form. They use positional language and they are able to use words such as heavier and lighter in the correct context to describe weight as they play in the fruit shop. However, there are fewer opportunities for the children to begin to solve simple number problems.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children show a sound disposition for successfully using construction equipment. They proficiently make models with moving parts; however, they show less inclination to freely use arts and craft materials, which involve measuring, fixing and designing. Children show an interest in information technology and they use small hand held electronic equipment with skill and ease. They are able to competently alter the volume, change the programme and they remember to turn off the equipment when they have finished.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children demonstrate good behaviour and the staff team are consistent in their approach. They deal with any difficult behaviour in a sensitive and age appropriate manner, and they implement numerous ways of encouraging good behaviour. For instance, by providing stickers, using praise and encouragement, teaching children to share and by helping children to take some responsibility for their actions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Members of staff demonstrate a warm and caring attitude towards the children, and as a result the children settle in the nursery routine very quickly. Equal opportunities are addressed appropriately and staff find out about the children's interests by talking to them and making observations. In addition, staff spend time with parents to make sure that they are in receipt of all of the necessary information that enables them to effectively address the needs of individual children. Anti-discriminatory practice is promoted and children are encouraged to appreciate a range of different backgrounds and lifestyles by accessing a varied selection of resources, such as books dolls and dressing-up clothes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The nursery is a fully inclusive environment and children with learning difficulties or disabilities are welcomed into the setting. Staff take positive steps to work in partnership with external organisations to ensure that the premises and activities are adapted to address a wide variety of needs. The provision fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The staff take positive steps to ensure that all parents receive some daily feedback on their children's food intake, sleep and nappy changes; for the older children this is verbal while the younger children take home written record sheets. An appropriate range of information is shared effectively by means of parent’s evenings, notice boards, newsletters and the welcome pack. In addition, the nursery policies and procedures are easily accessible; this includes the process for making a complaint. The Parents are very supportive of the nursery; they convey very positive comments about the high levels of care and the confidence that they have in the friendly and approachable staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents receive some appropriate information about the educational programme. Activity plans are displayed for parents and they have access to some written information about the six areas of learning. However, parents are not fully supported to understand the Foundation Stage curriculum and there are no systems in place to consult parents and work with them to plan the next steps in children's learning.

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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 Conversely, the nursery are committed to increasing their partnership with parents; they have recently completed a parent's survey and they have initiated a scheme to support children's language and communication skills by enabling parents to borrow 'communication bears', books and 'story sacs'.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The premises are suitably organised to promote children's safety. However, the grouping of children who are receipt of nursery education funding is less systematic and the role play areas are not organised to sufficiently meet the needs of the children. However, the staff team are committed to the welfare of the children and they use their childcare skills to provide a good variety of resources and play experiences. They use the Foundation Stage curriculum and the 'Birth to three matters' framework appropriately to plan and provide activities and learning experiences for all of the children. Good systems are in place to recruit and to complete the required background checks on staff, consequently children are safeguarded. Documentation is well maintained and the systems for maintaining records of the children's attendance, visitors and accidents meet national requirements. However, some aspects of the medication procedures

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Organisation

do not meet national requirements. For example, written parental permission to administer medicines to children is not obtained in all instances; therefore children are not fully safeguarded.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager has taken positive steps to enable and support staff to work closely with practitioners from the local authority in order to improve the planning and assessment for children in receipt of nursery education. She has successfully identified the nursery's strengths and areas requiring further improvement and she puts constructive measures in place to address these issues one by one. 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 actions were raised to ensure that the nursery improve the systems of recording any medication that is administered to the children. They have now amended the systems of recording to include the time and details of any dosage given. They were also required to comply with regulations by updating the complaints procedure and the child protection policy to comply with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The setting has now reviewed all policies to ensure that they reflect changes to legislation and guidance.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last nursery education inspection recommended developing children's individual records of achievements to show their progress through the stepping stones and identify their next steps in their learning and development. It was also recommended that activities are planned to cover all areas of children's learning; the staff are steadily improving their practice in both of these areas supported by staff from the local authority.

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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. 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 satisfactory.

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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 that medication is not given to children without obtaining the prior written consent of their parents.

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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): • link the curriculum with the stepping stones and make plans to ensure that activities are structured to address the children's differing ages and stages of development • increase the range of activities that promote children's creativity and imagination • provide children with opportunities solve simple number problems and practise linking sounds and letters • ensure parents are kept well informed of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide further support for them to become involved in their child's learning • ensure that the movement of children between groups and rooms is effectively organised and improve the role play areas.

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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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