Busy Bees Day Nursery at Ipswich Rushmere

Just Learning Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Just Learning Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY285918 Inspection date 16 September 2005 Inspector Susan Smith / Glenda Kathleen Field

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Just Learning Nursery

Setting Address 1 St Andrews Walk, Rushmere St Andrews, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5RE Telephone number 01473 725610

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E-mail

Registered person Just Learning Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Just Learning Nursery is part of a national chain of nurseries owned by the company Just Learning Ltd. It opened in 2004 and operates from 10 rooms in a purpose-built building. It is situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Ipswich. A maximum of 112 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 every day excluding Bank Holidays. All children have access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas.

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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 There are currently 100 children aged from 3 months to under 8 years on roll. Of these, 24 children receive funding for nursery education and 10 attend the after school club. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel into work in or around Ipswich. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. The nursery employs 14 staff. Ten of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is promoted by good hygiene procedures, for example, staff consistently wear gloves when changing nappies. In addition, staff follow the correct procedure for giving medication and recording accidents and obtain parental consent to seek emergency medical advice or treatment. Young children are learning about the importance of simple health and hygiene practices through the routines of the session and are very competent at hand washing. Children rest and sleep according to their needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children increase their understanding of the importance of a healthy diet through a choice of healthy meals and snacks which are well presented and cooked daily on the premises. All staff are aware of any special dietary requirements to ensure individual children's dietary needs are met. However, children do not always have free access to water to ensure that they do not become thirsty. Children enjoy a good range of physical activities indoors and outdoors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle all year around. They develop an awareness of space and others around them as they run, play on ride-on-toys and play parachute games. They have good opportunities to develop small physical skills, through a range of resources, tools and equipment, which they do safely and with developing control. Children learn about their bodies and health awareness through planned activities and daily routines.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very clean, bright and safe environment. Children move around safely in the rooms which are well-organised with dedicated areas for a good range of messy activities, role play and quieter activities using books. There is a excellent range of high quality toys and equipment which is well maintained and children can access them independently from tables, trays and boxes situated at child height.

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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 benefit from a good range of safety measures, for example, the tables have rounded corners, the radiators are covered and the outdoor play areas are secure. There is a high level of security at both the entrance to the setting and the garden areas. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe, for example, staff remind them not to run inside because they may trip and hurt themselves. They are kept safe in the nursery and on outings because staff understand and comply with health and safety requirements, for example, thorough risk assessments carried out for all outings and the children practise emergency evacuations. Children are well protected because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Younger children are happy and settled in the setting. They take part in a good range of activities throughout the sessions, indoors and outdoors, that follow the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Staff are kind and affectionate, they give cuddles and sit close to children when reading stories giving them warm physical contact and making them feel valued. They are patient and give good one-to-one support in activities such as water play or when comforting a distressed child. The staff join in with the children's play and ask questions, such as "what colour is this?" and "what shape is this?" to extend children's learning and get them to think for themselves. They effectively use praise and encouragement to help children try to persevere with challenges. For example, a younger child attempts to push a car to another child, a member of staff responded with "big push" and when the child achieved his aim

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

reacted with " clever boy" and a big smile. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. Staff are very caring, know the children's individual needs and value each child's contribution. They show an interest in what the children do and respond appropriately to their requests and they use questioning skilfully. Children are provided with a range of activities to stimulate them and planning covers all areas of development. However, it does not differentiate for the more and less able child or identify specific learning objectives. Therefore, children may not always be offered challenges to promote their development. Staff make observations of children as they play, but they do not use their findings to plan the next steps in their learning. Staff do not currently evaluate the activities that they provide. Consequently, they do not know if their aims for children's learning are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy, confident and enjoy their time at nursery. They initiate their own play, for example, buying and selling groceries in the role play shop and making a policemans helmet in the creative area. Children take responsibility for their own personal care by independently using the toilet, hand washing and putting on their own painting aprons. Children are confident communicators as they share ideas in play. They negotiate

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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 with peers and adults and are able to convey their needs. They understand that print carries meaning and have free access to books and mark-making equipment. They link sounds to letters through planned and spontaneous activities. Children count confidently and use numbers correctly during play. They are beginning to recognise numerals and use mathematical language in context. Staff introduce basic mathematical learning such as size and shape throughout practical activities such as construction and modelling. However, there are missed opportunities to develop children's problem solving skills during daily routines and activities. Children build and construct using a range of objects and tools. Good opportunities are provided to use information technology, which underpins learning in other areas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop a sense of self and enjoy talking about past and present events in their own lives and those around them. They learn about the environment, the natural world and the wider world through an interesting range of activities, for example, exploring seaweed. Children are given opportunities to explore colour when painting at the easel. Through a range of activities they can develop their imagination and creativity. Their work is valued and well-displayed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are highly valued as individuals and are able to make positive choices and decisions during their time at the setting. They are developing a positive attitude to each other and gain a good understanding of the wider world through celebrating festivals. Children are confident in their relationships with practitioners in all areas of the nursery. They play happily together and with adults. They enjoy using resources such as puzzles, games, small world toys and outdoor equipment which are suitable to their age and development. Children cooperate together as they take turns on the computer and share popular resources such as the push along cars. Children's individual needs are met, for example, they are able to have comforters such as dummies and blankets and are able to carry them around when they need to. Babies have their own individual routines, such as bottle-feeding or times for rest.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with special needs benefit from the effective systems in place to ensure that their specific needs are met. Children are generally well behaved, polite and understand responsible behaviour. Staff use effective strategies to manage behaviour, for example, distracting children into meaningful play when they are disrupting other children's play. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Children benefit from two way sharing of information between parents and practitioners to enhance their learning and to provide consistency of care, for example, daily chats, daily written information, large

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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 notice board with photographs of the staff and information on the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Although good information is available to parents on free education places only limited information is available on the Foundation Stage. Children's spiritual, moral, social and emotional development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Systems are in place to ensure staff working with children are safe to do so. Policies and procedures are in place and work in practice to keep children healthy and to safeguard their welfare. The staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities and work well together to create a caring environment for children in all areas of the nursery. Staff deployment meets the required adult to child ratios as stated in the National Standards, however, staff work alone with a group of children for extended periods of time which may compromise children's safety. The quality of leadership and management of nursery education is good. The manager and staff team are committed to continuous improvement. Staff are actively supported and encouraged to attend a wide variety of training to further their understanding and practice in early years education and to enable them to help all children achieve well. Staff have a sound awareness of the Curriculum guidance for

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Organisation

the foundation stage and how to apply this in practice to support children's development. The setting has a sense of direction and it is constantly reviewing its systems to meet the needs of the children, particularly as the number of children attending is steadily increasing. They have identified an area for improvement relating to the outdoor play space which will further enhance the good facilities available for the children to use in all weathers. All documentation, policies and procedures are in place that comply with current legislation and promote children's well-being. Overall, the children's needs are met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there has been one complaint relating to National Standard 2. Upon investigation the Childcare Inspector found no breach of the National Standards. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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

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 and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are 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 staff are not working alone with a group of children for extended periods of time • ensure all children have access to drinking water at all times.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review planning, evaluation and assessment procedures, and the next steps of learning for all children • use everyday routines to improve children's mathematical problem solving skills • ensure parents are fully informed of the Foundation Stage.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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