Busy Bees Day Nursery at Burntwood

Busy Bees

Inspection report for early years provision

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Busy Bees

Unique Reference Number EY295717 Inspection date 16 December 2005 Inspector Elaine Poulton

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Busy Bees

Setting Address St Matthews Church, Shaftesbury Avenue, off Sister Dora Road, Burntwood, Staffordshire, WS7 9QP Telephone number 01543 678690

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E-mail

Registered person Busy Bees Childcare Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Busy Bees Day Nursery opened in 2005. It operates from eight rooms within a converted church premises in Burntwood. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. There are currently 117 children from 0 to 8 years on roll. Of these 8 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs.

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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 group opens five days a week, all year round. Sessions are from 07:30 until 18:00. The setting employs 22 staff to work directly with the children. Over half of the staff have appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development Partnership. The setting takes part in quality assurance schemes including Investors in People and the National Day Nurseries Association Quality Counts.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Staff work in partnership with parents and share information to meet all children's dietary needs. Children have their meals prepared by the nursery cook. They benefit from a healthy diet and enjoy a varied menu of fresh and nutritious meals and snacks, which comply with any special dietary requirements to ensure children remain healthy. Staff are attentive to the needs of younger children and babies to ensure their individual routines are met. Drinks are offered to all children regularly throughout the day and older children know they can ask for a drink when they are thirsty or serve themselves milk, juice or water from the ‘snack-bar’. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through some well-planned routines, such as hand washing before eating. The extensive hygiene procedures throughout the nursery ensure that children are cared for in a clean and well-maintained environment. The provision is warm and well ventilated. There are

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Helping children to be healthy

good procedures in place for sick and infectious children which help prevent the spread of infection and help to keep children healthy. All children benefit from outdoor play in the fresh air and have good opportunity to use a wide range of equipment and this active play helps them to develop their physical skills well. They also enjoy and join in with a range of age appropriate games and free play activities indoors. Younger children are active according to individual needs and are also able to take rest and sleep when needed. Older children take part in action songs and musical games which contribute to their good health. This means that children have a positive attitude to exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to play safely with a range of toys that promote their development. There is a good range of equipment, resources, toys and games to choose from that are in good condition and are well-maintained and conform to appropriate safety standards. Children’s safety is a high priority in the nursery. They are cared for in a

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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 well-organised environment, where risks are minimised through good safety and security procedures, including CCTV. There are effective procedures for the safe arrival and collection of children in place. They are kept safe through policies that are understood by staff, for example risk assessments are completed regularly together with daily safety checks for each room and outside. Children are learning about keeping themselves and others safe, for example, through emergency evacuation procedures which are practised regularly. Children are protected from harm because staff are knowledgeable about child protection issues. Staff are aware of whom to contact and the procedures to follow should an incident occur. The child protection policy is clear about roles and responsibilities and what happens should there be an allegation made against a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The care, learning and play experiences for children in this setting are good. Children are secure in the nursery's welcoming and caring environment and they have positive relationships with staff. All children take part in regular heuristic play sessions which encourages young learners to discover solutions for themselves by a process of trial and error rather than set rules. Children are well supported and introduced to a variety of stimulating sensory play activities. Babies are mesmerised by brightly coloured containers and shakers and delight in mark-making with sponge shapes dipped in water-dye. Outdoor play is enjoyed by all children and staff encourage children to join in with active play according to their stage of development and mobility. Children are content and play happily together or along-side one another. They investigate and explore resources such as, sound and activity toys. They enjoy

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

'crumpling and tearing paper', and crawling through tunnels and sitting in tents. This means children are learning well from first hand experiences. The ‘Birth to three matters’ framework is not fully implemented but children’s progress is written in their individual nursery ‘tracker’ record. Planning and assessment systems are beginning to link together to enable all children to experience a good variety and balance of activities, which in turn ensures they become competent young learners. Children are helped towards independence through the use of good resources, such as booster steps and toilet seats. They are supported, encouraged and praised consistently. As a result they are beginning to learn how to share toys and take-a-turn with resources in a small group situation. Children are building good relationships with staff and peers and are supported well through constant conversation, questions and individual attention.

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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 Nursery Funded Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. There is a very well organised staff team who have developed their knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage well to judge the impact of activities on the children. Staff plan and provide a varied range of activities under each area of learning, the learning intention is recorded and relates to the stepping stones so that all aspects are covered. Children's enthusiasm and attention are maintained well to ensure they are achieving and progressing toward the early learning goals. Staff use effective methods to maintain children's interest and spend the majority of their time working directly with them. This means that children are appropriately challenged and engaged in purposeful play. Organisation of group time is flexible and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

encourages children to concentrate because staff stimulate and engage the children with varying approaches. Children are clear about the purpose of adult-led activities and as heuristic play is promoted well within the setting children frequently join in with their own ideas. Behaviour is well managed and this results in a calm and caring environment for children to learn in. Children are interested and absorbed in their free play as they select and carry out activities. They are all encouraged and help tidy activities away. They assume responsibility and manage small tasks on their own. For example, children help to set the table before lunch. Children are lively and friendly and respond positively to staff's high expectations of levels of behaviour. Children speak clearly and confidently, listen intently to stories and independently select books for pleasure. They are beginning to recognise their own names and are able to sound letters in words. They use the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

writing table and resources to practise mark-making skills. Children are beginning to understand and use numbers. They count meaningfully up to seven and in some cases beyond. They are developing problem solving skills during everyday routines, such as deciding how many more knives, forks and spoons are needed at lunch time. This means that children use number names and number language spontaneously. Children demonstrate that they are gaining an awareness of mathematical concepts such as measure, weight and quantity as they mix ingredients together to make cakes. Children develop an initial sense of time and place through routines and activities. They are introduced to other cultures and customs. Their awareness of different cultures is growing, through using a good selection of kitchen utensils, fruit and vegetables, dressing-up resources and stories. Children have good opportunities to use a range of ICT equipment, such as battery operated resources and a computer

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to practice their mouse skills. They have limited opportunities to develop their knowledge of the local community and to observe and find out about features in the natural environment. Daily use of the outdoor area helps children develop their physical skills. They throw and chase after balls, climb, ride and pedal wheeled toys and use outside activity equipment competently. Children carefully explore ‘glass-painting’ and use one-handed tools such as scissors with good control. They move freely indoors and outdoors and have a good sense of the space around them.

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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 They are able to express themselves imaginatively and explore using their senses. They are excited to talk about the chocolate and lemon essences added to play-dough. They name colours competently. They use their imagination and a range of rhythmic movements as they take part in ‘sticky-kids’ and music sessions. They instigate activities and have great fun as they try out new ideas, such as, ‘walking in different ways’.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children benefit from the positive partnership developed between parents and staff. Information about children’s individual care needs is shared between staff and parents on a regular basis. This means that children are supported effectively in the setting. Staff have a good understanding of equal opportunities and use this to introduce activities to interest children in different cultures and beliefs. Children have good opportunities to self-select a wide range of games and toys and can access activities indoor and outdoor. Staff support children with special needs well and work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children are included in the life of the nursery. Children are gaining a sense of being valued and respected as individuals which in turn helps them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children are building good relationships with peers and staff. They are praised and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

rewarded consistently when they are behaving well and this in turn promotes and reinforces good behaviour. The younger children are beginning to learn how to take-a-turn with toys. The older children share popular resources such as the pot and pans in the role play area. They also help each other and offer to carry out small tasks, such as setting the table at lunch-time. This positive approach fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff are continually developing systems to ensure that parents are kept fully informed about their child's progress towards the early learning goals so that they are actively involved in their child's learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Policies and procedures which support good practice are shared with parents. Staff are fully aware of their role and responsibly to care for children and to ensure that children's good health, safety, enjoyment and ability to make a positive contribution is promoted within the nursery. The setting employs experienced, qualified and vetted staff to ensure that children are cared for and are well protected. Staffing ratios are maintained resulting in children's care, learning and play being well supported. The staff team help children

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 to settle in well and develop good relationships with one another. Younger children benefit from the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework although this has not been fully implemented and therefore is not fully effective. Older children are well supported and helped to make good progress through the stepping stones and to enjoy their play and leaning experiences. Older children behave well as staff reward good behaviour and achievements with praise and encouragement. Staff are well deployed and indoor space and equipment is well organised. Resources are well maintained, safe and accessible. Activities and routines are planned to support all children’s development. Not all children are learning about the natural world or local community through visits and walks. Leadership and management is good. The manager is experienced and has a good

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Organisation

knowledge of the Foundation Stage. The management team is good at identifying strengths and weaknesses in the setting and offering direction to staff to ensure a consistent approach to children’s learning. Individual staff supervision and appraisal systems are in place to support staff and identify further training to ensure children continue to make good progress in all six areas of learning. Overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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 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 good.

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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 To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to improve outcomes for children under three by embedding the 'Birth to three matters' framework into practice

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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): • further develop the opportunities for children to observe, find out about and identify features in the local community and natural environment.

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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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