Busy Bees Day Nursery at Lancaster

Busy Bees at Lancaster Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY241718 Inspection date 02/12/2009 Inspector Lisa Patterson

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Setting address Ovangle Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 5JR

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Telephone number 01524 845 245 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Busy Bees Nursery Lancaster is one of many nurseries owned by a large organisation. It was registered in 2001 and operates from a purpose built building. Children have access to 13 playrooms. There is an enclosed outdoor area The nursery serves the local community and wider area. It is open each weekday from 7am until 6pm, all year round, except Christmas.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 204 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 114 aged from birth to under five years old on roll. The setting provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children with English as an additional language. Out of school care is also provided, and the setting is registered with Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are 24 members of staff who hold early years qualifications to at least level 2. The manager is qualified to level 6 in Children's Care Learning and Development. The nursery receives the support of the Local Authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individual needs are well catered for through effective systems for monitoring development, and close links with parents and other agencies. As a result children make good progress in their learning and development and an inclusive atmosphere is created. Children's welfare is a priority and comprehensive safety procedures are understood by the staff team and implemented well. The setting has a commitment to continuous improvement and systems for monitoring progress are effective in identifying and addressing areas for development.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 for each type of outing, carry out a full risk assessment. (Safeguarding and Wlefare) 04/12/2009

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 continue to develop children's access to continuous provision, with particular reference to mark-making areas, book corners, the outdoor areas, and make more use of every day experiences to develop mathematical skills  make sure the good health of children is promoted at all times through ensuring hygiene procedures are consistently applied and making sure all This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children have access to the outdoor area on a more regular basis.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because key personnel have recently attended relevant training in child protection, and all staff have a clear understanding of their roles in the identification and reporting of children considered to be at risk. Recruitment and selection procedures are robust, staff in the setting are made aware of new staff and their clearance status, and no person who has not been cleared is allowed unsupervised access to the children. This maintains children's safety. There is a comprehensive set of policies and procedures supporting all operational aspects of the setting, and these are well understood by staff. Updates are shared with the team who are required to sign to say they have read and understand their role.

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the early years provision

Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out, both on a national and local level. Safety representatives from the company carry out risk assessments and the member of staff responsible for safety also carries out specific risk assessments and daily checks. Hazards are immediately dealt with and risks monitored on a national database. While there is a generic risk assessment in place covering all outings, specific outings, excluding those which require the use of a mini-bus, have not undergone a specific risk assessment and this compromises children's safety.

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the early years provision

The setting is committed to continuous improvement. Parents, children, staff and the manager have been included in the self-evaluation process, which highlights key areas of development. Staff regularly update their knowledge through attendance at regular training events and through visiting other nurseries for inspiration. They are motivated and want the best for the children, and, as such constantly strive to enhance the physical environment or activities on offer.

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the early years provision

Parents enjoy good partnerships with the nursery on the whole. They receive a wealth of information at the beginning of their child's placement, and this information sharing continues throughout the learning journey. There is a regular two-way flow of information through daily diaries, parents evenings, attendance at parent liaison groups and through sharing their child's files. Parents are encouraged to share their observations from home for inclusion in the learning journey, and this is used to plan appropriate activities for their child. Partnerships with other agencies are good. Staff use the knowledge of other professionals effectively to support the individual needs of children in the setting, and value the advice they can give. This ensures all children can be fully included.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery and make good progress across all areas of learning. They are confident and comfortable in the learning environment and self-select resources from well organised, easily accessible, labelled storage, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 which increases their independence. Older children's self care skills are good and adults offer appropriate support to those who need it. They are mesmerised by story time in a whole group, shouting out rhyming words and joining in with the rhythm of the tale. They show confidence to talk and sing to the larger group, singing songs of their choice. Mark-making areas are available though these lack resources and inspiration throughout the nursery, and books are not always displayed to help children to access them easily, for example in a basket. Children count and solve problems in the building blocks, older children recognise shapes

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and outcomes for children

and colours and are able to sort toys when tidying up. Everyday experiences are not fully used to develop counting and calculation. Children learn about the diverse nature of society through a wide range of room-specific and cross-nursery events. They dress up, try different foods, look at different writing and pinpoint the country on a map. There is a good selection of resources portraying positive images of diversity and children play freely with these. Resources for developing skills in Information and Communication Technology are available and children are adept at navigating around the interactive white board in the preschool room. There are few other programmable toys.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to look after the world and not be wasteful through recycling the rubbish and growing their own vegetables, being involved in the process from start to finish. They enjoy opportunities for outdoor play, running up and down, throwing balls as high and as far as they can. The outdoor area does not yet have the full complement of continuous provision for all year use, and this area is under development. Children are competent in using small and larger tools such as paint brushes. They fully enjoy role play opportunities, both in their classroom, in the cosy Santa's grotto area, complete with Christmas tree decorated by the children and a fire place created by the children with paints and collage materials. There is a dedicated 'Beach Room' in which they can dig in the sand, relax in the deck chairs, pretend to catch fish and make sandcastles. This promotes their inquisitiveness, provides motivation and enjoyment, and develops a wide range of

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and outcomes for children

Children's individual needs are well identified through regular monitoring and assessments across the nursery. The key person system works well in practice, starting points are clearly identified and next steps for each child are fed into the planning of the following week. Staff's good understanding of the children means that they can challenge their thinking at their individual level and create an inclusive learning environment tailored to their needs. Assessment records are mostly kept up to date and include comments from parents and carers. This means that achievement is closely monitored and any gaps are identified and addressed.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe in the setting and know where to go for help. The clear boundaries are consistently applied by staff and explanations are given as to why certain behaviours are not appropriate or may be unsafe. Children behave well and use their manners. Meals and snacks are created by a dedicated, motivated and enthusiastic cook who has a passion for creating nutritious and exciting meals for children. All meals are freshly prepared using locally sourced produce where available and children thoroughly enjoy the wide selection available. Hygiene procedures are not consistently applied across the nursery. Some children wash their hands prior to lunch and talk about bugs and germs, while others do not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 wash them at all and noses are not always blown. Not all children have access to the outdoors on a daily basis and this compromises their health and wellbeing.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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