Busy Bees Day Nursery at Weston Super Mare

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/02/2005 Inspector Name Carol Cox

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Princess Christian Setting Address District Centre Bransby Way, Locking Castle Weston super Mare North Somerset BS24 7EU

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Princess Christian Nurseries Ltd 861615

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Princess Christian Nurseries Ltd Address Anglia House Clarendon Court, Carrs Road Cheadle Cheshire SKA 2LA

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Princess Christian Nursery opened in May 2002. It operates from purpose built premises, including a large garden, situated in the district centre of Locking Castle. The nursery serves the local and surrounding area. There are currently 163 children from 6 weeks to 5 years on roll. This includes 48 funded three- and four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 08:00 to 18:00. Twenty one staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. Seven staff are currently working towards a recognised qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Princess Christian Day Nursery provides good quality nursery education and children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development and physical development; staff plan activities to promote physical development everyday. The quality of teaching is generally good, staff have a clear understanding of the foundation stage curriculum. Staff plan a range of activities to promote learning through play in all areas of learning, but there are few chances for children to use local amenities. Assessments include regular records of children's progress, however they are not used to plan next steps in learning for individual children, consequently more able children are not always sufficiently challenged. Children make choices about their learning, however there are few chances for children to practise maths, reading and writing in everyday activities. Children learn how their

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How effective is the nursery education?

behaviour affects others and generally behave very well. The special educational needs coordinator has experience of working with parents and other professionals to identify and meet the needs of children with special educational needs. The leadership and management is generally good and staff are well qualified. Regular staff appraisals take place and identify the training needs of individuals. The nursery chain has been taken over by new management nationally and the nursery is in the process of changing policies and procedures. The staff meet in their base room teams and as a whole group to discuss and plan for the development of the nursery. The partnership with parents is generally good with regular feedback about children's progress shared with parents. Staff offer daily information about topics and events and parents' evenings are held every six months to formally review the progress of children. Parents are given brief information about the foundation stage

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What is being done well?

• Children are encouraged to make choices about their own learning, they choose their own activities and select resources to support their play. They are confident and happy and settle quickly to their chosen activities. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging and enjoy the daily routines of the pre-school group. • Provision for physical development is good, staff plan for physical development every day and ensure that children have opportunities to develop gross and fine motor skills using different equipment and tools both inside and out.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Staff have close relationships with children and spend time listening and talking with them. Children are learning how their behaviour affects others and generally behave very well. They develop relationships with other children and are confident to ask for help when needed.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to practise reading, writing and maths skills in a meaningful context, for example in role play or construction activities • opportunities for children to use local amenities in the local community to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world • the use of assessment records when planning activities to ensure that all children are sufficiently challenged to progress in their learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children settle quickly and are eager to learn. They are beginning to form relationships with each other and adults. They are confident and are able to communicate their feelings and needs. Children are considerate and caring of each other and understand that some people have different needs. Children are able to select activities and resources and enjoy making decisions. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and happily share simple tasks and behave very well.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children communicate well and are able to express feelings, share ideas and use language effectively to discuss activities. Staff help children start to link letters and sounds and some children are able to sound out their own names. Most children can recognise their own names and some are able to write their names. Some children enjoy using books and mark making but there are few opportunities for children to use these skills in everyday activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to count and recognise numbers up to five, some children can count much higher. They are able to recognise and name shapes and to make patterns and groups of objects. Children use positional language when playing games and with small world toys. Children have opportunites to use maths skills in planned activities but little opportunity to practise skills in everyday situations. More able children are not always sufficiently challenged.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn about their environment through planned topic work, but do not use local amenities to extend their understanding of the world. They have chances to examine objects, design and build with different materials and are developing a sense of past, present and future. They use technology and programmable toys in freely chosen activities. Children learn about and celebrate festivals from their own lives and have opportunities to find out about the cultures and beliefs of others.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move around confidently in different ways. They are able to make pathways with consideration for others and find space for activities. They use tools and equipment during planned activities and are able to freely explore and experiment with different materials. Children are encouraged to learn about their physical needs and how to address them. They are developing good fine and gross motor skills through well planned activities.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use a variety of materials and media to explore texture, colour and shape through planned and freely chosen activities. They use their imagination and enjoy recreating scenes and acting out songs and stories in role play, however resources for the role play area are limited and do not offer chances to link with learning in other areas. They enjoy singing and using musical instruments in planned activities.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• provide more opportunities for children to practice reading, writing and mathematical skills in a meaningful context • ensure that all children are sufficiently challenged to progress in their learning through effective use of assessment records when planning activities.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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