Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chorley Brooke Street

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/10/2004 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care, Out of School Day Care Setting Name Busy Bees Brooke Street Setting Address Brooke Street Chorley Lancashire PR7 3BS

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Busy Bees Childcare Limited 3771950

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Busy Bees Childcare Limited Address Busy Bees at St Matthews Shaftesbury Drive Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 9QP

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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

Busy Bee's full day nursery opened in Dec 2000. It is situated within the town of Chorley, Lancashire, within walking distance from the town centre. The nursery is a purpose built establishment. The accommodation comprises four baby rooms, two toddler rooms, three pre-school rooms, three 2 to 3 years of age rooms, a seperate school care building, a gym and a fully equipped gym. The accommodation allows for children to be grouped according to their age. There is a safe and secure outdoor play area. The nursery offers a structured, but flexible approach. There are 42 members of staff, of whom 33 hold a formal care qualifications. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 18:00, only closing for Bank Holiday's. There are places for funded three and four year olds within the pre-school.

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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?

Busy Bees Nursery provides good-quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their personal, social and emotional development, as well as their knowledge and understanding of the world, is particularly well planned and they make very good progress in these areas. Teaching is generally good. Planning is clear and identifies what children are expected to learn. Children's speaking and listening skills are developed well by staff. However, opportunities to extend children's mathematical development is limited. Bright and cheerful rooms are often enhanced by displays celebrating examples of children's achievements. Staff care for the children and their response to learning is good. The nursery's procedures for monitoring children's progress are satisfactory. However, it is at its best in those classes where individual staff records

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How effective is the nursery education?

make the information more meaningful. Leadership and management are generally good. The manager has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery. She is able to identify and successfully address any issues arising. Regular reviews with nursery advisors provide additional support and opportunities to examine ways for further improvement. Staff are clear of their roles and responsibilities. The nursery offers a good range of staff training, but there is less emphasis on improving teaching than improving other aspects of provision. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are happy with what the nursery has to offer. They enjoy its open door policy and the quick way it deals with any issues. Regular monthly newsletters provide good information. Parents have the opportunity to share information prior to their children's admission and annually at parents' meetings. Although parents receive an assessment book containing details

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How effective is the nursery education?

of their child's progress towards the early learning goals, there are no reports.

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What is being done well?

• Staff work hard to promote the very good personal, social and emotional development of children and their knowledge and understanding of the world. • Staff very effectively promote children's speaking and listening skills and provide good opportunities that enable children to appreciate and enjoy books and stories. • Relationships between staff and children are good. Staff are kind and considerate and are responsive to the individual needs of the children.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the range of activities and opportunities to encourage children to develop early writing skills • the emphasis given to children's mathematical development through increased opportunities in more activities across all areas of learning • the more regular access to large apparatus for children to ensure their appropriate physical development • the opportunities for children to be more involved in selecting and exploring a wider range of materials and textures for their creative development.

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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 The staff combine firmness with care and concern for the children who in turn feel safe, secure and comfortable with adults. Planned opportunities are created for the very good development of children's confidence and independence, which is reinforced by praise and encouragement. Children work hard independently and collaboratively. They share well,look after equipment and learn to put things away. They apply their understanding of what is acceptable behaviour in their classroom relationships.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good speaking and listening skills, Similarly their enjoyment of books is high. They select and look at books independently and particularly enjoy their favourite stories, such as, A Bear Hunt, read by the staff. Most 4-year-olds write their names but generally there are not enough planned opportunities to promote all childrens' emergent writing skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently in accordance with their ages. Counting skills are appropriately developed at opportune times, such as, at registration, giving out books and use of ICT programs. Children name the regular shapes of triangle, circle and square. However, children do not extend their mathematical vocabulary and practice this through play and in other areas of learning.For example, the use of coins in the shop and the development of technical language in construction activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate well. They look at the snails, explore senses, especially of taste, and experiment to make Hollow'een spells. Regular ICT use leads to competent mouse control. Technology is further extended through use of constrction kits. Children have knowledge of house building materials and the effect of weather on their choice of clothes. They are aware of Christian feasts and festivals of some other faiths and contributions to African charities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Fine motor control is good when measuring sand and water. Children handle brushes, scissors, and other tools competently. When children are in the gym they move around safely. Balance and body control is good as they climb over, under and pull themselves through apparatus. Access to large equipment is generally good, although dependent on the weather and timetable arrangements, not all children have the same opportunity to use it.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy this aspect of learning. They enjoy singing rhymes they have learned and they name and play instruments sensibly. When painting, children concentrate well, taking pleasure in producing well-proportioned portraits of their friends. Children work hard to produce collages, but their access to to a wide choice of materials does not help them to explore a wide enough range of textures and materials. They are imaginative in play-dressing like mummy and going to the hairdressers.

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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

• increase opportunities for the development of children's early writing skills • extend planned opportunities for the development of mathematics in all areas of learning • ensure all children have regular opportunity for the development of their gross motor skills • widen opportunities for children to explore, investigate and experiment with a wider range of textures and materials.

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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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