Busy Bees Day Nursery at Nottingham Daybrook

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/02/2005 Inspector Name Diana Pidgeon

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Leapfrog Day Nursery (Daybrook) Setting Address Sir John Robinson Way Arnold Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG5 6DB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Leapfrog Day Nurseries (Trading) Ltd 3229362

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Leapfrog Day Nurseries (Trading) Ltd Address Central Office Second Avenue, Centrum 100 Burton Upon Trent STAFFS DE14 2WF

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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

Leapfrog Day Nursery (Daybrook) has been registered since 2000. It is one of a chain of nurseries owned by the parent company. The nursery is based in purpose built accommodation on two levels. Children are accommodated in areas according to their age and development. The location is convenient to main routes into Nottingham city centre and serves families from the local and wider area. The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 120 children under 8 years of age, at any one time. There are currently 201 children on roll who have individual patterns of attendance. Of these 33 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting has appropriate support systems in place for children with special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 07:00 until 19:00, throughout the year. There are 22 full-time, 14 part-time and 5 relief staff who work with the children. Of

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Information about the setting

these 19 hold recognised early years qualifications and most other staff are currently on training programmes. The setting receives support from the Nottinghamshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and is a member of the National Day Nursery Association.

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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?

Leapfrog Day Nursery (Daybrook) provides high quality nursery education. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good and has a direct impact on the progress children make. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and the early learning goals. They provide a balanced programme of activities that effectively address the individual needs of the children. Children with special educational needs are well supported. Careful organisation of time and resources enables all children to be purposefully engaged and maximises their learning opportunities. Staff regularly record children's progress towards the early learning goals, although observation records are not fully developed. Effective strategies are used to promote children's good behaviour, confidence and self-esteem. Leadership and management are very good. There is a clear, supportive

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How effective is the nursery education?

management structure in which all staff are aware of their individual roles and responsibilities. The staff work well as a team and are good role models for the children. Clear systems are in place to ensure that standards are continually monitored and staff training and development needs are identified and met. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive detailed information about the nursery and the educational curriculum. They are encouraged to support their child's learning at home through a variety of ways. Clear systems ensure they are well informed about their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the setting. Children are confident, motivated and developing good concentration skills. They eagerly participate in activities and show enthusiasm for learning. • Children's writing is promoted very well. Younger children are able to experiment with mark making in a variety of media and purposefully within the role-play areas. Older children begin to write their names to label their work, and begin to form letters and words correctly as they write about their drawings. • Children benefit from effective teaching. Staff are enthusiastic, committed and use interesting ways to introduce new skills and knowledge. They know all the children well and spontaneously adapt activities to challenge even the most able children. They encourage all children to think, communicate and to make good progress in their learning. • Children's imagination is effectively raised through interesting topics and

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What is being done well?

exciting role-play areas. Children talk about their adventures in the jungle and enjoy acting out visits to the vet with a variety of pets.

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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 • Information and communication technology is used effectively to support the children's learning. Children are learning to use simple computer programmes and use the mouse to move objects around the screen.

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What needs to be improved?

• the use of observations to inform the assessment process.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The staff have introduced a number of measures to effectively address the teaching of mathematics, which was a key issue in the previous report. These include the use of number rhymes, planned daily mathematical activities and extending the resources to support children's learning. As a result children confidently count in practical situations, calculate during everyday routines and use mathematical language confidently.

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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 are confident within the setting, interested in the activities and motivated to learn. They form good relationships with the staff and one another. Many children show care and concern for others. All children are aware of the behavioural expectations of the group and most share and take turns willingly. Children show high levels of independence as they select activities and deal with their personal needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's communication skills develop rapidly through positive staff interaction. Children readily initiate conversations and share news. They are learning to listen. Children enjoy stories and use books independently for enjoyment and to locate information. Children write purposefully within their play and make good progress in forming letters and writing simple words. Children recognise their names and link sounds and letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children understand and confidently use mathematical language in their play. They count, recognise numerals and identify shapes around them. Planned activities encourage children to match, compare and sort objects by size, colour and shape. Children measure and weigh the pets in the vet's surgery. Children solve simple problems, such as sharing resources or calculating how many plates are needed for snack-time. All children enjoy number rhymes and songs.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children eagerly explore and question how and why things happen. They observe changes in snow as it melts and track their footprints across the ground. They discuss events in their lives, their own and other cultures and learn about the wider environment through topics and stories. Children skilfully use a range of large and small construction materials to create their own designs. The use of information and communication technology is well developed and supports all areas of learning.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently both indoors and outdoors, adjusting their movements to the available space. They run, stop and change direction with good control. Older children are learning to jump, skip and hop. All children use a variety of equipment, such as climbing apparatus, bats and balls with increasing skill. Children are taught to handle tools, such as scissors, carefully and have time to practise their skills. Children recognise the changes to their bodies during exercise.

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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: Very Good Children use their imagination well as they play in the well-resourced role-play areas, act out their own scenarios and make up stories. They freely explore a range of media and materials in their creative work, producing pictures and models of their own designs. Planned use of the sensory room enhances children's ability to use their senses. Children sing familiar songs with enthusiasm and enjoy moving to different kinds of music.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • continue to develop planned observations of children, to assess their achievements and to inform future planning.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

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

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