Busy Bees Day Nursery at Norwich Thorpe

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 26/03/2004 Inspector Name Susan Cox

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Just Learning Ltd. Setting Address Northside St. Andrews Business Park, Thorpe St. Andrew Norwich Norfolk NR7 0HT

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Just Learning Ltd. Address Just Learning Day Nursery Enstone Court Wellingborough Northamptonshire NN8 2DR

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and 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

Just Learning Limited, Norwich is a day nursery established in 1999. It is part of a national chain of nurseries. It operates from purpose built premises and offers a variety of playrooms for children of different age groups. The premises include fully enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is set in an urban area on the outskirts of Norwich. The nursery serves children from a wide reaching area. The nursery is registered to offer places to 72 children from 2 months to 5 years. There are currently 141 children aged from 4 months to 5 years on roll. This includes 33 funded 3 year olds and 16 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open weekdays between 07:30 and 18:00 throughout the Thirty six staff work with the children. Twenty two have early years qualifications to

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Information about the setting

NVQ Level 2 or 3. Five staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Just Learning Nursery provides good quality care for children. There is a well-qualified staff team who provide a warm and welcoming environment where children are settled and confident. They are organised and ready to greet children on arrival helping them start playing in a relaxed and happy manner. The premises are child-friendly and well decorated with a range of children's work to present a stimulating environment. Much of the storage is accessible to children enabling them to make their own choices from a wide range of resources. The outside play areas are easily accessible from the playrooms. Record keeping is good.

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How good is the Day 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 The premises are safe, secure and well maintained. Risk assessments are undertaken but a further assessment is needed of the safety of certain heaters. Procedures are in place to maintain children's health with information shared efficiently with the parents. Children are encouraged to manage their personal hygiene in an appropriate manner, increasing independence and self-esteem. Nutritional meals are prepared on the premises with healthy eating being encouraged. There is an inclusive approach that values all children as individuals, aiming to meet any special needs in partnership with the parents. Staff plan a range of stimulating activities to meet the full developmental needs of the children. They know them well and there are comfortable and relaxed

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How good is the Day Care?

relationships being formed. Staff work hard to meet babies' individual routines which sometimes makes it difficult to fit in outside opportunities during the winter. Behaviour is good. The partnership with parents is good. They receive clear information about the nursery and there is a flexible settling in procedure to meet individual needs. A regular exchange of information ensures they are well informed about their child's welfare and development.

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What is being done well?

• Good use is made of space within the premises and children are grouped appropriately for their needs to be met. Staff are well qualified and experienced. They work efficiently as a team and are well deployed to be available to children at all times. • Children are well settled and receive much adult attention. Staff listen and talk to the children asking questions to make them think and use their imagination. Babies are well stimulated and given challenges to help their development. • Meals are prepared on the premises. There is an interesting menu that includes much fresh produce and encourages healthy eating habits. Staff are aware of children's dietary needs and any allergies and cater for them appropriately. • Children are given frequent praise and encouragement to promote self-esteem and positive behaviour. Staff have clear expectations and manage behaviour appropriately. They are good role models and are

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What is being done well?

consistent in their expectations. Children are learning right from wrong in a supportive environment. • Parents are made to feel welcome. A key worker system enables them to relate to a particular member of staff that knows them and their child well. Newsletters and notice boards support the daily exchange of information to ensure all are fully informed to meet the needs of the children.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for the youngest children to have time outside all year round • safety, of the use of heaters.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 3 Make sure there are regular opportunities for the youngest children to have outside experiences throughout the year. 6 Seek advice from the fire safety officer about the use of heaters.

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by the time of the next inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The provision of nursery education at Just Learning Day Nursery is of high quality. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a thorough knowledge of the Foundation Stage and stepping stones that is used to plan exciting and stimulating activities that enthuse children and encourage them in their learning. Planning covers all areas of learning effectively and the evaluation is used to inform future learning. Staff work well as a cohesive team that support children, helping children to consolidate and extend their learning in a dynamic environment. Their enthusiastic presentation of activities encourages the children to become involved and persevere with tasks. The gentle encouragement of good behaviour, the flow of activities and the excellent range of resources support the high quality learning environment in the

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How effective is the nursery education?

nursery. Effective assessment is used to meet the children's learning needs. Leadership and management within the setting is very good. All are committed to the improvement of the nursery education and work together constructively to do so. There are proactive procedures in place to monitor and evaluate practice. The nursery use external agencies and personnel within the chain to identify areas of improvement and to develop good practice. Working with parents and carers is very good. They are given good quality information about the Foundation Stage. Staff use diverse strategies to ensure parents are fully involved in their children's learning and to share what they know about their child. They have every opportunity to be well informed about the children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children's language and vocabulary is developing well and they learn to express their ideas, thoughts, experiences and feelings articulately. The development is well supported by the staff who use a wide range of vocabulary when they talk with the children, e.g. gizzard and fertilisation when talking about chickens. Children are able to express their knowledge that unfertilised eggs were the eggs that humans ate. Staff model grammatically correct sentences and help children to extend their ideas by questioning and building on the children's answers. Children enjoy books using them for pleasure and information. They have regular opportunities to read by themselves, with adults and in large groups. The children's awareness that words carry meaning is being extended to encourage the older and more able children to begin to write simple sentences to describe their work.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Children are being enabled to take responsibility for their own learning and to reflect upon their learning. They are encouraged to persevere with tasks and to help others. Children work well as individuals and in group situations. The children are lively and confident. They are encouraged to become aware of the consequences of their actions and to consider others. Good behaviour management strategies are being used to help the children with this. • Children have excellent opportunities to investigate and explore their environment and are beginning to use pictures and models to make accurate representations of what they have observed. • The enthusiastic and supportive manager is very involved with the staff and

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What is being done well?

the learning. She has appropriate structures in place to monitor and evaluate the curriculum using external support to highlight areas for improvement. There is an ongoing action plan to support the process, which is regularly reviewed and updated. • There is an enthusiastic staff group who work very well together to ensure that there is an effective learning environment.

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What needs to be improved?

• the extension of problem solving in mathematics • the extension of the evaluation of planning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made with the key issues identified at the last inspection. The setting were asked to provide more time for physical activities. Regular opportunities are now used to promote an extensive range of activities to promote the development of the children's skills both indoors and outside. Children now have excellent opportunities to explore and investigate the world around them and this is supported by a range of appropriate resources. Very good use is being made of assessment to ensure progress for all children and the nursery have devised a number of ways in which parents and carers can contribute to their children's learning and share their observations from home. Finally the monitoring of the teaching by the manager is now a strength of the nursery. There are systems in place to monitor and assess the strengths and weaknesses in teaching that use internal self assessments, observations of practice by the manager, observations

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What has improved since the last inspection?

and support from external agencies. This is all brought together in an ongoing action plan that is reviewed and updated regularly.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident, fully involved in absorbing activities and show pride in their work. They work independently, and in groups, persevering with tasks. Older children show increasing maturity and support the younger children. Children learn right from wrong and to consider the needs of all, through close links with their families, good relationships with staff and topics that look at the beliefs and customs of others. Children consistently choose resources to express their ideas.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good The children use exceptional vocabulary, using language to express their ideas, feelings and experiences. They recognise initial sounds in their names and older children other letters in their names. Children have ample opportunities to learn that print carries meaning and are enthusiastic about books for pleasure and information. Children are beginning to form recognisable letters and the older children write simple sentences. Children use marks to record within play and on their work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to use numbers within meaningful play. They can begin to recognise sets of numbers without counting. Situations where children use number to solve simple problems are helping them to begin to start to add and take away although some opportunities are missed. Children's mathematical language is excellent and used consistently within their activities, being used to describe shape, position and size. Measuring is used to compare and weight explored.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Stimulating activities help children to explore and investigate using imaginative resources to help them question why things happen and how things work. Similarities and differences in such topics as minibeasts are looked at very closely and recorded by children. They are very competent with technology and have absorbing opportunities to design, choosing resources and ways of joining independently. Relevant topics help children to learn about place, time and culture in ways that are meaningful.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have daily planned activities that encourage them to develop their skills of control, co-ordination, balance and climbing. Activities use the indoor and outdoor environment to help children to become confident and safe on a range of large equipment and wheeled toys. Children have excellent knowledge of the needs of their bodies through their daily routines and topics. They regulate those needs, for example, eating as much fruit as they want at snack time. Tools are used with safety.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are given rich and stimulating opportunities to explore colour, texture and form, using a diverse range of resources to represent their own ideas and observations, for example in their recording of their observations of minibeasts. Children use their imagination in all aspects of their role-play, art, design, music and movement and stories. There is an appropriate balance between adult led and child initiated activities that help the children to extend their creativity.

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 areas of significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to the following: • ensure all opportunities are taken to enable children to use their mathematical skills to solve simple problems in everyday activities and routines. • continue to develop the evaluation of planning in terms of the intended learning and how future learning may be identified from the evaluation.

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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 Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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