Busy Bees at Leicester City

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 20/01/2005 Inspector Name Judith Chinnery

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Holly Bush Nursery Setting Address 146 Upper New Walk Leicester Leicestershire LE1 7QA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Bushbabies Childrens Nurseries Limited 3851490

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Bushbabies Childrens Nurseries Limited Address The old School House Leicester Road, Countesthorpe Leicester Leicestershire LE8 5QU

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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

Hollybush Nursery registered in March 2003. It is situated on Upper New Walk, close to Leicester City centre. The nursery is part of Bushbabies Children's Nurseries Limited. The premise is a converted three-storey house with an outside play area. There are 43 children from birth to 8 years currently on roll. Of these seven receive nursery education funding. The nursery supports children who may have special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07:45 until 18:00. Children can attend for a variety of sessions. There are 12 members of staff working with the children. All members of staff hold qualifications in childcare. The nursery receives support from a mentor teacher from the Leicester City 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?

Holly Bush Nursery provides generally-good quality nursery education. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. The group leader is growing in her confidence and knowledge of the stepping stones though guides other staff less well as they work with the children. Children's progress is observed and assessed well and some targets are set for what they need to do next. Plans cover a wide range of activities across the Foundation Stage but they are not based on what children are interested in or need to do next. Staff promote a good balance between adult and child led activities. While staff manage children's behaviour appropriately some staff do not always act as good role models particularly in managing noise levels. Since the individual targets set for children are not used in planning, some activities do not challenge older or more able children sufficiently. The setting is well resourced and

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How effective is the nursery education?

makes good use of what they have to support learning across the curriculum. The leadership and management of the setting is generally good. The manager leads the team well with clearly defined roles. The manager is aware of the settings main strengths and weaknesses and encourages staff to take up training identified through an appraisal system. On going changes to the provision demonstrate staff's commitment to improving provision for the children. However, systems for evaluating and monitoring their educational provision are less effective. Partnership with parents is generally good. They are kept well informed about the setting and curriculum through the prospectus and regular newsletters. Regular up dates regarding children's progress towards the early learning goals is given. However, while parents have useful opportunities to be involved in their children's learning they have fewer opportunities to share what they know and to discuss their

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What is being done well?

• Children are developing a strong love for books, they handle them carefully and enjoy spending time retelling stories to themselves and each other from the pictures. • Staff make good use of unexpected and impromptu opportunities to extend children's experiences such as the visit from a younger child wearing a plaster cast so that staff were able to talk about hospitals and accidents. • Children are developing in their confidence and eagerness to learn, spending time completing tasks and activities. • Children and staff enjoy warm and close relationships with each other helping children to feel safe and secure.

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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?

• plans which are clearly drawn from children's interests and what they need to do next • challenge for older and more able children • evaluation and monitoring of the educational provision • parental involvement in sharing what they know and would like their children to do next.

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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: Generally Good Children are developing into confident learners. They are keen and eager to get involved in activities staying for long periods to complete tasks. They are happy to leave their main carers and have formed warm relationships with staff and other children. They are developing strong attachments to their group. However, while most children behave well, some become easily distracted as noise levels rise. More able children also have fewer opportunities to extend their independence skills.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy the many opportunities they have to speak. They are confident, speak in sentences giving lengthy explanations and making connections between home and group from pictures of animals to pets at home. They love books, visiting the book area spontaneously and studying the pictures to retell stories to themselves and others. Children handle pencils competently and make purposeful marks with lines and circles, but more able children have less experience in early writing skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Most children count confidently and willingly by rote beyond 10. More able children enjoy using numbers in their play such as when playing with telephones. They have a good knowledge of common shapes, recognising them in every day situations. They enjoy completing jigsaws persevering in finding the correct space. Most children also use size language such as too long, big and little in their play. However, children are less confident in solving simple adding and taking away problems.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children ably and purposefully construct and join things together. They are interested in technology and know how to use the computer mouse. They are developing a good sense of time when they talk about the day and weather in circle time. They have a lively interest in familiar places and people and a growing awareness of other cultures and beliefs. However, children are less knowledgeable about how things work and change.

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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 Most children move confidently in a variety of ways, running and climbing well on the available equipment. They can negotiate skilful pathways around the room avoiding others. Their small hand movements are well developed, they manipulate dough and thread beads deftly. They have a growing knowledge of healthy practices such as caring for their teeth. However, more able children are less able to make progress to reach their full potential particularly in developing their large body movements.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children really enjoy singing and have a growing repertoire of rhymes and songs which they sing well. Their imaginative skills are well developed as they use items to support their play such as in the hospital. Children express their emotions appropriately and enjoy using their senses to explore. Although children have a good knowledge about colour and texture they are less able to explore and create art for themselves. They are also less able to recreate rhythm in response to 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 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

• develop planning which uses the information drawn from the assessment of children's progress to ensure that activities are built on what children are interested in and what they need to do next, and which cover each aspect of the stepping stones consistently and regularly to embed children's learning. Include ways to make this a sharing process with parents • ensure that more able children are sufficiently challenged across all areas of the curriculum and that staff act as good role models especially in reducing noise levels • develop systems to monitor and evaluate the educational provision which enables the setting to have a clear focus for future development.

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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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