Busy Bees Day Nursery at Huntingdon

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/11/2004 Inspector Name Susan Christine McGuire

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Just Learning Ltd Setting Address Kingfisher Way Hinchingbrooke Business Park Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE29 6FN

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Just Learning Ltd Address 45 High Street West Malling Kent ME19 6QH

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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 Day Nursery is one of 63 settings run by Just Learning. It opened in 1999 and operates from a purpose built building which is situated on the edge of Hinchingbrook Business Park close to the centre of Huntingdon. A maximum of 100 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 to 18:30 for 52 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. All children share access to secure, enclosed outdoor play areas. There are currently 85 children aged from birth to five years on roll. Of these, 34children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery/pre-school currently supports a number of children with special educational needs, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery/pre-school employs 32 staff. Twenty-one of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Five staff are working towards

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How good is the Day Care?

Just Learning Day Nursery provides good care for children. There is a clear management structure and well-qualified staff carry out their individual roles well e.g. ensuring effective health and safety. The premises are secure. Parents and children are greeted warmly on arrival. Rooms are bright and cheerful with easily-accessible resources, and children's work displayed and labelled carefully. The policies and procedures which underpin the organisation of the setting are clearly documented and generally well implemented. Staff have a high awareness of safety issues and vigilantly follow set procedures to keep the premises safe and secure. From a very young age children are encouraged to practise good routines for their personal hygiene, and are given clear explanations about why this is important. Meals are freshly prepared on the premises and the

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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 CHOMP system is followed to ensure children's nutritional needs are provided. All staff plan and provide a range of stimulating activities both indoors and outdoors, which support children's play and learning well, and develops their independence and self-confidence. Babies individual routines are adhered to and provision is made for older children who need to rest or relax. Staff foster excellent relationships with the children and lots of reciprocal affection is demonstrated throughout the nursery. Behaviour is very good as children understand their boundaries. Activities are adapted so that all children can participate and resources are provided which show positive images of ethnicity, culture and disability.

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How good is the Day Care?

There is a very good partnership with parents. They are provided with a wealth of well-presented information about the setting, and are kept well-informed about their child's day through the use of day books and regular discussions with staff. Open evenings are held to facilitate parents who work and have little time when dropping-off or collecting their child.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting agreed to amend the child protection policy and to ensure that children had access to fresh drinking water at all times. The system for protecting children has now been improved by the addition of a procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, to the child protection policy. Jugs of fresh drinking water and beakers are now available in each room, and children are learning to meet their own needs by accessing this independently.

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What is being done well?

• Excellent use is made of the outside play areas for each age-group. They are all organised imaginatively to provide children with a range of creative and sensory experiences, e.g. wind chimes, light catchers, musical instruments and chalking and painting. The provision of Wellington boots allows the children to access these areas throughout the year. • Very warm, affectionate relationships exist between staff and children so children are developing a good sense of self-esteem, and have confidence in themselves and those who care for them. • Staff make singing and music a very important aspect in all areas of the nursery. Even the very young children enjoy joining in with songs and doing the actions, and staff introduce them to a variety of musical styles at various times in the day. • A great deal of thought and care is put into planning and providing well-balanced meals so that children receive all the required nutritional

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What is being done well?

elements during the day. These are very varied to ensure that children explore new tastes.

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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 • There is excellent provision for under 3's. Staff working with babies provide them with a range of stimulating, sensory experiences, especially messy play, which children greatly enjoy. Staff have regard for 'Birth to 3' matters when planning for this age-group. • Safety is given a high priority and the member of staff responsible for risk assessment regularly reviews the premises and consults with other staff to ensure that all identified risks are minimised.

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What needs to be improved?

• the implementation of the child protection policy, including staff not working in isolation.

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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 13 Ensure that staff do not work in isolation in order to fully implement the nursery's child protection policy.

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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 for 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 create a relaxed yet stimulating environment where children are confident to explore and try new experiences. The key-working system is used effectively and staff know the children's personalities and capabilities well. Staff have an excellent knowledge of the Foundation Stage and understand how children learn. They pitch activities at a level which allows more able children to be suitably challenged. Good staff deployment allows children who have special needs to be well-supported. Planning is clear and well-balanced across the areas of learning. Assessment is used effectively to plan for children to move on in their learning. Leadership and management is very good. It is well-established and has a positive

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How effective is the nursery education?

impact on children's progress through successful systems which are used to review and develop the provision and which takes the views of staff into account. They therefore have a good awareness of their strengths and areas they wish to improve. Excellent procedures are in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff. There is strong team-working amongst staff working with 3 and 4 year-olds and they value advice given by the EYDCP. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents express confidence in the setting and have good informal relationships with staff. They are provided with detailed information about the nursery education provision through the brochure and regular newsletters. Planning is displayed alongside clear explanations of the early learning goals. Staff give parents regular opportunities to be partners in their child's learning e.g. shared book scheme, extension activities and the travelling bunny. They are

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How effective is the nursery education?

also able to contribute to assessment by sharing information about achievements at home.

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What is being done well?

• Staff place a high importance on developing children's confidence and independence, which they achieve by consistent praise and encouragement. This enables children to then move on to sharing and taking turns, and considering the needs of others. • Children are learning to be skilled communicators. They have an interest in letters and sounds and show great enjoyment of books and stories, frequently accessing the cosy book-area during free-play to share a book with friends or to become engrossed in a story by themselves. • Staff show an understanding of children's love of role-play and the

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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 importance of accessing this to develop their imagination. They provide resources and opportunities for children to engage in this, often becoming involved in the scenario children create if invited. • There is an excellent partnership with parents. Staff acknowledge their role in their child's learning and provide them with many opportunities to participate in this. Good quality information about the Foundation Stage is shared and suggestions of how to extend learning at home are given.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to experience other cultures in role play.

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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 relaxed and happy in the setting and have a good rapport with staff. They persist with challenging tasks and are confident to try new experiences. Staff foster children's self-esteem through consistent praise and encouragement and in their expressions of genuine affection. Children are learning to share and take turns, and are independent in their self-care and selection of resources. They are encouraged to consider the needs of others e.g. theme work on people who are special.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use language well to express ideas and events and to negotiate with their peers during play. They participating in group story, predicting and recalling the tale, and they access books freely for their own pleasure or to share with a friend. Most children are very confident in their recognition of initial letter-sounds. A variety of mark-making experiences are provided and children are showing an interest in writing for a purpose in role-play, or by reproducing labelling in the room.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can count forwards confidently to 9 and beyond, and they recognise and can sort by shape, colour and size. The daily routine is used well to give children practical mathematical experiences e.g. preparing snack-tables. Songs and rhymes help children to count backwards and take away with understanding. Mathematical thought is extended in planned activities which enable children to weigh, measure and recreate patterns. Staff take unplanned opportunities for problem-solving.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing a good sense of time and place through topics which explore the seasons, and festivals of their own and other cultures. Children's curiosity is encouraged and they are provided with appropriate tools for this e.g. magnifying glasses. They observe change through cooking activities and seeing butterflies emerge from cocoons. Design and construction skills are fostered through free-play and children are using technology to support learning e.g. computers, cassette players.

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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 are an awareness of their own space and respecting that of others when sharing activities. Most children are meeting their own physical needs by accessing tissues, drinks and dressing for outdoor play independently. They are using a variety of tools with increasing confidence to effect change, showing a clear preference for their right or left hand. The outdoor play area is equipped well for children to develop skills in climbing, balancing, steering, hopping and ball-skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are learning to express themselves through a wide variety of media and materials. Music and singing is built into the daily routine and children enjoy participating in a repertoire of songs. Musical instruments are used to good effect to introduce sounds and rhythm. Children's imagination is being well-developed through role-play which is both themed and child-initiated. Staff take opportunities to encourage children to use all senses e.g. smelling and feeling textures such as dough.

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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 significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to the following: • implement plans to improve the range of role-play resources as a means of encouraging children to explore other cultures.

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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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