Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stowmarket

Just Learning Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY137300 Inspection date 05/01/2011 Inspector Sarah Johnson

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Setting address The Buntings, Cedars Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5GZ

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Telephone number 01449 770806 Email stowmarket@justlearning.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Just Learning Nursery registered in 2002 and is one of 72 nurseries run by Just Learning Ltd. It operates from a purpose built building situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Stowmarket, Suffolk. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 112 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 123 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, some in part-time places. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language. Care is also offered to children aged over five years, both before and after school and during school holidays. Staff escort these children to and from a local primary school.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 22 members of staff, including a cook. Of these, 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least Level 2 and two members of staff are working towards a qualification. The nursery provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children experience good levels of care and make positive progress in their learning and development. They benefit from an inclusive range of play opportunities that are planned and organised generally well to meet their individual needs and interests. There are effective procedures for keeping children safe and secure during their time at the nursery. Staff demonstrate an unquestionable commitment to working in partnership with parents and carers, prompting their involvement in their children's learning and fully valuing their views. The manager and staff team work effectively to evaluate their practice, and as a result, they have made good improvements to the provision since the last inspection.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 plan varied arrangements of equipment and resources that can be used by children in a variety of ways to maximise their curiosity and widen their learning experiences  review systems to ensure they are flexible enough to respond to and meet the needs of individual children, this particularly relates to the provision of outdoor play. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's safety is prioritised at the nursery. Staff have clear understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children from harm and give good regard to implementing the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures. The manager ensures that the staff are well-trained in safeguarding issues and have access to the information they need to follow up any concerns. There are effective systems in place for the safe recruitment of staff, and as a result, all staff and students have completed the necessary checks to confirm their suitability to be in contact with children. Robust daily risk assessment procedures are followed to ensure children's safety and security are further promoted. For example, an electronic entry system prevents unauthorised access to the nursery premises and staff are mindful to ensure that children are supervised closely at all times. The nursery environment is clean, bright and welcoming. It offers a good range of toys and

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the early years provision

resources to meet the learning needs of the children who attend.

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the early years provision

The staff are strongly dedicated to working in close partnership with parents and carers. They provide an excellent range of written and verbal information, ensuring parents are able to fully understand the expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how these are being promoted at the nursery. Parents delight in sharing their children's 'learning story' records during regular meetings with their child's key person. They also value the ongoing updates they receive via daily diaries, informative newsletters, attractive displays and photograph books. Staff create rich opportunities for parents and grandparents to be actively involved in nursery life. For example, fathers confidently visit the nursery to read stories to the children and grandparents enjoy engaging with the children's activities during 'grandparent's week'. The setting has fostered good links with the local primary schools as staff meet with teachers to discuss the needs of children who are due to

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the early years provision

move on to full-time school. The staff show commitment to identifying any child's need for additional support, sharing information with parents and interagency teams. As a result, outcomes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are good and staff take effective steps to ensure children receive the direct support they need to be fully included.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff are very keen to build upon the existing good practice at the nursery and actively seek feedback from children, parents, and local authority advisors. They work together to complete the Ofsted self-evaluation form and routinely share the new ideas they gather from various training courses. As a result of this reflective practice, the staff have a good understanding of what is working well at the nursery and have a clear idea of how they plan to improve the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well settled and enjoy their time at the warm and welcoming nursery. An effective key person system enables staff to get to know the children well and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understand their individual needs. Each of the playrooms is resourced with good quality resources that support children's learning across all areas of the curriculum. However, sometimes these resources are not presented in the most inspiring manner to maximise the children's curiosity and widen their learning experiences. For example, role play areas have very few realistic props to make younger children's imaginative play more meaningful and interesting. Children make good progress in their learning and development as staff have a clear understanding of the expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff obtain information about children's starting points from parents initially and then continue to make

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and outcomes for children

their own assessments from the observations they gather throughout the sessions. From here, they plan a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Although children are able to make choices and lead their own play, at times the organisation of the daily routine does not allow sufficient flexibility to meet their differing needs. For example, staff do not deviate from the usual daily routine to maximise opportunities for energetic children to be physically active in the outdoor environment.

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and outcomes for children

Staff skilfully challenge the children by asking them questions and encouraging their problem solving skills. For example, children count the number of children sitting at the table and work out if they have enough cups for everyone. Computers, telephones and remote control toys are available for children to help them to learn about the uses of everyday technology. Babies and younger children particularly enjoy exploring the contents of various treasure baskets, feeling the different textures of the pine cones, silk scarves and brushes. Children sit and listen attentively during story and circle times, developing confidence and language skills as they talk to the group about their experiences. From a young age they develop a strong interest in books and enjoy sitting on the comfy sofas and cushions in the book corners and sharing stories with each other. Babies express their enjoyment as the staff sing gentle songs and rhymes to them at snack time

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and outcomes for children

and they learn to join in with familiar actions. The nursery is particularly effective in promoting the communication needs of children and parents who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff take time to gather key words and phrases in children's home languages and value parent's expertise by asking them to write labels for everyday objects in the Portuguese language.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn important social skills such as being kind to each other and taking turns in their play. They are encouraged to behave appropriately in order to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they learn how to use scissors safely and remind others to use their 'walking feet' as they move around the nursery. Children learn about diversity when playing with multicultural dolls and books and learning about festivals such as Chinese New Year and Diwali. Good emphasis is placed on supporting children to lead healthy lifestyles. There are rich opportunities for them to get involved in growing different crops, which they harvest and use in cooking activities. Babies and children keenly sit together at lunch times to enjoy a healthy balanced meal, prepared fresh each day by the cook. Staff use this time to engage children in relaxed conversation and encourage them to think about the benefits of eating healthy.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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