Bumble Bee Nursery School

The Bumble Bee School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY406441 Inspection date 13/06/2011 Inspector Josephine Geoghegan

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Setting address The Bumble Bee School, The Crypt, Church of the Ascension, Pountney Road, London, SW11 5TU Telephone number 01622833331 Email suzanne@thekindergartens.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.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

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

Bumble Bee School has been established since 1987 and was re-registered by the Kindergarten Limited in 2011. The school is situated in the Battersea area of the London borough of Wandsworth and is within walking distance of Clapham Common and transport links in and around Clapham Junction. The school is open each weekday during term time. They offer sessions from 9am to 12.15pm and 1pm to 4pm on Monday and Friday and operate all day 9am to 4pm from Tuesday to Thursday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The school is based in a church building, occupying the crypt in the basement area and a further classroom on the ground floor. A secure outdoor play area is provided within the basement grounds, and children also have occasional access to an adjacent church garden. The school is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 38 children at any one time, of these, no children may be under two years. There are currently 42

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Description of the setting

children on roll in the early years age range. The school receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children. The setting currently supports who speak English as an additional language. The school is privately owned and is one of a chain of nurseries run by the provider. There is a team of ten staff, of whom, eight staff hold recognised early years qualifications including staff who have achieved Early Years Professional Status, teaching qualifications and Montessori diplomas. In addition, four peripatetic teachers attend to work with the children on a weekly basis for music and movement, dance, yoga and drama sessions. The school offers both traditional and Montessori teaching methods.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Excellent systems are in place to ensure the needs of all children are met effectively. The educational programme is exemplary as staff plan a balance of challenging activities and outings that promote all areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage along with the Montessori teaching programme they follow. The two teaching methods used successfully enhance and consolidate children's learning and they make excellent progress. The capacity to maintain continuous improvement is excellent; as methods of evaluating the quality of the service are embedded in staff practice; self-evaluation incorporates some of the views of service users and action for improvement has excellent results. Strong leadership and management structures ensure staff responsibilities are clear and create a motivating environment where children's welfare, learning and development are nurtured.

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further?

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extending the methods used for seeking the views of parents to support the process of self-evaluation.

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the early years provision

High regard is given to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. Staff have attended appropriate training and safeguarding policies and procedures are in place which are easily accessible; this ensures that staff are able to take prompt action if they have any concerns regarding children's welfare. Robust systems are in place to ensure the ongoing suitability of all staff, for example, appropriate vetting checks, induction programmes and ongoing systems of appraisal. Children's welfare is also safeguarded through appropriate use of all required documentation, such as records of attendance of children, staff and visitors, along with records of any accidents or medication administered. Highly effective systems are in place to promote children's safety while in the setting and on outings. For example, children follow well established routines while using the stone spiral staircase and wear high visibility tabards while walking on local outings. In addition, thorough

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the early years provision

risk assessments are conducted by staff, along with daily health and safety checks.

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the early years provision

Promoting equality and diversity is embedded in staff practice as staff ensure they are aware of children's individual needs and family backgrounds. They help children learn about cultures and beliefs through well planned activities and frequent outings in the local diverse community. In addition, children use a range of books and resources that promote positive images of people in the community and help them learn about the world. Staff have completed appropriate training to ensure the needs of any children who have identified special educational needs and/or disabilities are catered for effectively and inclusion is continuously promoted. Excellent educational programmes and methods of assessment of children's progress ensure any gaps in children's learning are minimised.

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the early years provision

Deployment of resources is exceptionally well managed. Staff provide activities and outings that reflect all areas of learning while showing regard to the Montessori teaching methods and use of Montessori equipment. They make excellent use of time and space, enabling children to be purposefully engaged in a broad range of activities that support their learning. This includes activities with peripatetic teachers which enhance the educational programmes effectively.

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the early years provision

Staff have established excellent relationships with parents along with continuous methods of information sharing, such as the home contact books; as a result, seamless links are developing between children's care and learning at the nursery and at home. In addition, parents are offered regular information via news letters and attend open evenings to discuss their children's progress. Parents are also involved in a management committee who share information and help plan events with the manager. However, the seeking of parents' views to support the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 evaluation of the quality of the whole provision is less well established. All staff are able to contribute to the self evaluation of the service that is completed by the provider, as a result, the evaluation is accurate and shows the clear drive and ambition of all staff to provide high quality care. In addition, staff use methods of

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the early years provision

continuous reflective practice, such as completing daily evaluations of the educational programmes, holding regular meetings and participating in observations of their teaching practice by the head teacher.

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the early years provision

Highly effective partnerships are being established with local schools which support children's transitions to their future educational settings. In addition, the staff work highly successfully with other settings children attend, sharing information about children's progress so as to ensure that the experiences children receive here enhance those they receive elsewhere. Good links with the local authority are established. By working in partnership with the local authority team the management and staff were able to ensure that the change of ownership of the provision did not have any adverse effects on the children and families.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with an excellent learning environment where the meticulous use of space and attention to detail ensures every area within the setting is used to promote children's learning. Children have access to a broad range of good quality toys and resources that promote all areas of learning and include a range of Montessori learning materials. Vibrant displays of children's creative work, along with displays and photographs that relate to activity themes and lots of written words and numbers create a stimulating environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with an excellent balance of learning opportunities that include free play and adult led activities, group times, outdoor play and outings; as a result children are active learners and participate enthusiastically in all activities. Assessments of children's progress are used consistently by staff; their observations of children's progress relate to all areas of learning and show an excellent track record of children's learning and development attainment over time. Staff use their observations, along with photographs and samples of children's work to clearly identify their learning priorities; they then add this information to the lesson plans so that children's individual learning needs are catered for effectively. Planning of the educational programme is highly effective as staff use a theme to create a focus of interest for children's learning and plan regular outings and events. They are also mindful of the limitations of their outside play area and

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and outcomes for children

so provide regular outings to the local park so that older children can use more challenging climbing apparatus. Outings and events are organised that relate to the theme which help children to consolidate their learning. In addition, children enjoy the extra curricular activities provided by peripatetic teachers. For example, children listen well and make good attempts at following the movements of the yoga teacher, developing their physical skills of agility and balance. They join in enthusiastically with the music and movement session and learn about moving in response to rhythm and sounds. Overall, children have excellent opportunities to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 adopt healthy lifestyles as they participate in these numerous activities that promote their physical skills and enable them to gain regular exercise and fresh air. Children's awareness of healthy lifestyles is also enhanced as they develop healthy

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and outcomes for children

eating habits. For example, they enjoy the relaxed snack time where they sit in small groups and make healthy choices of the foods that they would like to eat, including a good range of healthy snacks and fresh fruit. Children's individual dietary needs are known and staff show high regard to maintaining good food safety standards. The small group of children who attend all day bring home packed lunches and develop their social skills as they sit and eat with staff while discussing the events of the day. Well established routines are followed by staff and children that help stop the spread of infection, such as good hand washing and children know why such routines are important.

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and outcomes for children

Staff provide excellent levels of support to children during play; they follow children's interests well while extending their learning through challenging questions and encouragement of children's achievements. Children are exceptionally well behaved. They follow the daily routines well and show a positive contribution to their learning environment. For example, they use resources purposefully and take responsibility for putting them away after use. They also play cooperatively and share and take turns during play, developing their social skills. Children are helped to feel safe as they participate in evacuation drills on a regular basis, enabling them to become familiar with emergency procedures. They also show a clear awareness of safety and expectations of their behaviour while they are on the premises and during outings. Children show excellent relationships with staff and each other; they freely approach staff if they are upset and enjoy

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and outcomes for children

lots of cuddles, helping them to feel safe. In addition, older children show a good sense of belonging as they talk about the children who are not at school today and say goodbye as they leave the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children's levels of enjoyment and achievement are outstanding. They make full use of the time that they attend, moving freely as they participate enthusiastically in all activities. Children use language effectively to express real and imagined experiences. Older children show confidence as they speak in a familiar group. For example, during circle time children discuss the theme with enthusiasm as they name the planets and describe what they look like. Children enjoy listening to stories read by staff. They use writing for a variety of purposes and older children are able to write well formed letters and numbers. Children develop their free creative expression as they use a range of paint, collage and drawing materials. The skilful presentation and organisation of resources enables children to be inspired and become fully engrossed in role play. For example, they use space helmets and steering wheels while watching the computer programme about the

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and outcomes for children

planets and they re-enact real life experiences as they use the home corner and use real soil, pots and flowers in 'the flower shop'. Children show excellent counting skills along with good problem solving skills as they use the weighing scales for example. They show confidence as they use the computer and operational toys independently, developing their awareness of technology. Children have excellent opportunities to learn about nature and living things as they watch the caterpillars transform into butterflies and then release them into the local community. They also look after the vast amount of fruit and vegetables that they are growing in the outside play area. Overall, children have outstanding This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 opportunities to develop their skills for the future. They are happy, settled and interested to learn; as a result they use their time productively to enhance their

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and outcomes for children

skills in all areas of learning. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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