Busy Bees Day Nursery at Birmingham Dartmouth Circus

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Birmingham, Aston Richard Street, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B7 4AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/02/2013 06/12/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children enjoy their time at this welcoming and friendly nursery and make good progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  A well-established key person system and effective partnerships with parents help children form secure attachments, which promotes their well-being effectively. Practitioners have a warm rapport with the children and this ensures they feel safe and develop a sense of belonging.  The nursery fulfils its responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements; potential risks to children are minimised through effective safeguarding and risk assessment procedures.  There are good systems in place to evaluate and reflect upon practice and set plans for improvement. Well-targeted action plans and close monitoring of the educational programme are evident.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for older children to further extend their exploration and investigation skills and maintain their interest in the role play area have yet to be fully extended.  Opportunities for encouraging younger children to extend their play and learning by exploring natural resources and materials are not yet fully embraced.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in four playrooms and children having their lunchtime meal. The outdoor area was observed but not used by the children on the day of the inspection because of the hazardous weather conditions.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager, the childcare and curriculum adviser, and talked to practitioners during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, a range of policies and record keeping procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Nursery at Birmingham, Aston was registered in 1997 on the Early Years Register. It is one of a chain of nurseries and operates from a purpose-built, single-storey building in the Aston area of Birmingham. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are four playrooms where children are cared for based on their age and stage of development, and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 66 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year- olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop further the educational programmes for understanding the world and expressive art and design in the pre-school room by introducing equipment, such as magnifying glasses, torches and natural resources to enhance children's exploration and investigation skills, and enhancing the role play equipment in the home corner to maintain their interest

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 build on the learning experiences for younger children to use all their senses by extending the use of natural resources and materials in their play, for example, through the use of treasure baskets.

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who attend

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. Children's enthusiasm for learning and the secure progress they make is enhanced by practitioners who have a good understanding of how to engage and capture children's interests. All children are given time to explore, play at their own pace and make their own discoveries. Practitioners have a good knowledge of each child's learning and development needs and keep themselves up to date with their changing interests. They use the information gained from their observations effectively to plan activities to help children move forward in their learning. The planning and assessment system has been revised to incorporate the new areas of learning and take into account the new progress check at age two. Children's progress is carefully monitored and any gaps in their learning are identified and planned for.

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who attend

Practitioners work very closely with parents during the settling-in sessions to gain an insight into each child's starting points in their learning. They use a comprehensive and useful form called 'Getting to know your child', which supports this process very effectively. Children's achievements are shared with parents through regular discussions. Practitioners share a development summary report at parents evening, which gives parents an overview of their child's progress. This is also used as an opportunity to talk about children's planned next steps in learning so that parents can support their learning at home. Interaction between practitioners and children is good and this promotes children's sense of security and belonging. During activities, practitioners listen with interest to what children say and give them time to share what they are thinking. There is a strong focus on promoting children's personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

Children show they are familiar with the daily routines, and practitioners foster their independence skills well. Children are given choices about what they would like to do. They are helped to learn and understand the rules for being together with others, for example, listening to each other, helping to tidy up, sharing and using good manners.

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who attend

The nursery places a good emphasis on developing younger children's communication and language skills through positive interactions. Practitioners emphasise and repeat new words while looking at picture books and sing rhymes to help children's language development. Each room has a comfy book area or den, which helps children develop a love of books and relax while they listen to stories. Older children sit and look through their basket of 'special books' which contains a collection of their favourite stories. They also enjoy listening to stories using the headphones, and take part in a range of activities to focus their understanding of letters and sounds. All children in the nursery have good opportunities to practise their early writing skills from a young age, as they make marks with paint, manipulate dough and explore the properties of sand. Younger children thoroughly enjoy the foot printing activity and confidently join in with practitioners to

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who attend

observe their 'big' and 'little' footprints. Practitioners take effective action to extend and incorporate children's favourite toys, such as using cars in paint and sand to make marks and prints.

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who attend

Every opportunity is used to promote children's mathematical skills. Children are involved in cooking activities where they weigh and measure the ingredients. Younger children count the bricks they use to build a 'big tower' and like it when it crashes down. Older children share their knowledge of numbers and counting when they choose a beanbag, count the spots or recognise the number. All children use a range of art and craft materials to foster their skills in expressive art and design. They have good opportunities to use their imagination as they play with a range of small world resources, such as farm animals, cars and construction. Babies and younger children like to investigate using a wide range of electronic resources where they learn to twist, push and turn knobs. Children's understanding of the world is fostered through discussions and activities about different festivals and celebrations throughout the year, for example, St. Valentine's Day

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who attend

and Chinese New Year. Children's physical development is supported effectively. They have opportunities to play in the garden, babies have plenty of space to crawl and move around safely, and older children enjoy their 'wake up, shake up' session where they enjoy stretching and jumping to the music.

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who attend

The thoughtfully planned playrooms create enabling environments for all ages of children to promote their independence and engage them in purposeful play. While the provision is well resourced overall, there is scope to enhance the learning environment in some areas to enable children to make further choices to extend their enjoyment and achievement. For example, equipment, such as magnifying glasses and torches to enhance the pre- school children's exploration and investigation skills, has not been introduced and role play equipment in the home corner is not enhanced to maintain children's interest. Furthermore, there are fewer opportunities for younger children to use all their senses through the use of natural resources and materials in their play, such as treasure baskets. Overall, children are supported well to acquire the skills and capacity to develop and learn, and be ready for the next stages in their learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children benefit from being cared for in this friendly, child-centred nursery where their well-being is prioritised. The successful implementation of the key person system and the effective deployment of practitioners ensure that all children form secure emotional attachments. This provides a strong base for babies' developing independence and exploration, and for all children, developing their skills for future learning. Children arrive at the nursery and separate easily from their parents and carers. Close attention is given to each child's care experiences and this has a positive impact on their well-being. All children, from the very youngest baby, show a strong sense of belonging within the provision. Practitioners provide children with calming experiences throughout the day, such as cuddles and storytime, and they sit on the floor, which makes it easier for children to seek comfort when needed.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children get on well together and their behaviour is very good. All children are settled; they move around the setting with confidence, contribute well to group discussions and make choices about the resources they would like to play with. Children's behaviour is sensitively managed and reflects the high expectations of practitioners. They provide clear boundaries and explanations reflecting the 'Our values' principles, which are displayed in each room. Practitioners praise children for their achievements and this helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem, making them feel good about themselves. Good arrangements are in place when children move rooms within the setting, making sure the key person is knowledgeable about each child's needs, interests and parents' preferences. This helps to ensure a smooth transition.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Inclusion is given good attention and every child and their family is warmly welcomed and respected. Well-established multi-agency links provide access to specialist knowledge and skills. This enables the successful inclusion of children with any special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure they have the necessary support to help them achieve well. Children and families who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively. The setting records key words in a child's own language to help support their needs and communication skills. Caring practitioners work well together; they know the children well and have a good knowledge of their individual needs and unique characteristics. Good attention is given to promoting equality and diversity. Children are helped to develop an understanding of differences within society through the use of resources reflecting positive images of culture, gender and disability.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's welfare is promoted well and they benefit from good levels of supervision and attention. Effective systems are in place covering all aspects of children's care, including the recording of accidents and any medication administered. Children develop a good knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Healthy eating is a priority and children enjoy a well-balanced, nutritious lunch cooked by the nursery chef. Children understand the importance of following good personal hygiene routines and wash their hands before eating meals. Their understanding of safety is supported as practitioners help them to use resources and equipment in a safe way, and they take part in regular emergency evacuation drills.

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provision

Leadership and management of the setting is good. They are fully committed to improvement and continually strive to ensure that all children achieve well across all aspects of their learning and development. They have embraced the recent changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and have well-targeted plans for improvement in place through the use of self-evaluation and reflective practice. The setting works well in partnership with the local authority with regard to improving the quality of the provision, and their organisation, who conduct regular quality audits. The management team have good systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of the educational programme and work with practitioners to analyse the quality of teaching, planning and assessment. The arrangements for supervision, appraisals and professional development are well considered, with opportunities for practitioners to undertake training and enhance their

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provision

Safeguarding children is given good attention because staff have a secure understanding of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. They demonstrate a good level of commitment to promoting children's safety and well- being. Children's health and safety is enhanced by the robust and consistent implementation of policies and procedures that ensure the safe and efficient management of the provision. This includes effective recruitment and vetting procedures, and comprehensive risk assessments which cover all aspects of the premises. Staff are vigilant about arrival and collection procedures, and good security precautions contribute to children's safety. All visitors are required to produce identification before entering the building and sign a visitors book. The actions and recommendation from the previous inspection have been implemented effectively, improving outcomes for children's well-

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provision

being and safety, demonstrating a strong commitment to ongoing improvement.

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provision

The nursery recognises the importance of smooth transition arrangements for children to ensure their individual care and learning needs are fully supported. They make links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage and support children when they move on to their next phase in learning. Children benefit from good partnerships with parents and the key person system supports the engagement with parents effectively. Parents' views are valued and sought through ongoing discussions and the use of a questionnaire. It is clear from their responses that they fully appreciate what this setting achieves for their children, the safe environment and the 'extremely helpful practitioners'. Parents are well informed about the provision and receive a good level of information, some of which is displayed on notice boards in the setting. Parents are able to contribute to their child's learning journal with their observations from home to support children's continuity of care

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 229181 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 901688

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 79 Number of children on roll 66 Name of provider Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 06/12/2010 Telephone number 0121 333 3733

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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