Busy Bees Day Nursery at Basingstoke Hospital

Just Learning Nursery The Crescent, Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9NJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/04/2013 12/08/2009

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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

 The nursery has friendly, welcoming staff who promote positive and trusting relationships with children and parents.  Children benefit from a broad range of resources and can choose to play indoors or outdoors, which allows them to initiate their own play and ideas.  Arrangements to support children as they prepare to move to different nursery rooms and on to school are very effective and therefore support children's readiness for the next stage in their learning.  The management team provides an effective role model to the staff team. Processes to support staff development are strong, which in turn promote skills to benefit children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Fewer opportunities are available for children to extend their independence at meal times and when accessing the bathroom.  Staff sometimes miss opportunities to lower background noise and create a calm atmosphere, which slightly reduces children's ability to communicate to others, listen and concentrate.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and play experiences available to children.  The inspector observed interactions between children and with the staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector asked staff questions about their work and observed practice with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to some parents about their views and opinions about the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the nursery's documentation and children's development records.

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Information about the setting

Just Learning Nursery opened in 1999. The nursery is part of a national chain of nurseries. It operates from five rooms in purpose-built premises in the grounds of Basingstoke Hospital. There is access to secure gardens for outside play. The nursery serves a large area of the community. The nursery opens five days a week all year round, from 7am to 6pm. It is registered on the Early Years Register and also the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery cares for a maximum of 100 children aged under eight years at any one time and there are currently 142 early years children. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 29 staff, of these staff, 11 have early years qualifications to National

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Information about the setting

Vocational Qualification Level 3 or equivalent and four to National Vocational Qualification level 2.

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

 help children to concentrate by limiting noise and making spaces visually calm and orderly especially within the pre-school room

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

 extend children's growing independence by; providing opportunities for them to help serve themselves at meal times and through open access to the bathroom area.

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who attend

Children are happy and content at nursery. They enjoy a wide range of toys, resources and activities, which are used to support and promote their learning and development effectively. Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They plan effectively, which promotes children's learning and supports their individual needs. Staff complete detailed observations and assessments on the children, which are based on their starting points at entry and ongoing achievements. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from effective support. The special needs co-ordinator puts in place individual education plans for children, which in turn promote their learning and development strongly. The key person system encourages relationships with parents, who contribute to children's assessments and in particular the progress check completed

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who attend

when children are aged between two and three years. This partnership working helps to actively support children's individual needs and learning.

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who attend

Children's communication and language are developing well. Most children listen well and remain attentive. They respond to questions, contribute to discussions when invited and focus for long periods of time on their chosen activities. For example, when building train tracks across obstacles. However, on occasions, background noise in some of the base rooms in which children play, overpowers children's imaginary play and prevents them from hearing peers or being heard. Children in all rooms are confident communicators; they express their feelings well through gestures and verbal communication. Younger children, including babies babble happily and respond to staff through facial expressions of delight.

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who attend

Children benefit from the free-flow, inside to outside play environment. They experience a range of stimulating and challenging activities, which meets the needs of all ages. Physical development is very well promoted inside the nursery as well as children enjoy dancing to a 'wake and shake' program. This is a nursery incentive, used to promote children's co- ordination by moving and dancing to music. Throughout the nursery the children enjoy a wide range of creative materials to enable them to develop their exploration skills in arts and crafts. For example, painting, gluing and sculpturing. All children have daily opportunities to explore sand and water. This helps children explore media and gain an understanding of volume and measurements as they dig for treasure and fill up and empty their buckets with the sand.

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who attend

Children of all ages independently use programmable toys; older children have access to computers and electronic robots which develop their understanding of the world. Children are developing good early writing skills. They freely access mark-making resources in their playrooms and in the garden. Staff encourage children to write their names; they start to sound out letters and write their names correctly in preparation for school.

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

Children have developed warm bonds with the staff who are good role models. Overall, the well-established key person system helps children to form secure attachments, while promoting their well-being. The staff settle and support new children well, meeting their individual needs and providing them with warm caring attention. Children develop friendships with each other throughout the setting; they play cooperatively together and clearly enjoy the company of their peers. For example, a group of children play imaginatively together with the small dolls, dressing them up and then taking them for a bath in the water. Overall the nursery is welcoming and provides areas for the children to relax and play imaginatively.

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

Children behave very well throughout the day and benefit from the warm praise and encouragement they receive from staff. This supports children's good levels of self- esteem. Staff are well deployed and give clear guidance to children about the behavioural expectations for the setting. As a result, children are learning respect for one another and play in harmony within their environment. Children learn about their own safety. For example, during regular evacuation drills, and through gentle reminders from staff. Children enjoy what they do and thrive within a stimulating, well-resourced and inclusive environment, indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy spending time outside in the well- equipped play areas. They enjoy playing on the climbing frames, in the play train and have access to a large digging area. Older children help with conducting the risk assessments for the gardens, which promotes their understanding of safety. Children

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

understand the need to put on coats and boots before playing outside and most of the older children can do this with limited guidance from staff.

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

Children benefit from a well balanced healthy diet at the nursery. The qualified cook prepares healthy and nutritious snacks and meals for the children. Children enjoy a selection of fresh fruit at snack times, which they serve for themselves; however this independence is not fully incorporated at lunch times. Children each have labelled drinking bottles that are available at all times and they help themselves to drinks, as they wish. Formulated milk and bottles for babies and toddlers are clearly labelled. The staff are alert and conscientiously ensure all feeds, including milk parents supply are clearly labelled and vigorous checks are made to ensure milk given to the children is appropriate. This safeguards the children, while minimising risk of cross infection and allergies effectively. Children with special dietary needs are well supported as individual key workers put on red aprons and stay with the children while they eat their meals. This ensures that there is no

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

risk of children eating food that is unsuitable for them. Children are encouraged to manage their personal needs and hygiene routines. For example younger children are given wet wipes to develop their coordination in wiping their hands. Older children have access to the bathroom facilities; however locks on doors prevent them from accessing this area independently.

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

Children gain a good sense of belonging as they have named pegs and art work and pictures of themselves displayed throughout the nursery. Children use a good range of stimulating resources, such as modern technology equipment, role play toys and construction. Toys and resources are stored at a low level, which allows children to help themselves to items. In addition pictures and word labels are used on toy boxes to show children what is available. This allows the children to gain an understanding that print carries meaning, while supporting them in making independent choices.

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provision

The nursery's leadership and management team fully understand their responsibilities to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All required policies are in place and available for parents within the lobby area. Staff attend regular in-house training and reflect continually on policies and procedures to ensure that they are fully up- to-date. All staff are provided with a supportive supervision, coaching and appraisal system; this helps to enhance their knowledge, skills and ability to effectively promote the outcomes for children. Overall, staff demonstrate a strong awareness of how to safeguard children. They fully acknowledge their responsibilities to protect children and understand the procedures to take should they have a concern about a child or another member of staff's practice in their care. Robust risk assessments are completed regularly, covering the main building and garden area. These identify potential hazards and how to minimise

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provision

them. Daily checks have become more rigorous after staff found that they had failed to remove all animal excrement from the bark play area on one occasion. The action taken to minimise risks promotes children's safety, as the environment in which they play is suitable and fit for its purpose. Recruitment procedures are robust. References and checks are sought prior to employment to help ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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provision

The nursery uses effective systems to reflect on the provision of care they offer to children. For example, they have regular in-house audit processes and use the Ofsted online evaluation form to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the provision. Staff and parents inform the processes to evaluate the success of nursery practice, and determine future priorities for improvement.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents are in place. At the inspection, parents spoke highly of the 'good quality staff' and 'purposeful activities that their children undertake'. A wealth of information is available to parents. This includes a parent information pack, welcome room leaflets with individual information about staff, qualifications and experience. Parents are welcome to join the parents' forum and benefit from the information on display, such as 'what do the seven areas of learning mean'. Parents receive consistent feedback about their children's progress through discussions and through parents' evenings. Other forms of information such as newsletters and emails promote the continuity in care for children's learning. The nursery staff work very closely with other professionals involved in children's care, for example, additional carers and professionals who support individual children. This

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provision

support enables the staff to meet the children's individual needs and support them in making good progress in relation to their starting points.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 action. 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 110039 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 912202 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 142 Name of provider Just Learning Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/08/2009 Telephone number 01256 474442

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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