Busy Bees Day Nursery at Warndon

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Warndon Brindley Road, Warndon, Worcester, Worcs, WR4 9FB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/04/2013 30/08/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children's needs are fully understood and exceptionally well met. The staff's highly effective information sharing with parents and others, and their thorough assessments and planning, ensure they precisely identify and promptly cater for each child's care, learning and development needs.  Babies and children and make very good progress. High priority is given to successfully enabling them to be confident, enthusiastic and resourceful learners. All children eagerly respond to the rich and varied activities, experiences and resources which staff plan and organise in stimulating surroundings.  Babies and children are nurtured and thrive in this welcoming nursery. They are helped by skilled and sensitive staff to form secure emotional attachments. It is clear that key adults are especially important to children from the way they often talk about their key person or pretend to be them.  Managers and staff are highly motivated and passionate about what they do. They

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This provision is outstanding

consistently and accurately monitor and evaluate the quality of all aspects of the nursery, including the educational programme. Children's and parents' views are important influences on the resulting well-targeted plans for improvement, such as the reorganisation and refurbishment of the premises.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the baby, first steps, toddler and pre-school rooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and the company's childcare and curriculum adviser.  The inspector spoke to the staff and children.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in other feedback from them, such as surveys.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Warndon was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register. It is one of 213 settings operated by Busy Bees Day Nurseries Ltd. The nursery operates from a two-storey building situated on a small retail park in the Warndon area of Worcester. It serves the local area. The ground floor is accessible to all children and there are stairs to the first floor. There are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play. Children help to look after the nursery's rabbit and goldfish.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, one has Early Years Professional Status, another has a foundation degree in early years, 12 staff have qualifications to at least level 3 or 4, and one has a level 2 qualification. Several staff are working towards higher qualifications. The nursery also employs an administrator, a cook and a kitchen assistant.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, closing for Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 124 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 needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance older toddlers' and pre-school children's already high levels of engagement by enabling key staff to consistently give them their uninterrupted high quality support during free-choice activities.

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who attend

Babies and children are very well supported by enthusiastic staff to become eager, focused and purposeful learners. Robust observation, assessment and tracking enable staff to have a precise understanding of each child's stage of development and learning priorities. Key persons plan accurately for each child. They offer children a rich and rewarding curriculum tailored to their needs and interests in inviting surroundings. This includes a strong focus on outside learning. Babies and children are able to pursue their interests and develop their knowledge and skills in vibrant outdoor areas. Learning in the new Forest School area has enhanced older children's physical skills, exploration and awareness of their natural surroundings, and extended their critical thinking and expressive language. Staff are usually highly skilled and successful in interacting with children and promoting their next steps during free-play and adult-led activities. They

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who attend

successfully incorporate specific programmes and prompts to help them to focus more precisely on different aspects of children's development, such as their communication skills, counting and problem solving, and coordination and movement. There is, however, scope for staff working with toddlers and pre-school children to review the organisation and management of some of the free-play sessions. Just occasionally, there are inconsistencies in the staff's normally high levels of engagement with children during such sessions, for instance, if they are distracted by attending to other children's needs.

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who attend

Babies and children confidently develop the skills and attitudes needed for the next stage in their learning, including moving on to school. In addition to consolidating all aspects of children's skills and understanding, pre-school staff adapt sessions and resources to focus more attention on aspects of school life and routines. Throughout the nursery, staff are highly effective at promoting babies' and children's listening, attention, understanding and speaking. Babies and toddlers relish staff's positive interactions with them and enjoy stories and rhymes. Older toddlers and children are confident and articulate speakers. They have many opportunities to describe and recall events and to discuss their experiences, ideas and views. Provision for children with communication and language delay or who speak English as an additional language is exemplary. Rigorous assessment and information sharing with parents and professionals, such as health visitors, speech

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who attend

and language therapists and a local language unit, enables staff to plan precisely for these children. A member of staff who is Polish provides invaluable language support for children and families who speak Polish or other Eastern European languages. All staff confidently and appropriately use other communication methods, such as signing, visual prompts and key words in children's home languages. These strategies help children to understand and to be understood, and give them the confidence to extend their interactions with others. Children are also helped to recognise and use different letters and sounds, and many are forming recognisable letters.

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who attend

Babies and children become physically confident and skilled as they balance, climb and move in different ways on a wide range of indoor and outdoor apparatus. Good use is made of various fun physical activity programmes to consolidate and extend their coordination and movement. Children relish investigating sand, water and soil, and building with different natural and recycled materials and construction toys. They become adept at using and recognising numbers for counting, comparing and for solving simple number problems. Staff extend children's critical thinking, for example, giving them clues to help them identify and find different toy animals hidden in the Forest School area. Children are imaginative and creative. They act out roles and scenarios, and very much enjoy painting and drawing. Older children complete colourful and detailed drawings, clearly describing what these represent. Younger children and a member of staff are

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who attend

absorbed as they experiment with painting their hands and various shapes which they use to make colourful patterns and marks.

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who attend

Parents and carers are fully involved in their children's learning and development. The information they provide, including family photographs, helps staff to settle children and to get to know their abilities, interests and learning styles. Key persons and parents regularly discuss children's progress and agree their next steps, including during formal reviews every six months and when staff complete two-year-old children's progress checks. Parents have access to a wealth of information about children's early learning, including opportunities to attend nursery events focusing on specific activities or an area of learning. They are given ideas of activities to follow up at home. Families also enjoy visits from the nursery's special teddy bear and help their children to report back on his adventures.

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

Babies and children thrive and are nurtured. High priority is given to promoting their comfort, care and emotional well-being. They are sensitively and effectively supported and reassured by kind, attentive staff with whom they form close attachments. Key persons are clearly important to children as they enjoy their company and talk about them. Children settle quickly and feel included because staff reflect their characteristics, backgrounds and interests and provide familiar toys during sessions. For instance, seeing family photographs and hearing familiar words in their home languages reassure babies and children. The use of signing and visual prompts for certain key words and routines, including the daily timetable, also help children to understand what is happening and they become very confident in their surroundings.

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

Staff work closely with parents, other colleagues and professionals to ensure children are well prepared emotionally for moving to another part of the nursery or on to another setting or school. When children move within the nursery they have well-planned and supported settling-in visits. Their key person makes sure staff in the child's new room or setting are fully briefed about his or her care, learning and development. Parents are also very much encouraged to contribute their views about their child at this point. Throughout the nursery staff skilfully develop babies' and children's confidence and self-control. They encourage them to make decisions about what they want to play with and organise a wealth of stimulating toys, equipment and resources for children to choose from. Meal times are used very well by staff to develop babies' and children's independence, confidence and social skills. During other routines, children become increasingly

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

independent in seeing to their self-care, dressing, toileting and good hygiene.

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

Children behave very well. They readily respond to the staff's explanations and know what is expected of them. They are encouraged to be polite and sociable and to form positive relationships with other children. Staff take prompt action to address any unkind actions or misbehaviour. They work sensitively and successfully with parents and others to use consistent, appropriate strategies to enable children to better manage their feelings and relationships. Children are also keen to take responsibility and to assist with different tasks, such as caring for the nursery rabbit and tidying up. They plant and tend flowers and vegetables, and eagerly join in food preparation and cooking activities. During these sessions, children increasingly show they know about healthy eating and good hygiene and how to safely use tools and utensils.

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provision

The nursery is led and managed by an enthusiastic, highly effective manager and her team of early years and other support staff. They work very well together to fully support children's care, learning and development, to relate well to parents and to ensure the smooth running of the nursery. Everyone is welcoming and dedicated to ensuring they offer high quality nursery provision to the children and families who attend. The staff are also fully supported by the main childcare company in maintaining consistently high standards of care and education. Highly effective staff recruitment, development and performance arrangements ensure all staff are skilled and knowledgeable. They keep up to date with good practice and attend regular relevant training. As a result, they conscientiously and competently carry out their key person roles and any additional duties, for instance, as lead practitioners for safeguarding, health and safety, special educational

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provision

needs and supporting children and families who speak English as an additional language. Regular meetings, including one-to-one supervision sessions, and mentoring from colleagues ensure all staff have prompt guidance and support in order to address any weaknesses in performance and/or to gain new skills.

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provision

Rigorous safeguarding procedures ensure that everyone working with children is suitable. The manager and staff take part in regular discussions and training about safeguarding and have comprehensive safeguarding policies and guidance to refer to. They make prompt appropriate referrals if they have concerns about a child's welfare, and work effectively with other agencies to support vulnerable children and families. Clear record keeping and the staff's open dialogue with parents and others involved with families ensure children's welfare and well-being are carefully documented and monitored. In addition, the manager and staff understand about recording and reporting any significant incidents or health issues to relevant agencies, including notifying Ofsted.

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provision

Other aspects of monitoring and evaluation are also thorough and effective. The manager and colleagues with specific lead responsibilities conscientiously monitor and evaluate children's health and safety and the quality, consistency and impact of the educational programme. All aspects of safety and security are thoroughly checked and reviewed. Risk assessments are adapted, for instance, following accidents or issues relating to supervision of children as they move around the premises. Regular thorough audits are completed by the company and the nursery manager. These, and a regularly reviewed overall evaluation of the nursery's provision, enable the manager, staff and parents to accurately assess and plan for priorities for improvement. More recent changes include the redevelopment of all outdoor areas. As part of this, an all-weather area has been created for babies, and a Forest School area has been provided to offer children more challenging experiences. All

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provision

indoor areas have also been reorganised and refurbished to create spacious, child-friendly and stimulating places for different age groups. These improvements have all enhanced children's learning, extended their choices, confidence and independence, and further stimulated their curiosity, exploration and creative thinking.

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provision

Children and parents really appreciate the close professional and caring relationships developed with managers and staff. There are highly effective arrangements for informing parents about all aspects of nursery life, and specifically their child's care, learning and development. They are encouraged to fully contribute to their child's education at nursery and at home. Their suggestions, responses to surveys and involvement in the parent partnership group influence the shaping of nursery facilities and services. For example, their feedback contributed to the nursery implementing additional ways to communicate with families and helped to guide improvements to the premises, equipment and resources.

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provision

The nursery has equally strong partnerships with other agencies. The manager and special educational needs coordinators have a sound understanding of the range and roles of different services. This facilitates prompt, accurate referrals for children with developmental delay, communication difficulties or challenging behaviour. They also support staff in confidently working with parents and other professionals to implement well-targeted individual plans and strategies, resulting in these children making consistent, positive progress in relation to their starting points.

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provision

The nursery's well-established links with local schools contribute significantly to children's smooth transitions into full-time education. The nursery prepares comprehensive transition documents for teachers. These include a current assessment of each child's development and the parents' and child's views about his or her characteristics, skills and attitude to learning. Teachers are invited to come to the nursery to meet the children and their key persons. Parents are given guidance on preparing their children for school. Staff also plan and organise additional activities, displays and experiences, focusing on different aspects of school life and routines. These include PE sessions and organising pre-school lunchtimes to be more like a school's lunchtime. On occasions, children also bring in a packed lunch instead of having a cooked meal. Pictures of different schools, staff and uniforms are discussed and displayed. Key persons of children with special educational

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provision

needs and/or disabilities may also accompany them on school visits.

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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 205403 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 909811

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 112 Number of children on roll 124 Name of provider Busy Bees Day Nurseries (Trading) Limited Date of previous inspection 30/08/2011 Telephone number 01905 759 001

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Type of provision

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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