Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford, Manton Lane, BEDFORD, Bedfordshire, MK41 7NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/04/2013 03/02/2009

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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

 Partnerships with parents are exceptionally good. They have practical opportunities to update their child's assessments and are offered information that supports them in extending their child's learning at home. Children's assessments are therefore, well- informed and their development is promoted.  The manager supports practitioners in assessing children and making good use of their interests to inform the planning. Children are therefore, interested, motivated and eager to play and learn.  Sensitive praise and encouragement from practitioners mean that children's self-esteem is promoted. This supports them in developing a positive attitude to future learning.  Children's language and communication skills are promoted well. Children who use English as an additional language are supported in developing and extending their vocabulary and in making good progress in their overall development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is further scope to develop the practice with babies and young children, to fully support them in exploring, thinking and communicating.  Some daily routines do not fully support the promotion of children's independence and the development of their self-care skills.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 in all main rooms and in the outside areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the nursery manager and the Childcare and Curriculum Adviser for Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited, and carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector talked with children present.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and through their written feedback to the setting.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford, Manton Lane, was registered in 2002 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises on the northern outskirts of Bedford, and is managed by Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited. The nursery serves the local and neighbouring areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from nine main rooms and there are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 14 hold qualifications at level 3 or above.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 116 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of 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:

 enhance the opportunities for babies and younger children to explore, think and communicate before practitioners intervene, making greater use of sensitive questioning and open-ended resources and activities for this age group

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

 extend the daily routines so that these fully support the promotion of children's independence.

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who attend

Practitioners get to know children well as there are good procedures to gather information from their parents. They ensure that children are offered consistent support and their individual needs are met. Children are therefore, secure and keen to play and explore,therefore, promoting the development of a positive approach to learning. Practitioners are confident in their knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well supported by managers. They encourage children to determine their own play, offering encouragement when needed. For example, children have time to use the junk modelling materials to make their own models. A practitioner then encourages them to talk about what they have made. They go on to pretend the models are rockets and the practitioner encourages them to count down from five to 'blast off'.

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who attend

Children are supported well in acquiring the skills to learn effectively and to achieve because practitioners model a positive approach to learning and encourage children to experiment. For example, older children weigh play dough and talk about the different quantities. A practitioner then wonders what will happen if they add more dough. Children do this and note the higher number on the scales. Children are interested and stimulated because practitioners note their interests and incorporate these into the planning. For example, when practitioners note that children enjoy looking at travel brochures, they suggest 'going on holiday'. The children eagerly organise the chairs to make a bus and talk about the bus taking them to the seaside. This is then extended as the practitioners talk with children about transforming the role play area into a beach.

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who attend

Older children have very good opportunities to explore and develop their ideas and thoughts. For example, they enjoy working together to gather resources to act out a favourite story. They go on to tell the story using their props and are so captivated that they decide to repeat the activity. However, babies and younger children are not always fully encouraged to explore and to start to develop their thoughts and early communication. For example, practitioners ask open-ended questions but do not always give children sufficient time to think and so answer for them. Some of the activities for this age group do not encourage children's full exploration and so do not extend their development to the optimum.

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who attend

Children develop good language and communication skills. Practitioners use their knowledge of the children to engage them in discussions about familiar people or favourite activities. They encourage children to listen to each other and to take turns in conversations. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who use English as an additional language are well supported in participating meaningfully in activities. For example, practitioners make picture prompts to aid communication and to ensure that children understand the resources and activities offered each day.

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who attend

Thorough observations and tracking mean that practitioners have a good understanding of each child's developmental stage and can check that all children are making good progress. Flexible activity planning is soundly based on children's needs and interests. Key persons assess children's progress and plan their next steps. These are then fed into the planning and are re-evaluated to check on progress. Practitioners review the planning to ensure that children are offered balanced opportunities in all areas of learning. They also ensure that children can play independently and participate in structured activities. Children therefore, take an active role in their learning and learn to work in partnership with others.

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who attend

Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that promote their physical development. For example, they enjoy the nursery's daily 'wake and shake' sessions, where they develop skills in balance and coordination as they stretch and move in time to music. Children are offered a variety of opportunities to learn about diversity. For example, they make their own displays depicting the children in each room. They go on to discuss being unique, looking at the different languages they speak and adding information about their favourite toys and activities. There are clear systems to assess children's starting points and practitioners work in partnership with parents to obtain this information. The very good communication with parents means that they have frequent opportunities to share updates about their children. They are also very well supported in extending their child's learning at home. For example, key persons use current assessment

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who attend

and planning information to devise individual 'activities at home' sheets for each child.

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

The key person system is used well to support good partnership working with parents, helping to ensure that children feel secure and form good relationships with practitioners. Key persons monitor children and get to know them well, making sure that they are happy and settled. Resources are accessible and organised well. Children are encouraged to explore these and to express their preferences, thoughts and ideas. This supports them in developing a positive approach to future learning and prepares them well for the transition to school.

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

Children's self-esteem is promoted as practitioners value their contributions and offer them praise for efforts and achievements. Practitioner's good role modelling and their ongoing explanations help children build a clear understanding of their behaviour and how this affects others. Children work well together and happily share toys and resources. New children settle well because key persons work with parents to find out about their needs, interests and usual routines, incorporating these into the daily planning. For example, babies sleep and feed according to their home routines. Thoughtful procedures mean that children's transitions within the setting are comfortable. For example, children visit their new room for short periods of time before moving up. Parents are given clear information at this time and are involved in the process. This means that they feel confident, which, in turn, enables their children to feel secure and reassured.

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

Thoughtful activities and ongoing discussions enable children to understand and respect the needs of others. For example, older children refer to their 'feelings' display to help them express their own feelings and think about other people's feelings. Children's independence is generally promoted and they learn self-care skills. For example, they collect and put on their own coats before going outside to play. However, some daily routines do not fully promote children's independence. For example, children are not always encouraged to fetch tissues and wipe their own noses and older children are not consistently encouraged to pour their own drinks. Children are offered good opportunities to learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, children aged two to three -years old participate in the 'ten steps for healthy toddlers' initiative. They learn about healthy eating as they make dishes, such as, fresh fruit salad, and learn about wider

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

issues, such as why it is important to exercise and walk daily. Good daily practice and ongoing explanations from practitioners support children in gaining a practical understanding of safety issues. For example, during role play, children and practitioners talk about the danger of hot ovens.

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provision

The manager and provider demonstrate a good understanding of the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All areas are monitored in order to check that the nursery meets the requirements and is successfully promoting children's health, welfare and development. The manager sets high standards and acts as a good role model. The thorough monitoring of practitioners' performance gives the manager and provider a clear understanding of their daily work. They therefore, support practitioners well in developing their practice. For example, annual appraisals highlight training needs and are used to inform personal development plans. The setting's thorough self-evaluation covers all areas of work and includes the views of children and parents. The manager therefore, has a comprehensive picture of the strengths and areas for improvement. This information is used to inform the development of action plans that lead

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provision

to improvements in the provision for children. For example, each base room has clear plans that are pertinent to that room. These include improvements, such as clearly labelling all storage areas so that children can see what is available and make choices about their play. The setting's thoughtful involvement with their community, such as, their provision of a toddler group, means that they are aware of local needs and resources and can plan accordingly.

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provision

The manager works with key persons to collate information about each child's progress in every area of learning. She regularly reviews this information to ensure that the setting offers children a wide range of experiences that support their good progress towards the early learning goals. Practitioners are experienced in working with other professionals in order to support children and their families. For example, they work with community health visitors and the local children's centre. There are also thorough procedures for sharing information with others caring for the children. For example, practitioners contact pre-schools in order to share assessment and planning information and therefore, promote a consistent approach to promoting children's development. The very good partnerships with parents mean that they are kept well informed of their child's progress and activities. For example, they attend regular parents' evenings and receive frequent newsletters and

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provision

summaries of their child's progress. This partnership working is further extended as the 'Parent Partnership Group' means that parents are fully involved in reviewing the nursery's work and in making decisions.

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provision

Children's welfare is well promoted because arrangements for safeguarding are thorough. Robust procedures ensure that practitioners are suitable to work with children. All practitioners complete effective induction training and this covers all safeguarding and health and safety issues. Practitioners therefore, demonstrate a good understanding of the process to follow should they have any concerns about a child. Correct staff ratios are maintained at all times and there is a rigorous system in place to ensure that these are maintained throughout the day. Practitioners have attended appropriate paediatric first aid training. All accidents are recorded and efficiently reviewed. In addition, the provider continuously reviews all health and safety procedures and associated risk assessments with the manager and staff team, ensuring that risks are minimised or removed. This is further supported on a daily basis by ongoing monitoring and regular safety checks. This

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provision

means that children play safely and enjoy their time. They therefore, have a positive childcare experience that forms a good base for their future learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary 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 EY236804 Local authority Bedford Borough Inspection number 908839

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 116 Name of provider Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 03/02/2009 Telephone number 01234 216768

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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

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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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