Busy Bees Day Nursery at Preston Bamber Bridge

Busy Bees at Bamber Bridge School Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6QE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/04/2013 26/10/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Supporting children's transitions is a strength of the nursery; children have flexible settling-in sessions and have time to get to know their new key person when they move rooms. As a result, they are secure and well settled.  Pre-school children are making good progress in literacy as staff support them to recognise letters and write their name. Babies have plenty of opportunities to explore and so are becoming active, curious learners.

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It is not yet good because

 The observations some staff make of children do not effectively identify the next steps in their learning or inform the planning of future activities. Consequently, adult-led activities do not always build on what children already know and can do.  Opportunities for pre-school children to further their independence skills are not fully promoted at meal times.  Children who may require additional help are not always effectively planned for, as regular targeted support is not always fully implemented.  There are few positive images displayed and some staff have a limited understanding of how to support children's understanding of various faiths and cultures.  Methods in place for managing staff performance and induction are inconsistent. Appraisals lack specific targets to help staff understand what they need to do to improve their practice.

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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 staff and children engaged in a range of activities indoors and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with parents to gain their views and read responses to parent questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to a number of staff and examined a sample of staff records, such as recruitment details, training and performance management information.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the nursery manager, deputy manager and area quality coordinator.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample of children's learning records and enrolment forms.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees at Bamber Bridge registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of a number of nurseries run by Busy Bees Nurseries Limited and operates from a converted and extended two-storey school building. The nursery is situated in Bamber Bridge in Preston. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday, all year round from 7.30am and 6pm. There are currently 115 children on roll, 104 of whom are in the early years age range. There is a team of 31 staff to care for the children. Of these, one has Early Years Professional Status, and 23 have an early years qualification at level 2 or above. The nursery is working towards the local council's 'step into quality' award and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that children who are identified as having an additional need get regular targeted support, as advised by health professionals, in order to help them make appropriate progress

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must:

 ensure the observation and assessment of children's learning is robust by identifying the next steps in their learning; use the observations to plan for individual children, taking into account their interests and next steps.

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

 develop the monitoring of staff performance by setting specific targets to help them understand what they need to do to improve their practice, and fully implement the existing induction process

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

 extend the range of resources available to children that promote their understanding of diversity; for example, provide a range of positive images of children with a range of abilities and from a variety of cultures

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

 develop further opportunities for children to develop age-appropriate independence and make choices, for example, by encouraging them to serve themselves at snack and meal times.

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who attend

Children's learning is generally well supported across all the areas of learning. Some staff follow children's interests and interact to extend their learning. For example, in one of the pre-school rooms, children enjoy looking for bugs in the garden. Later in the day, staff plan an activity to encourage children to identify bugs using simple reference books. They draw pictures of the creatures they like and discuss the similarities and differences between them; as a result, children's interest is sustained for some time, as they learn about the natural world. Staff use this activity further to support children in learning to write their name. Staff sound out individual letters to guide children's writing and provide name cards so they can copy print. Consequently, pre-school children are making good progress in this area. However, there are weaknesses in some aspects of understanding the world. Children do not have access to a wide range of resources that promote their

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who attend

understanding of diversity. There are very few positive images displayed, and some staff have a limited understanding of how they can support children's understanding of various faiths and cultures. Babies have a wide range of resources available to them. Staff support babies' early understanding of maths; they build towers of blocks, counting out loud, before children delight in knocking them down. They provide sensory activities, such as water play and play dough, to encourage babies' developing curiosity. As a result, they are active, interested learners.

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who attend

Parents contribute to an initial assessment of their children's development when they complete a 'getting to know you' sheet on enrolment. This helps staff to develop a starting point from which they can begin to track children's progress towards the early learning goals. Staff observe older children in both group situations and individually. They then complete a planning summary sheet for each child. However, the group observations do not highlight the next steps for each child's learning, and individual observations do not identify any next steps to support children's progress. In addition, the planned activities do not always link to what has been observed. Consequently, the adult-led activities do not consistently build on what children can already do, and so do not promote learning in an effective way. Children who may require additional help are not always effectively supported. Suggestions from health professionals to help children make progress are not

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who attend

always planned for. Consequently, regular targeted support to enable children to make good progress is not evident.

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who attend

Staff are more effective in helping parents to support their child's learning at home. They provide verbal feedback each day, letting parents know what children have been interested in. They also make suggestions on an 'activities for home' sheet. Parents comment that they enjoy getting 'homework' for their child as it gives them ideas to help their children learn. As a result, children are helped to develop some of the skills and attitudes to prepare them for their next stage of learning, such as moving on to school.

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

Children begin to form warm, responsive relationships with their key person during the flexible settling-in sessions they have prior to taking up a place. Staff get to know children and find out their individual needs, likes and dislikes. For example, they provide balls for a child to play with after finding out from his parents that he enjoys kicking a ball. This helps children to settle in quickly. They complete a 'first five sessions' sheet, which tells parents what their child has been doing and how they are settling in. As children move rooms they are supported by having short visits, getting to know their new key person, before longer sessions develop into a full day in the new room. Older children getting ready to move on to school have visits from their prospective teachers and begin to learn to the skills they will need, such as getting dressed and undressed for PE lessons. Consequently, supporting children's transitions is a strength of the nursery.

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

The environment is bright and attractive. A complete refurbishment is underway, and space is being rearranged to allow pre-school children, previously using the first floor, to occupy the ground floor. This will give them easy access to the garden. All the playrooms have low-level storage which allow children to independently access the resources. As rooms are redecorated, cosy areas are developed for children to rest and play, alone or in a smaller group. This is particularly effective in the baby room, and so offers babies plenty of opportunities to explore their environment.

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

All staff are effective in helping children to learn to be safe. Children of all ages are appropriately reminded of how to care for each other and play safely. For example, babies are gently reminded not to push other babies, toddlers are encouraged not to eat the play dough, and older children are reminded to use the slide safely. When toddlers begin to run around inside, staff suggest going out for a run in the garden. As staff are good role models, children are learning to be kind to each other. For example, older children get drinks for their friends and help them find their name on the notice board. Consequently, children are developing good social skills and behave well.

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

The nursery participates in a 'be healthy week', offering a variety of activities, such as promoting physical exercise, hand washing and brushing teeth. Children have healthy meals and snacks, which include fresh fruit and vegetables, every day. They are encouraged to drink to keep themselves hydrated. As a result, children are learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Older children independently access the bathroom so they can wash their hands before eating; however, some opportunities to further their independence skills are missed. For example, at meal times, older children do not have the opportunity to serve themselves, or make a choice about what they want to eat.

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provision

The leadership team have a good knowledge of safeguarding and ensure that appropriate records are maintained. For example, registers, risk assessments and accidents. Several staff have had recent training in both first aid and safeguarding, and so are able to identify possible signs of abuse and know the agencies to contact if required. Information collected at enrolment ensures staff know each child's health and care requirements, and so understand their individual needs. As a result, children's health and safety are effectively promoted. Managers are reflective; they know the nursery's strengths and areas for development, and have consulted with parents and staff in producing an evaluation of the setting. The nursery is currently being completely refurbished and, as a result, the space will be better organised to allow all ages of children to move freely between the playrooms and the garden. Plans are also in place to further develop the

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provision

garden areas and to enable parents to evaluate the nursery using an online system.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good and the manager has utilised a number of methods to involve them in nursery life. A parent panel meet regularly and also offer support to parents who are new to the setting. Newsletters, questionnaires, text messaging and email are also used to good effect. As a result, parents comment positively about the setting; they say staff are friendly and they are kept well informed about their children's learning. The manager's commitment to working in partnership extends to outside agencies. For example, a ten-week community place scheme has been established in conjunction with the local children's centre, offering free places to help a wide range of children. In addition, children visit the local library for story sessions and staff meet with other local settings in the nursery chain. This helps staff to exchange ideas and share good practice. The manager monitors the overall development of children as there is a tracking system in

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provision

place. Groups of children are identified and tracked in all seven areas of learning. This enables the manager to consider whether there are any patterns in children's development that show some areas are stronger or weaker than others; for example, if girls regularly make more progress in communication and language than boys. Should this be the case, the manager addresses the weaknesses through additional staff training. However, the manager's methods for evaluating the observation and planning for individual children are weaker, as they are not always effective. Staff working with older children do not always use the observations and assessments to plan challenging experiences that will move them on in their learning.

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provision

Recruitment of staff is thorough and all the required information and checks are in place to ensure their suitability. A detailed company induction scheme is in place, however, it is not implemented effectively. Some staff have incomplete or non-existent induction records, and this may explain why there are some inconsistencies in staff knowledge and practice. In addition, though regular staff appraisals take place, targets set are not specific enough to help staff understand what they need to do to develop their practice. Consequently, not all staff are supported to help children make the best possible progress.

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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 503750 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 909474

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 167 Number of children on roll 115 Name of provider Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 26/10/2010 Telephone number 01772 324 644

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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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