Busy Bees Day Nursery at Norwich Thorpe

Just Learning Nursery Northside Road, St. Andrews Business Park, NORWICH, Norfolk, NR7 0HT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 22/06/2011

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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

 Younger babies thrive in this nursery because staff have fully engaged in research and training to enhance babies sensory development.  All children's communication and language development is supported very well because staff specifically have a sharp focus on children who speak English as an additional language.  Children achieve well because staff closely monitor their progress and provide exciting and challenging activities.  Children learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through well planned activities, visits from the dentist and through their daily routines.  Children enjoy continuity because the nursery have formed very strong partnerships and links with parents, other professional agencies and settings who work with the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 In the Tweenies Room, when getting ready for lunch, children, sometimes, lose their good focus because staff are not always deployed effectively to continue to support their needs.

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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 throughout the nursery and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children during the inspection and carried out observations of the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's progress records, a selection of policies and required documentation.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Just Learning Nursery, now owned by the Busy Bees national chain of day nurseries, opened in 1999. It is on the Early Years Register. The nursery operates from purpose built premises set in an urban area to the north of the city of Norwich. There are a number of playrooms for children of different age groups with all rooms having direct access to fully enclosed gardens. The nursery serves a wide area, as parents travel to their work in the city. It is open every weekday, except bank holidays, between the hours of 7.30am and 6pm.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 97 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group, and 31 receive funding for early education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 24 members of child care staff. Of these, 22 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. This includes two members of staff with qualifications at level 4 and 6.

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

 enhance the way staff are deployed to manage breaks in the natural flow of the nursery routine, for example, when getting ready for lunch, to ensure that the, otherwise good, focus on children's learning is maintained.

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who attend

Children make good progress in this nursery because staff have a good understanding of how to adapt their teaching skills to meet the needs of individual children. They all know their key children incredibly well and, as a result, plan activities which challenge and meet their individual interests and needs. Staff have a clear view of children's abilities very quickly after they join the setting, and use these starting points as the foundation for future plans. As a result, children's learning and development is assured.

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who attend

Regular and varied observations are made to capture children's interests and staff use this information well to plan appropriately. Staff spend individual time with each child, taking part in activities which they have specifically tailored to meet their learning styles and needs. Through close monitoring and recording, staff can see at a glance where children may need extra support and guidance. Staff take into account children's level of involvement and their well-being while engaged in activities to ensure that children have fun at the nursery.

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who attend

Staff bring books alive for babies by reading the words in a 'sing-song' tone, relating the pictures to what babies can see in the garden and using a wide range of textured board books. As a result, babies develop an early interest in books and handling them. Staff encourage even the youngest children to become active learners. All children are encouraged to 'have a go' and try for themselves, developing their confidence. For example, when babies are playing in the sand a member of staff introduces a bucket and spade. The member of staff shows how to scoop up the sand and then offers the spade to the baby saying 'you try now'. Staff support children well in physical activities. Older children are supported in the garden in their understanding of spatial awareness. For example, when pedalling on a trike, staff give instructions, 'back a bit, round a bit more' so that the child can negotiate space for themselves. Children's communication and

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who attend

language is developed well through innovative practices. For example, 'chatter boxes' are used to encourage children to talk about what is in their box and enable other children to listen or join in the conversation. Staff make good use of open ended questions, such as, 'how big shall we make it?', 'what could we use?' and 'what's happening now?'. This encourages children to think, problem solve and use their language skills to communicate their thoughts to others. Through taking part in a wide range of activities, children are equipped with the skills they need for the next steps in their learning, for example, when they move onto school.

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who attend

While the great majority of time in the nursery is spent with children actively learning and exploring, the focus on children's learning in the 'Tweenie' room dips at times. This is because staff are not always deployed well enough to continue to meet the needs of the children while changing nappies and setting up tables for lunch. As a result, children, sometimes, become disengaged and wander without focus.

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who attend

The partnerships with parents are very strong and they are fully involved with their children's learning at home. The nursery has set up initiatives, such as, 'books for bedtime' and 'sharing story sacks', so that parents can borrow recourses to share at home with their children. After parents commented on how well their child responded to the animal picture cards in nursery, staff made a set for the parent and child to enjoy at home. Parent's ideas for planning for their children's learning are taken seriously by staff and implemented in the setting, for example, when parents ask staff to pay particular attention to a child's emerging reading skills. Staff work closely with all parents and those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or speak English as an additional language benefit strongly from this partnership. Through in-depth discussion and liaison with other agencies staff provide good resources and support for children with identified

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who attend

needs so that they make progress alongside their peers.

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

Children settle quickly in the nursery. The very youngest babies are very close to their key worker, returning to them for reassurance and cuddles. While being fed or changed, babies are secure and happy because their key worker is with them, soothing them gently. Older children are happy to chat to everyone in a relaxed and confident way. Staff are warm and kind and there is a fun atmosphere in the nursery, conducive to children being motivated to take part in games and activities. Children behave well because they are well occupied and do not get bored. They are comfortable within the nursery routine and, as they get older, understand what is expected of them. Staff use positive strategies to manage their behaviour and encourage children to seek the help of an adult if they are worried. Staff promote children's independence and confidence well by encouraging them to try things for themselves before asking for help. Staff congratulate and praise children

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

when they have managed a task for themselves, and praise them for good behaviour and nice manners.

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

Children take part in activities, such as 'Wake and Shake' to help them learn about taking regular exercise and the impact of exercise on their bodies. Older children understand their health needs well, deciding if they need more or less clothing on depending on their temperature. Children eat heartily with freshly made meals cooked from good quality ingredients. Staff seize opportunities to reinforce and extend children's learning. At snack time, while eating cheese and crackers, staff ask children where cheese comes from. When a child responds 'from the shop', she uses some carefully worded questions to help children work out where cheese actually comes from. This helps with children's thought processes and, in learning about food and how it is made, contributes to them selecting healthy options in the future. Staff also use opportunities like this to remind children of their safety, for example, when licking the cheese off the knife, children are reminded that

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

The nursery environment is warm and welcoming and great improvements have been made to the play rooms and the garden areas to provide children with more effective spaces for learning. The baby room is exceptionally stimulating with black and white areas to promote babies exploratory instincts. The lilac and violet shades within the sleep area are conducive to children being able to relax and become calm. Resources throughout the nursery are in good condition and are presented in an attractive way so that children can help themselves independently.

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

Transitions throughout the nursery are handled extremely sensitively and according to the individual needs of the children. Settling-in is secure and takes place over a number of sessions to ensure both parents and children are happy. Within the nursery itself transitions are very flexible and only take place when everyone is ready. Parents are consulted before children move rooms and a programme of regular visits, alongside a familiar key worker, takes place to settle the children effectively. By the time the children reach the pre-school room they are confident and independent, managing self-care tasks for themselves. In the last term, staff talk to them about the move to school, show them photographs and read books about going to school. As a result, children are ready for their move to school.

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provision

The management team within the nursery are clear about their responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They support and mentor their staff well and give them responsibility and autonomy in their rooms. As a result, staff are highly motivated and excited about the good learning opportunities they provide children. There is a real sense of pride and team work among staff. None the less, staff are monitored closely by managers and observations of their practice are made to ensure the good standards in this nursery are maintained. Observations and assessments are also monitored by the nursery's regional staff. New systems have been introduced to the setting and staff have embraced these well with support and guidance. Staff are encouraged to think about their professional development and are actively encouraged to update their knowledge and skills through training.

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provision

Children are safe and well cared for in the nursery because staff are vigilant and take the responsibility of children's safety very seriously. Risk assessments are in place to ensure children play and learn in safety and regular checks are made to ensure the environment is secure and suitable for young children. Staff are clear in their understanding of child protection issues and can follow the procedures for reporting concerns without delay. All staff are appropriately trained. Recruitment and induction processes are robust and ensure all staff are suitable to work with children.

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provision

The self-evaluation of this setting accurately reflects the strengths and areas for improvement. The views of parents and children are considered and new methods of seeking this feedback are to be introduced soon. Immediate development plans include improvement to the pre-school room book area and developing 'communication and me sheets' to use with parents to support English in children's communication and language.

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provision

The nursery works very closely with parents, professional agencies and other early years settings to provide good quality care for children they have joint responsibility for. For example, staff work closely with the local authority teams to provide them with advice and guidance regarding children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They follow the professional advice of agencies, such as Portage, to ensure children have continuity in their individual plans for development. Where children attend other early years settings, systems have been set up to exchange information about children's learning. Overall, staff work very well within their teams and in the wider context of partnerships to provide good quality care and education for the children in their care.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement 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 254137 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 910457

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 97 Name of provider Just Learning Ltd Date of previous inspection 22/06/2011 Telephone number 01603 300531

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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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