Mulberry Bush Day Nursery

Mulberry Bush Day Nursery Unit E & F, Troon Way Business Centre, Humberstone Lane, Leicester, LE4 9HA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/08/2013 03/06/2010

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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

 Children make good progress in all areas of learning as staff plan activities to move them forward at their own pace, given their starting points and individual capabilities.  Children are safeguarded well because all staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care, and effective recruitment procedures ensure that staff working with the children are the suitable to do so.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Staff adapt activities to ensure that all children are able to participate fully.  There is a dedicated senior management team in place. They have a clear vision for the future and work closely together to implement the necessary changes to move the setting forward.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The garden area is not used to best effect as children are not always able to choose for themselves when they wish to play outdoors.  There is scope to further involve parents in their children's learning by enhancing the current processes used to inform them of the next steps of learning that children are working towards.

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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 children in all areas of the premises and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning, assessment and other required documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held ongoing discussions with the manager, staff and children, and carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sought the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Mulberry Bush Day Nursery was registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of seven nurseries run by Bush Babies Children's Nurseries Ltd, and is situated in converted premises in the Thurmaston area of Leicester. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three main rooms and a discovery suite. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a foundation degree. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 82 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs educational and/or disabilities.

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

 develop additional ways of sharing information with parents to ensure that they are always fully informed of the next steps of learning that children are working towards

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

 consider how to provide older children with the opportunities to make informed choices about when they want to access the outdoor area, at times other than within the daily routine.

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who attend

Children are happy and settle well in this friendly environment. They make good progress in their learning and development as staff understand how to plan and extend activities to enhance children's play experiences. Planning is in place and includes adult-initiated activities and those which evolve from the interests of the children. Observations are regularly carried out and children's next steps are clearly identified. A clear tracking process helps staff to identify any delays in children's development, and enables them to plan activities to ensure that they continually make good progress in line with their starting points and capabilities. Parents are informed of activities that children have taken part in and are encouraged to share learning and achievements at home. 'Possible lines of development' assessments, which are shared with parents, are completed every six weeks, and next steps identified within them. However, parents are not always updated if

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who attend

the next steps are changed or amended during the six-week period to ensure consistency in children's learning.

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who attend

Children take part in a range of activities to enhance their learning and development. They thoroughly enjoy craft activities and eagerly stick on leaves they have found outside to make a hedgehog, and make squirrels using shredded cardboard, wool and ribbon. Their curiosity is fostered as they search in soil and sawdust to find dinosaurs and spiders. Staff sensitively encourage children who are a little unsure at first to take part in the experience, which results in lots of fun and laughter as children happily scoop through the different textures to find what is hidden beneath. Older children learn to problem solve and negotiate between themselves. For example, when they use construction materials to make a car, they talk about the number of wheels they need and how they will fit them to make the car move. Staff give them the time and space to sort the problem for themselves as they discreetly watch from a distance, but are always close by to offer

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who attend

Children's language skills are developing well and staff continually reinforce communication by asking questions and encouraging younger children to repeat simple words and phrases. For example, they ask children if they can remember where they found the leaves for their pictures and encourage them to share experiences, such as a visit to the hairdressers. They thoroughly enjoy story and singing sessions. Younger children bounce and sway happily as they clap to the songs, and older children sing about pirates who sway backwards and forwards, getting faster and faster as they sing. They join in their favourite stories as they name the animals and characters and can repeat familiar phrases. Their enjoyment is furthered enhanced as they visit the 'book bus', which is an extension of the local library, to listen to stories and choose books from themselves.

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who attend

Older children learn skills that will prepare them for school. They are able to match rhyming pictures and words. Staff encourage children to look at and name the pictures and think if they rhyme. Children's concentration skills are developed as they play a 'bug in the den' game with the parachute and try to guess from the clues that staff provide for them which child is hiding underneath the parachute. They are able to write recognisable letters and know the letters that their names begin with and what other objects begin with the same letter.

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who attend

All children are welcomed and their individual needs are recognised and met. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Staff are extremely mindful of children's individual needs and patiently give them time to develop relationships and familiarise themselves with their surroundings. Staff have developed additional visual aids to support children with hearing impairments. They introduce hearing aids into role play and circle time to ensure that children do not feel isolated and to teach all of the children about differences. Staff are knowledgeable about other cultures and customs. For example, when some children wear a knotted bracelet they talk to them about Raksha Bandhan, a ceremony where sisters knot a bracelet onto their brothers wrist and pray for a long life. As a result, all children's awareness of other customs is enhanced.

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

An effective key person system helps promote children's well-being and independence. Staff are very supportive of the children, and this helps them to form secure emotional attachments. Children demonstrate their feelings of security as they happily interact with the staff and seek them out to share their achievements or for a hug if they feel tired. Transitions through the nursery are effective to help children to feel secure and settled at all times. Parents are fully involved in the process and are able to have an input with regard to the best time for their child to move to the next room. The setting has forged links with schools that children will be moving to. This ensures that the transition process is a positive experience. Teachers from the schools are encouraged to visit the nursery to observe children in a familiar environment.

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

Children's health is well promoted and there are clear and consistently applied systems in place to protect them from infection. Children who have additional care needs are supported well and care plans are in place. Staff are very aware of the importance of following strict regimes to ensure that children's individual health needs are consistently met. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks, such as roast dinners, fish and curry, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. Strategies to manage children's behaviour are clear and consistent, and staff work closely with parents to develop approaches that are suitable to each individual child. Behaviour on the day of the inspection was good. Children understand the importance of turn taking and sharing with others, and consistently use 'please' and 'thank you' throughout the day.

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

The premises are well resourced to provide children with an environment in which to learn and develop. Ongoing risk assessments ensure that any potential hazards are identified and minimised. Children learn about their own safety as staff incorporate gentle reminders of how to use resources safely as they play. Children access outdoors on a daily basis where they use equipment, such as bikes, slides and climbing frames, to expand and develop large muscle skills. However, this is currently structured due to the layout of the premises, which means children are not always able to choose for themselves when they want to play outside.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well. All staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in protecting the children in their care. They understand the signs and symptoms to be aware of, and know when and from whom to seek advice. Recruitment procedures ensure that all staff working with the children are capable and qualified. Staff are checked thoroughly before being employed, and induction procedures are in place to help and support new staff. Appraisals are in place to identify any areas for improvement and to further support staff to extend their knowledge and expertise through training. Partnership with parents is good. Parents are valued and their views are sought and respected. Comments for improvement are welcomed and acted on. Parents are happy with the nursery and comments received are positive. They say that 'there is a friendly atmosphere' and that 'staff are enthusiastic and approachable'. Good partnerships with

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provision

other professionals involved with the children, such as the hearing support teacher, help them to reach their development goals and ensure that their individual needs are routinely met.

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provision

Management staff monitor the educational programmes on a regular basis to ensure that all areas of learning are covered over time. In addition, assessment records are reviewed to evaluate the progress the children are making over time. The senior management team are able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery and implement positive changes to ensure that improvements are steady and sustainable. All staff are appropriately qualified and regularly update their knowledge through training. This ensures that the children who attend have an enjoyable learning experience which will help to prepare them for school and secure firm foundations for their future.

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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 EY346422 Local authority Leicester City Inspection number 915462

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 86 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Bush Babies Children's Nurseries Ltd Date of previous inspection 03/06/2010 Telephone number 01162 223 377

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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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