Busy Bees Day Nursery at Kettering Venture Park

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Kettering Venture Park Lamport Close, Kettering Venture Park, KETTERING, Northamptonshire, NN15 6XY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/09/2013 31/05/2011

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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

 Staff develop strong relationships with children and parents, which ensures the transition from home to nursery is a relaxed and happy experience.  Parents receive accurate information each day about the activities their child has enjoyed, any progress and achievements. This ensures they are kept informed about their child's learning.  Space within the nursery is organised very well and children move freely between the indoor and outdoor play area. Staff are vigilant to children's well-being so children remain safe.  The manager and staff are motivated and enthusiastic about the care they provide and continually look at ways of developing it further. The views of parents are sought used to help enhance the service.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's understanding of diversity and the wider world is not fully extended as resources that encourage their understanding of similarities and differences are not readily available.  Although labels throughout the nursery encourage children's understanding of the written word, they have fewer opportunities to see their home languages in print.

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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 compulsory part 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 held a meeting with the provider and the manager and Childcare Curriculum Advisor of the nursery and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the verbal and written views of parents on the day of inspection.  The inspector observed activities in all rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Kettering Venture Park is owned by Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited. It opened in 1999 and uses three main base areas in a purpose-built building. It is situated on a business park on the edge of Kettering, Northamptonshire. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register Children have use of four main group rooms and there are two enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open from 8am until 6pm all year round with the exception of bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 93 children attending who are in the early years age group. It currently supports a number of 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 28 staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and six staff have appropriate early years qualifications at level 2. The nursery receives support from the local authority and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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

 increase opportunities for children to begin to understand about diversity and the wider world through the use of a wider range of resources, for example, resources within the role play area that reflect different cultures

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

 provide further opportunities for children to develop their understanding of different languages and to see their home languages by, for example, displaying them within the nursery.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development taking into account their starting points as staff work closely with parents at the start of their child's placement and throughout their time at nursery. Concise information provided by parents enable staff to support children's early learning ensuring they to make good progress right from the start. Staff observe children, using the information gained to plan effectively for their individual learning needs. Observations are supported by photographs, which are displayed around the rooms reflecting the wide variety of activities children enjoy. The effective relationships with key people in their lives enable children to make successful progress in line with their interests. Staff plan a broad range of activities across the seven areas of learning, which is supported by their knowledge and understanding of how children learn. Consequently, children gain confidence and skills that prepare them extremely well for the

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who attend

move to school. A variety of adult-led and child-initiated activities take place according to children's age and abilities and children are actively encouraged to self-select the resources of their choice. Staff understand the need to concentrate on the prime areas of learning with younger children and the progress check at age two is completed alongside parents, whose comments are sought. Parents are actively involved in their child's learning and contribute to their child's progress check and ongoing assessments, sharing what they have observed their child is involved in at home. This successfully nurtures partnerships between staff and parents and has a positive impact on children's learning.

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who attend

Children are excited, enthusiastic and involved in the wide variety of interesting activities and play experiences available to them. Relationships between staff, children and parents are very strong and communication between all three ensures continuity of care. Children chatter excitedly about their families and recall past events and experiences while looking through their learning journals with staff and their friends. This builds their self-esteem and confidence and encourages them to feel valued and included.

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who attend

Staff use positive strategies to help encourage children's language skills and skilfully ask questions to extend children's thought processes and encourage them to talk about things they can see and hear. For example, children listen intently on the listening walks they are involved in, talking about what they can hear and making their own notes and pictures to reflect these. This also encourages their communication skills, increases their knowledge of the world around them and encourages their understanding that print carries meaning.

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who attend

Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise each day and enjoy the wide variety of activities. Children can choose when they wish to play outdoors as a free flow system is in place. Their development is continually nurtured in the excellent outdoor play area, which has recently been refurbished. They run, climb and explore looking for mini beasts and using wheeled toys, balancing bars and balls, which build their physical skills. Children are actively involved in learning about the living world through the growing and planting of herbs and vegetables. They prepare the soil and water the plants, monitoring how they grow. This not only helps in the understanding of how things grow, but also the importance of caring for living things. The environment successfully enhances children's learning and development and they are happy, motivated to learn and enthusiastic to become involved.

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who attend

Children of all ages compound their understanding of technology through a wide range of resources. Babies enjoy electronic toys that encourage them to press buttons, lift flaps and turns knobs to trigger a response, such as, music or animal sounds. Older children continue their learning through the interactive white board. This enables them to match shapes, identify colours and follow games and programmes that extend their learning further. Babies and young children explore many textures, such as, loofahs, sponges and brushes and excitedly try to catch bubbles as they float pass them when blown by staff. Through gloop and sand they extend their early writing skills as they make many different marks and talk about how the different textures feel.

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who attend

Children are actively involved in learning about and celebrating a variety of cultural events throughout the year and enjoy foods from around the world through the extensive menu provided. Some resources are provided that reflects positive images of the wider world and their diverse community such as books, pictures and dolls. However, resources that enable them to explore similarities and differences are not freely available, for example through resources ion the role play area that enable them explore different lifestyles. Staff gain key words from parents to enable them to communicate more effectively with children who have English as an additional language. Although the environment is rich in text, for example, with labels that that support displays of children's work, they do not reflect the languages of all children and families using the nursery. Therefore, children have fewer opportunities to see their home language in the nursery.

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

Children are relaxed and confident and excellent relationships have developed between staff, children and their parents. They demonstrate good levels of self-esteem as staff are attentive to all children, welcoming their views and opinions. Staff use successful strategies when dealing with behaviour management. Children are encouraged to share, take turns and be kind to their friends. Staff talk about feelings with children and staff encourage them to try to resolve minor squabbles and disagreements while providing support. Children's independence is continually encouraged as they manage their personal care, choosing when they wish to play indoors or outdoors, making choices at snack and meal times and learning how to put their coats and shoes on when going outdoors. The learning environment is organised extremely well enabling children to choose resources and move safely and confidently between all areas. This continually extends their learning.

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

Children's individual needs are well known by staff as they spend time talking to parents. They are encouraged to share detailed information about their child's starting points during their initial visits to the nursery and their gradual introduction onto nursery life. This supports them extremely well in the transition from home to nursery. Children have a secure sense of belonging because they develop strong bonds and attachments with their key person. Successful handover systems from home to nursery and during the transition from room-to-room ensure children's progress and their ongoing development is well known by staff. This further enhances children's feeling of security.

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

Children enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from around the world and their health is maintained and encouraged through the fresh fruit and vegetables available to them each day. Mealtimes are a very social occasion and children develop their independence through making choices. Older children are actively involved in setting the tables for lunch. All children follow sensible hygiene routines throughout the day such as washing their hands at appropriate times throughout the day 'to get rid of the germs'. Visual displays remind them also of the importance of doing so. Baby's care needs are extremely well met. Staff inform babies when they are going to change their nappies, which prepare them for the change in routine and they sleep during the day as they need to. This ensures their comfort at all times.

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

Staff know the children extremely well and have a secure knowledge of their needs, interests and mannerisms. Individual medical and additional needs are known and met through the strong partnerships between parents and other professionals involved in children's lives. Clear recording of accidents and the swift action taken by staff to deal with minor accidents ensure children's well-being is maintained. Staff talk with children about safety to ensure they understand what they need to do to keep themselves safe, for example, during outings. Effective communication with parents ensures that staff are fully aware of children's individual dietary needs and preferences. Successful routines at mealtimes ensure that children do not come into contact with unsuitable foods and staff are vigilant at all times to ensure children's safety is maintained. For example, they use coloured placemats and plates to highlight their particular dietary needs.

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provision

Management and staff have a very good understanding of their role and responsibility with regard to protecting children in their care from abuse and neglect. Through ongoing training and discussion they keep their knowledge up-to-date, which ensures children remain safe. Robust recruitment systems are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to care for children and all required checks are completed. Induction procedures enable staff to gain an accurate understanding of their roles and responsibility with regard to all aspects of nursery life and are conversant with all health and safety requirements and policies and procedures. Effective written risk assessments ensure potential risks are identified and action taken to minimise them. Staff are well-deployed, which ensures that children are supervised at all times. Therefore, their well-being and safety is maintained.

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provision

This well-established staff team are motivated, enthusiastic and work extremely well together. Their views and ideas are taken into account at all times and they are pro-active in continually developing their knowledge and skills in the childcare field. Training is important part of their professional development and time is spent each month sharing new information gained through training to the wider staff team. This ensures that any changes to practice or legislation are known and implemented effectively. The manager values her staff team and is actively involved in monitoring practice. As a result, the service and care provided continually evolves and develops. Annual appraisals and regular supervisions encourage staff to identify their particular strengths in practice and explore areas of work they wish to develop further.

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provision

Since the last inspection the staff have re-furbished the outdoor play areas for all children. A successful system allowing children to move freely between the indoor and outdoor play area is firmly embedded in practice. As a result, children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise each day extending their learning in a natural environment. Links with local schools have been established and staff work effectively with them to make the transition from nursery to school as relaxed as possible. Partnership working with other professionals and agencies enables staff to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively and help them make good progress. Partnerships with parents are very strong. Very good working relationships have developed through discussion and interaction from the start of their child's placement. This is extremely positive for children who see harmony between staff and parents, and children's ever changing needs are

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provision

continually known and met. Parents value the care provided and feel they are fully informed and involved in their child's learning. Their views are actively sought as part of the nursery's ongoing self-evaluation through the use of verbal discussion and the use of questionnaires and communication books. This alongside management and staffs' ideas and opinions enable them to effectively identify the nursery's strengths and areas for development. Clear evaluation of the comments made makes sure the service is continually evolving and developing, which has a positive impact on both children and parents and the service they receive.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 220026 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 910461

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 112 Number of children on roll 93 Name of provider Busy Bees Day Nurseries (Trading) Limited Date of previous inspection 31/05/2011 Telephone number 01536 525566

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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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