Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow

Just Learning Nursery Progress Park, Elstow, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9XE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/10/2013 02/04/2013

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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

 Teaching is strong as all practitioners are well supported and have a confident understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They ensure that activities and daily planning are securely based on children's interests and next steps. Children are, therefore, enthusiastic and eager to learn.  The key person system is used well and supports practitioners in exchanging information with parents. Consequently, practitioners fully understand children's needs and offer pertinent support and stimulating activities.  The manager and practitioners are enthusiastic and are committed to improving the setting further. This is supported by their thorough and honest approach to the evaluation of all areas of their work.  Thoughtful incentives, such as the 'pre-school committee', help children to feel valued and enable them to develop lifelong skills in communication and decision making.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Practitioners do not always make the most of all opportunities to encourage children under three years to think further as they play. Consequently, children are not consistently encouraged to solve problems and find new ways of doing things.  Snack and mealtimes for younger children are not consistently used as opportunities to develop their independence and social 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 area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the nursery manager, the deputy manager and Busy Bees Childcare and Curriculum Adviser 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

Just Learning Nursery 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 edge of a business park to the south of Bedford and is managed by Busy Bees Day Nurseries. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from 10 main rooms and there are three enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years 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 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 88 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for 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:

 extend the opportunities for children under three-years-old to think further and solve problems as part of their daily play

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

 enhance the snack and mealtime procedures for younger children, so that these consistently promote their independence and support them in gaining further social skills.

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who attend

Teaching is good as practitioners have a confident knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They also have a good understanding of each child and therefore, ensure that all children are offered activities that support their good progress. This contributes to children feeling secure and supports them in developing positive attitudes to play and learning. Children are supported well in developing the skills to learn effectively and to achieve. The good planning and thoughtful provision of resources means that children's natural curiosity is developed and they are offered creative opportunities to explore and experiment. For example, practitioners note that older children are showing an interest in science and setting up their own experiments and so provide further resources. Children become totally engrossed as they set up an experiment with celery. They learn new vocabulary and skills as they use pipettes and

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who attend

petri dishes to create reservoirs of dyed water. Children carefully cut celery and place this in the dishes, eagerly noting the resulting colour change each day. This is further reinforced as practitioners help them to keep a photographic record of this and to make their own book detailing the experiment.

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who attend

There are good systems in place that support practitioners in gathering a wide range of initial information from parents. This gives them a clear picture of children's starting points, needs and developmental stages. They use this information to inform the planning of activities and to monitor children's progress. Parents' updates are actively sought and included in assessments. For example, parents complete monthly update forms and also provide verbal reports on their child's progress and activities. Key persons record these and use the information to inform future planning. Practitioners actively support parents in extending children's learning in the home environment. For example, they provide monthly 'activities at home' sheets that are developed for each individual child and closely reflect their current interests and next developmental steps. Practitioners assess children as they play, carefully noting their current interests. This information is used to inform the

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who attend

individual planning for each child and is carried thorough into the daily activities and provision of resources. This ensures that each child's next developmental steps and consequently, their overall development, are always promoted. The provision of activities and resources is reviewed to ensure that children have balanced opportunities to play and explore independently and participate in adult-led activities. This supports them in taking an active role in their learning and they learn to work in a structured environment and in partnership with others. Children, therefore, develop essential skills for use in future life and are well prepared for school.

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who attend

Practitioners interact with children, encouraging them to think further. For example, children playing in the role play area are encouraged to talk about what they are 'cooking', going on to discuss why they need to use oven gloves as they pretend to take food out of the oven. However, this good interaction is not always used to the maximum throughout the day with children under three-years-old. Some opportunities to extend their thinking and problem-solving skills are not fully utilised. For example, during a painting activity, children enjoy making patterns with the paint but are not encouraged to explore what happens when the paint colours are mixed or to make their own new colours.

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who attend

Thoughtful planning and the use of a range of creative techniques support children well in developing their language and communication skills. For example, older children are encouraged to state their opinions of the nursery. They take photographs of their favourite resources and areas and are supported in writing about these and in making their own illustrations. Children, who use English as an additional language are supported well. Practitioners take time to help them extend their vocabulary, using stories and discussions to offer them daily opportunities to practise their new language skills. Children, therefore, make good progress in using English and in their overall development. Similarly, children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Practitioners work closely with parents and any other professionals, so that they fully understand the child's needs. These are then taken into account in the individual and daily

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who attend

planning, with children being offered one-to-one support whenever needed.

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who attend

The attention to detail in the provision of resources means that children's skills in numeracy and literacy are thoughtfully extended. For example, older children enjoy using a low display board that has been covered in felt. They make their own props for their favourite counting rhymes, carefully attaching these to the board as they sing the songs. They then use the reverse side of the board to attach magnetic letters, spelling out their names and experimenting by attempting to write other words. Children enjoy a wide variety of activities that promote their physical development. For example, they develop skills in balance and coordination as they make their own obstacle courses, where they balance on planks, crawl under and jump over objects. Children are offered meaningful opportunities to learn about other cultures and different ways of life. For example, older children make their own map of the world, highlighting countries they have visited and

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who attend

going on to find out about the climates and traditions of these countries.

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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 partnership working with parents. Practitioners frequently exchange information with parents, helping to ensure that they understand each child's needs and consistently offer effective support to each individual. As a result, children are happy and develop secure relationships with practitioners. For example, babies smile and make lots of eye contact as practitioners sing and talk to them. Children feel valued as their views are actively sought. There is a 'pre-school committee', where children give their feedback and ideas. Practitioners also use other creative methods that enable children to give non-verbal feedback. For example, children take photographs of their favourite resources and areas of the setting and practitioners use this information to inform their future planning. Consequently, children are supported in developing a positive outlook on play and learning and are well prepared for the move to

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

Practitioners gently encourage children to understand that each person is different and all are to be valued. Children, therefore, learn to respect each other as individuals. Their behaviour is well managed as all practitioners attend further training in this area. They reinforce positive behaviour and offer children clear explanations, so that they build up a good understanding of how to manage their behaviour and are aware of the effect this has on others. This is further supported as practitioners sensitively extend children's awareness of emotions. For example, older children discuss how they are feeling and make their own illustrations of the different feelings to help with this. Good daily practice and ongoing explanations aid children in gaining a thorough understanding of how to keep safe. For example, older children work with practitioners to carry out their own risk assessments of resources and activities.

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

Thoughtful procedures means that new children settle well and are confident and happy. For example, practitioners work with parents to ensure that they are aware of children's home routines, adhering to these as much as possible. Children's transitions within the setting are supported well. They have several short visits before they actually move to their new room. This enables them to become familiar with the environment and offers practitioners the opportunity to get to know the children and understand their needs. Children are generally well supported in developing their self-care skills. For example, they wipe their own noses and put on their own coats and boots before going outside. However, the snack and mealtime procedures for younger children do not make the most of opportunities to promote their independence and social skills. For example, they do not consistently pour their own drinks and practitioners do not always encourage discussion

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

and conversation at these times. Children gain a good awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, their knowledge of healthy eating is promoted as they participate in cooking activities and discuss the ingredients and healthy options. They discuss the effects of exercise, for example, the use of different muscles and why they feel warmer, as they participate in various activities, such as their 'wake and shake' session.

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provision

The manager and practitioners demonstrate a positive attitude and a genuine desire to continue developing the nursery and thus, further improving the provision for children. They use comprehensive self-evaluation procedures and actively seek feedback from parents, children and other professionals. They use this information to develop action plans and set clear targets that lead to improvements. For example, recent changes include improvements to the outdoor areas, offering children further opportunities to engage in activities, such as, painting, role play, reading and gardening. All practitioners have a good understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures that they meet all legal requirements and promote children's health, welfare and development. The ongoing supervision of practitioners is good and feeds directly into the well-considered appraisal system. This means that any training needs are

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provision

identified, training arranged and completed and then reviewed. Practitioners are, therefore, well supported in developing their professional practice and attaining qualifications.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted as there are thorough safeguarding arrangements in place and these are robustly implemented. All practitioners are rigorously checked to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Safeguarding is included in the staff induction process and all practitioners attend annual training to review and refresh their knowledge. The manager has a thorough understanding of child protection procedures, ensuring that these are always followed and that the nursery works in partnership with all relevant agencies. Any serious concerns are reported immediately to the relevant agency, are rigorously investigated and all procedures are reviewed, in order to ensure children's continuing safety and well-being. Thorough risk assessments and daily safety checks ensure that hazards are minimised or removed. Children, therefore, play safely in a well- maintained environment.

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provision

Senior managers monitor the daily planning and regularly check each child's progress. This ensures that all children are offered a wide range of activities that support their good progress towards the early learning goals. Practitioners are experienced in liaising with other professionals and are aware of how to seek additional support for children and their families. There are clear procedures for sharing information with others caring for the children. These include sharing assessment information with schools and other nurseries, enabling all practitioners to work together to promote children's development. Good partnerships with parents means that they are kept well informed of their child's progress and activities. For example, they receive regular newsletters and have frequent opportunities to meet with their child's key person and review the assessment records. An active 'Parent Partnership Group' means that parents are also involved in making decisions

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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 EY152150 Local authority Bedford Borough Inspection number 937242

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 112 Number of children on roll 88 Name of provider Just Learning Ltd Date of previous inspection 02/04/2013 Telephone number 01234 330220

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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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