Busy Bees Day Nursery at Nottingham University

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Nottingham University University of Nottingham, University Park, NOTTINGHAM, NG7 2RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/10/2013 23/11/2011

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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

 All children are warmly welcomed and fully included in the life of the nursery. They are respected as individuals, treated with kindness and their emotional security is given high priority. Relationships with the practitioners are warm and nurturing.  The thoughtfully planned playrooms create enabling environments for all ages of children to promote independence and to engage children in purposeful play. Children benefit from a wide range of play materials to support their learning and development.  Children's learning is promoted well by practitioners, who understand the importance of working with children's interests and how they learn best through play.  The management team are committed to the continuous development of the nursery, using a robust system of self-evaluation to secure improvements in all areas. This creates a dedicated, motivated practitioner team, who work very well together.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to strengthen the outdoor provision by providing a stimulating range of resources and experiences which are accessible and open-ended to allow children to further explore, build, move and role-play.  There is scope to improve the routine of meal times as these take too long and are not always used as effective learning experiences for children.

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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 the five main playrooms and outdoor play areas.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, practitioners and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journal records, planning documentation, the self-evaluation and a selection of policies and practitioners and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents through the nursery's recent parents survey.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Nottingham University opened in 2001 and continued care as a new legal entity as a limited company in 2010. The nursery is part of the Busy Bees Group. The nursery is within the University of Nottingham Campus, on University Boulevard, Nottingham. It operates from a purpose built building with enclosed outdoor play spaces. The nursery serves a wide catchment area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 105 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 6pm throughout the year, excluding bank holidays. The nursery employs 33 practitioners, of whom, two hold a qualification at level 4, 20 hold a qualification at level 3, eight hold a qualification at level 2 and one is unqualified. The nursery also employs two cooks.

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

 increase the resources and enhance experiences outside to offer children more choice and to extend further their own development in all seven areas of learning

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

 review and reflect on children's meal times so that staff use these more effectively as a valuable learning experience and children are happy and enjoy what they are doing as they wait for their meal.

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who attend

Practitioners at this welcoming nursery have a positive impact on children's learning and development. Children make good progress in relation to their starting points and abilities. Practitioners gather useful information about children's care and learning before they start at the nursery. They carry out an initial assessment of children on entry to enable them to set children's next steps in their learning and provide activities tailored to each child's individual needs. Practitioners understand the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and carry out regular observations and assessments of children. Parents are offered the opportunity to see their child's progress in their development records and regularly speak with their child's key person. Practitioners have a good understanding of how children learn and they plan exciting and motivating activities for them. They understand that children learn well from first-hand experiences. Practitioners strive to

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who attend

provide as many of these as possible to further extend and enhance children's learning. Planning effectively supports individual children in their learning and development. It covers all areas of learning and provides appropriate challenge for all children. Practitioners monitor progress by continually observing the children, making notes of what works well and developing activities to ensure the children progress to the next stage of development. The figures from each individual progress report are collated by the manager to show how the children are performing throughout the nursery in relation to the early learning goals. This ensures that all children make good progress. A 'progress check at age two' is carried out around each child's second birthday. This progress check is given to the parents to share with their health visitor.

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who attend

Children are interested and engage well in their play. They choose from a wide range of well-organised and stimulating resources which enhance their development. The setting promotes a wholly inclusive environment to ensure that all children are able to join in and participate in the activities available to them. Practitioners use good quality interactions and open questions to encourage children to think further and enjoy language. Children's work is displayed throughout the nursery to make them feel valued and acknowledged. They demonstrate the characteristics of active learning, as they are very keen to participate in the activities readily available to them. The indoor environment is very stimulating and enables children to follow their own interests. However, the outdoor play areas for the babies and pre-school children currently does not provide extensive opportunities to cover all areas of development in an inspiring environment. This means

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who attend

that some children's learning outdoors is not always maximised fully to continually allow them play and explore for themselves.

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who attend

Children enjoy taking part in activities. The babies get excited as they bathe the dolls in the water play and splash and make lots of bubbles. Younger babies are stimulated by the different toys and experiences as in the new 'shiny area'. This has lots of items that are shiny for the babies to handle and explore for themselves. The older children design their own Halloween frogs and demonstrate good creative skills as they paint, stick items on and then cut them out. Practitioners extend children's learning as they ask questions to encourage children to describe what the frogs look like and how many eyes and legs they have. Children's independence is promoted throughout the whole nursery. For example, children pour their own drinks when they are thirsty. A small group of pre-school children build up a train track and use their imagination well as they play together. Older children are very confident to talk about the contents of their own 'Chatter boxes'. These are boxes

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who attend

that they fill with their own contents from home and bring them into the nursery to talk about the items. Older children practice their mark making as they use tools to make marks in shallow trays of coloured sand. Younger children are very keen to participate in the activity with musical instruments and keep in time as they sing along.

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who attend

Practitioners regularly share the children's targets and next steps in learning with the parents. They provide ideas of different activities to show parents how they can support these next steps at home. Children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in this nursery and the skills they learn help them to prepare them for school readiness and lay firm foundations for the future. Good systems are in place to support children with additional learning and/or development needs. Practitioners have the skills to identify these needs and work very well with other professionals in meeting all children's needs. Children and families who have English as an additional language and very well supported by the practitioners. They learn key words in the child's first language to offer support as and when needed. Key words are displayed around the nursery in other languages that the children speak.

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

The premises are well-maintained and well-resourced to provide children with a stimulating environment in which they learn and develop. A well-established and effective key person system operates throughout the nursery. This helps children to form secure emotional attachments and provides parents with a familiar person to share information with regarding their child. Every key person knows their children very well and can clearly demonstrate how they are helping them to move forward and make good progress. Practitioners in the two baby rooms provide young children with physical interaction and cuddles. This helps them to form secure emotional bonds and attachments. Older children are quick to seek out practitioners for a cuddle if they become tired or need reassurance. Children are supported well in their transitions between rooms and parents are fully involved in their child's progression through the nursery. They are introduced to their

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

child's new key person and new routines are explained. Practitioners ensure that children are familiar with the room they are moving into by taking them on visits and they share progress reports and any individual information needed to help children to settle. Their transition on to school is also good. The nursery has built up secure relationships with some of the many different schools children will move to in order to fully support them in this process.

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

All children enjoy spending time outdoors as part of the routine of the day. This ensures that they have fresh air and can exercise their larger muscles. Children's health is well- promoted and there are clear and consistently applied systems in place to protect them from infection. Effective systems are in place to inform practitioners of any health or dietary issues the children may have and thorough records are kept of accidents or any medication administered. Children from an early age understand good hygiene routines and know why they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. The children benefit from the balanced menu offered. Younger children are supported to feed themselves and practitioners sensitively encourage them in this learning experience. Meal times for children are sociable occasions as they sit together in small social groups. However, practitioners do not always fully utilise the time when children sit waiting for

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

their food to ensure that this is an enjoyable, learning experience.

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

Children's behaviour is good. They know how to move safely through the nursery and start to take responsibility for their own behaviour. They help to tidy away activities at set times during the day. Ongoing, in-depth risk assessments ensure that any potential hazards are identified and minimised. Children learn about their own safety as practitioners incorporate gentle reminders of how to use resources safely as they play. For example, they learn to use scissors safely during a cutting activity. Children form very positive relationships with both adults and their peers. They work happily alongside each other as they learn to share and take turns. They are polite and use words, such as 'please' and 'thank you' as part of their normal daily routine. Practitioners role model good social behaviour for children and offer them frequent praise. As a result, children gain a sense of good self-esteem because they know that they are appreciated.

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provision

The senior management team are extremely committed and dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of achievement for the children and their families. Effective management structures are in place and communication with all levels of practitioners is good. Regular and robust reviews of all paperwork and procedures take place to ensure that all requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. Children are well safeguarded in the nursery. Extensive child protection policies and procedures are known and understood by all practitioners. The manager understands her responsibilities very well and implements these effectively to ensure that children are safe. For example, recently they had a child that got stuck in a store cupboard. This was fully investigated. An additional, thorough risk assessment has been undertaken and supplementary strategies have been introduced to ensure this never happens again. The

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provision

manger also followed the correct procedures and informed the parents and all the relevant agencies of the incident. Practitioners have a good understanding of child protection issues and work very successfully to support children and families. Effective recruitment procedures ensure that only those suitable to work with children are appointed. Individual induction programmes, appraisals, supervisions, and observations of practitioners are in place, which effectively highlight strengths and addresses training needs. There is an extremely positive attitude towards professional development and practitioners regularly develop their skills and expertise. For example, management and practitioners demonstrate a significant capacity for continuous improvement and they continually reflect on the service, which they provide.

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provision

The nursery have addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection. They welcome feedback from parents and carers in order to strive for consistently high quality. Practitioners are highly effective in developing close partnerships with parents and carers to fully meet the individual needs of the children. For example, they work very closely with parents around toilet training and respect their views at all times. Practitioners share information with them on a daily basis through discussions and the use of the daily diaries. The manager keeps well-organised records, policies and procedures to support the children's safety and welfare. This means parents are well informed about how the nursery operates and practitioners are supported to implement them consistently. The senior management team work alongside practitioners so they role model good practice. The manager observes them to identify any areas of their practice which require

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provision

improvement. There are good processes for supervision and the senior management team have regular meetings and hold appraisals with all practitioners. They agree together what training they would like to access so there is a good culture of continual professional development. This encourages them to reach their full potential and take on additional responsibilities within the nursery to develop their self-esteem.

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provision

Practitioners complete regular observations of children's learning to assess and monitor each child's development. They complete tracking documents to monitor and review children's achievements across all areas of learning, in order to identify any gaps in learning. The senior leadership team regularly monitor these tracking documents and children's learning journal records. This ensures they show an accurate assessment of children's skills, abilities and progress and can support practitioners to target specific areas of learning if necessary. All children are included and supported well and the nursery promotes equality and diversity highly successfully. Effective partnerships with parents and external agencies help to secure well-timed interventions to ensure children receive any additional support they need. There is a secure two-way flow of information to support children's learning. Parents comment that the practitioners are always friendly and

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provision

approachable. They state that the practitioners have excellent relationships with children. They comment that the practitioners are very professional and always give good detailed feedback daily and that they go out of their way to work with them as parents. Efficient systems are in place for the self-evaluation of the nursery to reflect the good practice and prioritise any areas for improvement. Practitioners and parents are involved in the self- evaluation process and ideas for improvement are carefully considered and given high priority. A display board clearly informs parents of things the nursery have changed due to their comments and suggestions. The nursery is proactive in implementing the changes necessary to sustain improvement and consistently explore new and innovative ideas. For example, they have recently reviewed how they teach children mathematics throughout the nursery.

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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 EY422553 Local authority Nottingham City Inspection number 940662

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 105 Name of provider Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 23/11/2011 Telephone number 01159229117

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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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