Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newcastle

Just Learning Nursery Silver Fox Way, Cobalt Business Park, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Tyne and Wear, NE27 0QJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/11/2013 24/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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's needs are quickly identified, and exceptionally well met through the robust and effective partnerships between parents, other providers and external agencies.  All children make good and some make outstanding progress during the time they spend at the nursery. This is because staff have very good awareness of individual needs and precise assessment and planning is in place for all children.  The management team know the nursery very well and accurately identify actions to overcome weaknesses that aim to improve practice and provision for children over time.  Children's welfare and well-being is very well promoted in the nursery. There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the staff, all of whom are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role and have had appropriate checks carried out.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for older children to progress their communication and language skills are not always fully developed. This is because, occasionally, staff do not make effective use of open-ended questions and engage children in sustained conversations.  Occasionally, staff do not always fully understand the rationale for activities planned for by other members of staff. This means that children do not always benefit fully from all tasks they engage in.

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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 carried out a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the manager's self-evaluation form and improvement plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in all nursery rooms, including the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager, deputy and area manager of the nursery. A number of policies and procedures were looked at and discussed, including progress tracking documentation.

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Information about the setting

Just Learning Nursery opened in 2003 and is one of a national chain of nurseries. It operates from purpose-built premises situated in the Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 7.30am until 6.15pm all year round, except on bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children have access to several enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 210 children in the early years age range on roll. 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 children for whom English is an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 36 staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. One member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status; 10 members of staff hold qualifications at level 4 and above and 25 hold a level 3 qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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

 develop further opportunities for older children to enhance their already very good communication and language skills by ensuring all staff make effective use of open- ended questions and engage them in sustained conversations both in one-to-one situations and small groups

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

 strengthen staff understanding of the rationale for activities in order for children to gain full benefit from all tasks they engage in.

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who attend

Staff are well-qualified, experienced practitioners who support children very well in their learning and development. They consider the needs, interests and stages of development of each child in their care and ensure experiences provided are challenging, interesting and enjoyable. Effective use is made of individualised assessment and planning to accurately identify the individual needs of each child and support their development. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery and make good progress in all aspects of their learning and development. Staff provide a wide range of stimulating resources, which are accessible and open-ended so that they can be used, moved and combined in a variety of ways. Children enjoy the experience of using resources, such as cardboard boxes, long tubes and a range of fabrics in creative ways, to support their play experiences. They enjoy additional stimulus, such as music, to enhance

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who attend

their learning. For example, older children laugh together and move and twist their bodies when they hear 'Bollywood' music playing. Staff support young children very well as they play and explore their surroundings. They are attentive and fully focussed when they play with babies, providing uninterrupted time to ensure children feel safe and loved.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good and, occasionally, outstanding. In activities where teaching is very strong, children benefit from excellent interactions and staff support their early language skills through highly skilful modelling of vocabulary. They show children how to pronounce and use words by responding and repeating what they say in the correct way, rather than saying they are wrong. Very young children engage in early conversations when staff copy the sounds they make and benefit from making eye contact and being physically close with their key person. However, occasionally, some older children are not always provided with opportunities to fully develop their already very good language skills. This is because staff do not always make effective use of open questions and engage children in sustained conversations, both in one-to-one situations and in small groups. Staff provide children with a broad range of experiences to develop

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who attend

their physical skills. In the indoor environment, children enjoy the sensory experience of making marks in sand and paint and begin to balance blocks to build small towers. In the outdoor environment, children experience different levels when riding small bikes, explore tunnels and willow arches, engage in weaving and enjoy drawing and painting on a larger scale. As a result, children effectively develop the key skills they need for the next steps in their learning, including those required when they attend school.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. This is because staff make excellent use of advice from external agencies, such as speech and language therapy services. For example, staff use signing as an additional means of communication. As a result, children with additional needs are progressing very well towards the early learning goals, given their starting points. Staff demonstrate a high level of awareness in supporting children whose home language is not English and encourage parents to share key words from home. This means children are provided with good opportunities to develop and use their home language in play and learning, which supports their language development at home. Highly successful strategies are in place to engage all parents in their child's learning in the nursery and at home. As a result, regular information sharing on learning and development with parents leads to improved

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who attend

cognitive, social and emotional outcomes for children.

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

Children form very good relationships with caring staff who meet their emotional and physical needs well. Children separate from their parents and carers with ease and are welcomed into the friendly nursery environment where they are happy and enjoy what they are doing. The manager and her staff team comply with requirements of health and safety legislation, ensuring all nursery rooms are safe for children to use. For example, individual room temperatures are monitored to ensure they do not fall below unacceptable levels, to meet children's physical well-being. Staff are highly skilled when supporting children who become upset when their parents and carers leave. For example, plans are made for individual children and their families. The manager maintains a flexible approach and ensures key persons are available when children are dropped off and collected. Staff are enthusiastic and encourage children to explore their surroundings, use their

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

imaginations and play with other children. As a result, they show high levels of confidence and are motivated to try new activities and experiences. Children have access to a stimulating and well-resourced indoor and outdoor environment, which supports their all- round development and emotional well-being. A good range of experiences and opportunities are provided for them to develop independence skills and cooperation. For example, children are supported to serve their own food at meal times, place their paintings on the easel to dry and hang their own coats up following outdoor activities. Staff give clear messages to children to ensure they are developing a good understanding of why it is important to have a healthy diet and gain an understanding of the need for physical exercise. For example, they grow their own vegetables and benefit from 'free- flow' access to the outdoor area.

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

Effective settling-in procedures are in place when children begin attending the nursery. They make a number of visits, based on their individual needs, before staying for the whole session. Good quality information is gathered from parents, such as specific dietary needs, medication, routines and comforters. Staff adhere closely to routines, such as nappy changing, ensuring children are regularly checked and individual parental wishes are respected. This ensures continuity in children's physical and emotional well-being. Children are well supported when they move rooms within the nursery. They make visits with the key person and all information is shared between parents and staff, maintaining continuity in care and learning for each child. Children are equally well prepared emotionally when they transfer into school. For example, school teachers come to see children in nursery. Transition documents are completed and handed over to schools, with

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

a copy to parents, to ensure teachers are aware of each child's individual needs before they start.

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

All staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of safeguarding children in the nursery. For example, they recognise the importance of recording and sharing any unusual marks children may present with. Staff involve children in safety procedures throughout the day. For example, they provide good role models for practices, such as wearing protective clothing, to ensure children develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Children demonstrate safe practices as they play. For example, they manoeuvre carefully past one another as they ride bikes outdoors. Children cooperate well with each other and know what behaviour is acceptable in the nursery. This is because staff have agreed procedures outlining how to manage changes in children's behaviour and the rationale of this is shared with parents, to maintain a joint approach.

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provision

The management team have exceptional understanding of their responsibility to ensure the nursery meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues amongst the staff in the nursery, all of whom receive regular training on safeguarding. As a result, policies and procedures are implemented consistently and all concerns are prioritised and dealt with effectively. For example, all staff know who to contact if the designated lead for safeguarding is unavailable. All staff working directly with children hold appropriate qualifications, are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role and have had appropriate checks carried out. This means that children's welfare and well-being is very well promoted. Children are protected further because staff make effective use of up-to-date risk assessments to support them in ensuring the areas used

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provision

by children are safe. Safeguarding practices are reviewed regularly and are well documented in improvement plans, alongside other areas for improvement, which are identified through thorough consultation with staff, children and parents. The management team know the nursery very well and accurately identify actions to overcome weaknesses that aim to improve practice and provision for children over time.

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provision

The manager leads a well-qualified and experienced staff team. They are deployed effectively, using their skills and expertise skilfully to support young children's learning and development. The manager has a good understanding of her role in monitoring the delivery of the educational programmes and maintains an overview of the continuous provision for children in the indoor and outdoor environments. She is well supported by her deputy, early years professional and the area manager to maintain an overview of the quality of teaching and learning provided. However, occasionally, the monitoring of some teaching and learning activities is not as effective as it could be. For example, some staff do not fully understand the rationale for activities planned for by other members of staff, and, as a result, children do not fully benefit from all tasks provided for them. Effective systems are in place to monitor progress for each individual child or group of children

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provision

attending. This ensures children's strengths and weaknesses are quickly identified and intervention is received at the earliest possible stage. This is further supported by effective supervision, induction and mentoring arrangements. This enables staff to discuss individual children's progress, address any issues and accurately identify training to support their own professional development, promoting the interests of children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are excellent. They take an active part in their child's learning and are involved in decision-making on key matters. For example, a parent partnership group has recently been introduced. Parents use words, such as 'fantastic' and 'brilliant', when describing the relationships between staff and children and the quality of educational programmes provided. Partnerships with local schools and childminders are equally well established and significantly enhance children's all-round development. Partnerships with external agencies and other professionals are superb. The manager and staff work exceptionally well with services in their local area and effectively use advice to provide targeted interventions to meet the specific needs of individual children.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY254577 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 942572

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 110 Number of children on roll 188 Name of provider Just Learning Ltd Date of previous inspection 24/07/2013 Telephone number 0191 257 8842

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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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