Bumblebees Community Nursery

Bumblebees @ St. Paul's St. Paul's C of E Primary School, Warrington Road, WIGAN, Lancashire, WN3 6SB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/10/2013 19/09/2011

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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

 The very well resourced and well-planned environment, including many open-ended and natural resources, ensure that children consistently have a wide choice of meaningful activities and are active learners.  Due to the introduction of home visits and the effective key person system to manage transitions at every stage, children settle quickly and form firm attachments and bonds with the adults caring for them. As a result, they are happy and have the confidence to play and learn well.  There is excellent liaison with the full spectrum of outside professionals to secure additional support for children and families where needed, ensuring that all children are included and able to access all activities.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to make more use of non-verbal methods of communication, for example, sign language to assist communication development, especially for children who are less able to use words to express themselves.  Resources, such as, bold name cards, to aid those children who show readiness in attempting to write their names are not always easily accessible, so they may occasionally lack independence in this area.

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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 interacted with children in the playroom and in the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the provider and the managers and carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of documentation including evidence of staff checks and qualifications, some policies and children's development profiles and tracking documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection and written responses to surveys received in advance.

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Information about the setting

Bumblebees @ St. Paul's was registered in 2005 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is owned and managed by a limited company. The pre-school operates from purpose-built premises within the grounds of St. Paul's C of E Primary School. It also offers a before and after school club and a holiday club. The pre-school is situated in a residential area of Wigan, Lancashire. Children have access an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3.05pm, during term time. The before and after school club is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 8.50am and from 3.15pm to 6pm, during term time. The holiday club operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 5.30pm, during school holidays, except at Christmas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 92 children on roll, of whom 46 are in the early years age group. Children aged two-, three- and four-years-old receive funded early education. The pre- school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are six members of staff, including the managers, who work with the children. Of these, three hold a qualification at level 6 in early years and three hold a qualification at level 3 in early years. The pre-school receives support from the local authority. Bumblebees has successfully achieved 'Healthy Early Years Setting' status, the 'Smile for Life Award' and the 'Pledge Award', which is a quality award administered by Wigan Council.

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

 enhance the very good development of communication skills for all children by extending the use of non-verbal methods, such as sign language

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

 ensure that resources, for example, clear, bold name cards are readily available for those children who show readiness or interest in starting to write their names to promote their learning even further.

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who attend

All children at Bumblebees make very good progress towards the early learning goals. They acquire the skills and develop the positive attitudes they will need for their successful future learning. Staff have a very good understanding of how children learn, they use their skills to create a colourful, highly stimulating and exciting environment for the children. A well-balanced range of child-initiated and adult-led activities provides children with choices and encourages them to be active learners who make decisions and solve problems. For example, they choose whether to play inside or outdoors and negotiate with one another for a turn on popular equipment, such as the computer. Staff are supportive and vigilant, assisting children when they need help but skilfully knowing when to stand back and let children 'have a go' and challenge themselves.

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who attend

Children make extremely good progress in their communication development because staff employ well thought out strategies based on secure training. They make eye contact with children by getting down to their level, they explain clearly and carefully and check that children understand what is being said to them. They give children time to answer, allowing them to think creatively and express themselves freely. The spontaneous singing sessions, when children cluster around the computer for nursery rhymes, are a joy to hear. Children enthusiastically sing their favourite songs, following the tune and remembering the words well. These shared experiences help children gain confidence and their smiles say it all. Staff share stories, using different voice tones and making the characters come to life so children develop a love of books.

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who attend

Children use the messy area for free painting, they can mix colours and experiment as they wish. Seasonal activities, such as, decorative pumpkins and spooky creations are offered with adult support and encourage a range of skills, such as, printing, cutting and sticking, as well as exploring different media to create decorative effects. Role play areas are inviting and well resourced with props and costumes, which encourage children to try out different play scenarios and help them make sense of their own life experiences through play.

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who attend

Outside, a safety surface allows children to be very active and move about freely without hurting themselves if they tumble over. A child tries going down the slide in different ways, challenging herself and taking a calculated risk. Children relish a game of hide and seek, with the staff member as seeker. They find places to hide and know that at the count of ten she will be looking for them. Squeals of delight are heard and the game repeated. Children are in control and enjoy being part of these group activities. Their feelings of belonging and self-esteem are strong, with some very defined friendships developing between children.

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who attend

Every child has a developmental profile. By taking a base line assessment when children start attending, staff know what their starting points are and can plan appropriate activities to support their development. The many photographs and written observations detail children's achievements and show the activities they have taken part in. The key persons also include next steps in learning, based on what they know children can do and need to do next. Parents can, therefore, continue the learning at home. All children aged two have a formal progress check, often in conjunction with a health visitor check. This provides a complete picture of the child's stage of development and makes it possible to identify where extra support may be needed in order to help them reach expected levels.

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who attend

Children develop a sense of the wider world as a variety of visitors to the pre-school tell them about their interesting jobs and hobbies. They also take part in events, such as, the harvest celebration at the church. A programme of festivals and world events are woven into the plans throughout the calendar year so children begin to gain ideas about diverse cultures and how others live.

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who attend

Opportunities to practise making marks and emergent writing are provided as areas of the pre-school are supplied with paper and pencils, paint brushes and water or paint. However, for those children who are ready to try writing some of the letters of their name there are, occasionally, no readily available resources, such as, bold name cards to assist them. This means their progress in this area is not always as rapid as in other areas of learning.

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who attend

Support is in place for children with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff sensitively monitor every child and seek extra support where it is felt this will aid the child's inclusion and give them access to the full range of activities. Whether this is by additional one-to-one support or by adapting equipment and resources, every child's needs are considered. Staff work closely with parents and a broad range of outside professionals. They demonstrate that children make good progress by recording their achievements and reviewing their individual plans at regular intervals. Some children attend for whom English is not the main language spoken at home. For these children, staff find out some key vocabulary to help children feel at ease and aid initial communication. Currently, while some gestures and picture cues are used effectively with children who are less verbally able, sign language and visual timetables are not commonly

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who attend

used throughout the setting. This means some children's communication skills may not be as highly effective as possible.

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who attend

Older children, who attend for before and after school care and during school holidays, have a dedicated display board with their artwork and ideas for activities. For those children who are at school but still in the early years age group, key persons liaise closely with their teachers to find ways to support the children's learning. For example, they can play games to reinforce phonics knowledge and word building or develop mathematical knowledge through structured play. This way, children have fun and gain skills in a relaxed environment with their friends.

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

A strength of this very high quality setting is the attention paid to meeting every child's unique care and learning needs. This begins, in some cases, with a home visit before a child attends. The benefits of this are that the child is able to become familiar with a new person who will be looking after them and parents can also build the important key person relationship from the earliest days. By having a clear picture of every child's background, including their health and developmental progress, as well as favourite toys, comforters and stories, staff can begin to plan activities that will engage the child and help them settle quickly, enabling them to begin learning.

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

Children develop effective attachments and bonds to their carers, turning to them for support and snuggling up for a story or quick reassuring cuddle. This ensures they are emotionally secure and prepared for the series of transitions they will have to deal with as they progress through the different stages of their learning career. The pre-school has recently started to admit children aged two and have found a large demand from local families for places. They have adapted quickly to this demand and appointed a member of staff to have particular regard for ensuring that the activities and routines are appropriate to meet the needs of the younger children. For example, the children can rest or sleep if they need to when attending for longer sessions. Nappy changes are recorded for parents and a clear record of what food children have eaten is made available. Staff work with parents in regard to potty training and helping children use a cup instead of a bottle for

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

their drinks. Parents report that they are very happy with the staff's approachability and feel they can discuss any matters concerning their child's care, learning and development. In this way, a strong and effective partnership with parents is created, which benefits children very positively.

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

Children enjoy a hearty, nutritious hot meal at lunch time if they wish. These are prepared in the school and served in the pre-school. They are encouraged to try things and eat as much as they need. Some children bring packed lunches, which they eat with their friends, again they are encouraged to eat sensibly and try things which may be new to them. Children learn about good behaviour as they work cooperatively with friends and receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff for this. Children confidently use the bathroom for hand washing and to use the toilet. Staff are aware of which children need support and which children can manage by themselves. This way, they gain independence and learn self-care skills, which will help their future development. Fresh air and exercise is planned into every session as children play outside if they wish to and often enjoy walks around the school grounds. The activities and routines they engage in provide children

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

with the chance to challenge themselves and learn to manage risks in a supported environment.

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

Bumblebees is situated next to a primary school, where a majority of the children will progress on to. Links are very strong and children visit the school on many occasions so that they are familiar with what to expect when they start in the reception class. The teachers also visit children within the pre-school, to get to know them and start to build a relationship so that the transition to school is smooth. Similar arrangements are in place for children who will attend schools further afield, so again they are well prepared for what to expect at 'big school'.

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provision

The senior staff and managers ensure that all aspects of the pre-school are very well organised and efficiently provide the full range of services for children attending. Recruitment and induction procedures are robust. No member of staff or volunteer is allowed to work with children until they have been checked and vetted. Ongoing suitability is checked at regular appraisal meetings. This ensures that children are safe and well cared for by suitable adults at all times. An effective partnership with parents is seen as key to a successful care arrangement and every effort is made to include parents and keep them informed of events and activities. A newsletter, carefully administered social network page and notices in the entrance lobby all complement the face-to-face discussions, which take place at drop-off and pick-up time. Parents and grandparents, or childminders, are greeted as they bring children and any information is exchanged

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provision

informally. Regular parents' evenings or appointments at other times are used to discuss individual children's progress in detail and ensure that parents are aware of how they can support children to continue learning at home.

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provision

A member of staff has been appointed as having a lead role in safeguarding children and ensuring that all staff are well informed and able to act on concerns they may have about any child's welfare. The child protection policy is shared with parents so they have an understanding of the setting's responsibility and methods in place to protect children from harm or neglect. This helps reassure them that their children are in safe hands. Daily and weekly risk assessments are carried out to keep the premises and equipment in safe and suitable condition for children. Security is well managed and no child can leave the premises unseen. All visitors are screened and their presence logged and staff understand that children are never left unsupervised with un-vetted persons, keeping them safe.

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provision

The senior staff monitor all aspects of the pre-school practice on an ongoing basis. They oversee the planning and activities offered to ensure that these are matched to children's needs. They also observe and note staff as they work and interact with the children and make constructive comments regarding the quality of teaching. Staff say they enjoy this process and can improve their practice as a result. Training and qualifications are seen as key to maintaining high standards and every member of staff is encouraged to pursue their professional development by attending training courses, reading widely and sharing ideas with other practitioners in the local area.

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provision

The managers and senior staff lead a very reflective culture, which promotes their aspirations for a high quality provision. They remain enthusiastic and dedicated to continuous improvement by having an action plan for future development and tackling identified areas for improvement. This includes responding to suggestions gained through feedback from parent surveys, acting on advice from the local authority development worker and planning improvements based on what they wish to provide for the children. Currently, plans are in place for an extension which, if it goes ahead, will provide a multi- purpose space for small group or individual work with children, or a meeting space for parents to speak with staff and other professionals. This is a very positive development and based on a realistic and well thought out view of how to improve outcomes for children. Good working relationships are in place with other professionals to ensure all

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provision

children's needs are met. Overall, children thrive and make very good progress in this well organised pre-school because the overarching ethos places the child at the centre of everything. The focus is on children's individual development through the delivery of a broad range of experiences, covering all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is good, overall, with accurate assessments and next steps for every child to ensure their inclusion.

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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 EY302715 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 915437

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 92 Name of provider Bumblebees @ St. Paul's Limited Date of previous inspection 19/09/2011 Telephone number 07771 797134

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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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