Barney Bears Nursery

Barney Bears Nursery 60 Upney Lane, Barking, Essex, IG11 9LP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/12/2013 22/06/2009

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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

 Managers are committed to continuous improvement at the nursery and use a range of strategies to identify areas for development, even when practice is already good.  Staff use a range of techniques to encourage children's communication development. They ask questions which encourage children to think and give them time to think about their answers.  Staff have a good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and use this knowledge to plan stimulating activities for individual, and groups of, children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The books areas in both rooms are not fully developed to be more attractive and welcoming areas which encourage children's interest in books  At times, the large group size during circle time activities means that some children are not fully engaged.

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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 talked to children, parents, staff and managers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in both rooms in the nursery and in the enclosed garden area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled staff files, policies and other nursery records.  The inspector looked at children's development files.

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Information about the setting

Barney Bears Nursery registered in 2004 and operates from four rooms in a converted house. It is situated in a residential area in Barking in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 44 children aged under five years on roll. Children mostly come from the local area, but some come from a wider catchment area. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eleven members of staff who work with the children and one cook. All of the childcare staff, including the managers, hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives

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Information about the setting

funding for the provision of free early years education for two-, three-, and four-year-olds.

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

 review group sizes when children are participating in circle times to ensure that all children are fully engaged

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

 provide cosy book areas in both rooms so that children are encouraged to look at books for interest and pleasure in a stimulating area.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and an effective understanding of how children learn. This knowledge enables them to plan interesting activities which effectively promote children's learning. Staff plan well for all children. In the baby room, staff promote children's developing communication skills in all activities. Staff's gentle care means that babies are relaxed as they learn in an environment where they feel safe and secure. Staff talk with children about their play activities and this helps them to learn new words. Babies enjoy painting and looking at books and these activities further support their early language as staff repeat key words for them. However, the book areas in both rooms are not fully developed to support children's independence when choosing books to look at. Staff in the main room use effective questioning to encourage children to think. For example, they ask children to think about the type of clothing they

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who attend

need to wear in the cold weather and children describe their outdoor clothing. Staff give children time to think of their answers and this enhances children's confidence. Staff use their skills to encourage children to solve practical mathematical problems. They ask children to calculate how many pieces of cutlery they need for everyone at the table, and children enjoy counting and giving staff the answer.

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who attend

Staff gather information from parents when children start at the nursery. Staff use this information effectively to provide activities the children are interested in. Parents continue to be involved in sharing children's learning at home and in the nursery. Parents meet with their child's key person at regular, planned meetings and provide information on children's achievements and interests at home so that staff can use the information in their planning. Staff give detailed daily information to parents about children's activities and routines and this means that parents feel fully informed about their child's day. Staff carefully monitor all children's progress as they assess their development. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities with careful observations and detailed plans to promote their individual development.

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who attend

Children generally enjoy circle times. They enthusiastically sing songs about caterpillars and butterflies, and join in with music and movement sessions with excitement. When circle times are organised with large groups however, some children are not fully engaged and therefore miss out on some aspects of these learning experiences.

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who attend

Children choose from good quality toys and equipment in both rooms and the secure outside area is also well equipped, enabling children to enjoy a variety of outside play activities. For example, children enjoy developing physical skills as they balance on wooden planks and enjoy drawing and taking photographs of each other as they play. This full range of activities means that children who particularly enjoy outside play can develop skills in all areas of learning.

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

The nursery is welcoming and staff are caring. As a result, children develop close bonds with staff and settle well when they arrive. Children are comfortable and relaxed with staff and enjoy a cuddle at various times of the day. Children's behaviour is good and this is because staff are good role models. Children are forming caring friendships and they help each other, for example, when one child falls over. Staff support all children as they learn to manage their own care needs. For example, all children are learning to feed themselves and older children pour their own drinks and clear their plates away when they have finished their lunch. Meals are prepared freshly on the premises and staff chat with children about how their food is good for them. Staff further support children's healthy practices by planning for outside play every day to give children daily fresh air. Staff encourage children to feel their heart beat after physical activities and this develops

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

children's awareness of how their bodies work.

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

Lunch times are relaxed. Staff sit with small groups of children and they all chat about a variety of subjects. Children develop social skills as they take turns in conversations, help each other by passing items to each other and practise their manners, which staff encourage. Babies join the older children for lunch times and this is one of the strategies used to familiarise babies with the main room and the staff who work there. Staff manage these moves well. Key staff spend time with individual children in both rooms so that they have time to settle. The manager has made links with all schools in the area where children attend. This supports children as they make the move from nursery to school.

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

Staff use daily routines and activities to encourage children's awareness of their personal safety. They demonstrate how to carry scissors safely and encourage children to think about the potential hazards in their play. For example, with encouragement from staff, children decide that they should move their play to a space away from the door in case someone comes in.

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provision

The members of the management team at this nursery are very focused on how they can continuously improve the setting. They consistently review all areas and work with their colleagues in their group of nurseries and the whole staff team to plan for improvements. Staff training is focused to benefit the whole nursery and individual staff members. The manager is organised and she has made practical improvements to the induction procedures for all staff and students. These changes make procedures more thorough and now give staff time to fully understand key policies and procedures. In house training and support for staff is structured and a continuous process and this means that staff work well together as a team as they learn ways to improve their good practice. The manager monitors staff performance with regular supervision meetings and has introduced a programme for staff development which gives staff a clear understanding of any training

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provision

needs. As a result, the positive effects are demonstrated in, for example, how staff interact with children to develop their communication skills at all ages.

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provision

The managers have a clear understanding of their responsibility to meet the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have a clear understanding of the safeguarding policy and procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child. All staff are confident when describing these procedures and they have good knowledge of who to contact both within the nursery and within the local authority should they need to. The safeguarding policy is robust and fully covers all requirements. The nursery is secure. All parents and visitors are greeted by a member of staff and a record is kept of the visitors to the nursery. The manager carries out suitability checks on all staff before they begin working at the nursery and this means that only those who are cleared to work with children do so. All these practices are effective in safeguarding children.

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provision

The manager monitors children's development to ensure that staff are providing activities in the seven areas of learning. Observations of children's play identify areas where some children are not fully engaged and the manager is successful in addressing these issues. For example, nursery staff have developed role play activities to encourage all children's participation and have purchased a range of equipment to enable this. Staff and managers work well with outside agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, the nursery works with the local authority advisor and health visitor to meet children's individual needs. There are effective partnerships with the local children's centre and staff use the resources at the children's centre to provide different learning experiences for children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are successful. They are involved in children's learning and invited to attend a variety of events at the nursery. Staff give detailed information to parents at the end of the day and a mix of informal chats and planned meetings mean that there is continuity of care for all children. Plans to engage parents further are in place and this is one of the many areas the manager is planning to improve the already good, practice at 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 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 EY281440 Local authority Barking & Dagenham Inspection number 945263

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Barney Bears Date of previous inspection 22/06/2009 Telephone number 020 8594 3366

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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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