Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury

Just Learning Nursery Monks Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 7TD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/12/2013 30/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 of all ages make very good progress in their learning and development as they have time to access and explore a stimulating environment combined with good quality teaching from well-prepared staff.  All staff consistently complete regular and precise assessments of children and use these effectively to plan suitably challenging activities so that all children make good progress.  Parents are offered many opportunities to share and delight in their children's learning and achievements at the nursery.  Staff know the children very well and help all children to thrive and become more aware and tolerant of their peers in this caring and nurturing environment.  Leadership and management have a very clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and have high aspirations for further improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 New systems for performance management and supervision are in place and staff need time to firmly embed all their new training and procedures in to everyday practice so they may then aspire to excellence across all their activities.

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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 and care routines in each of the rooms and outdoor play areas and talked about their practice with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documents relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment, behaviour management and the nursery's planning and evaluation documents, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records and progress checks and talked with staff and senior management.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, checked the complaints log and reviewed information available from parent questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the provider and the manager and observed practice with them.

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Information about the setting

Just Learning Nursery registered in 2002 and was acquired by Busy Bees Nurseries in 2012. It is one of a chain of nurseries operated by Busy Bees Nurseries. The nursery occupies purpose-designed premises within the grounds of Newbury College, on the southern outskirts of Newbury in Berkshire. The accommodation comprises of nine playrooms for the children, who are grouped according to age. Further facilities include a multi-purpose area, office, kitchen, laundry, staff room and accessible toilets. There are large, secure outdoor play areas.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register as well as the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language. The nursery opens each weekday throughout the year between 7.30am and 6pm, with the exception of bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery draws children from a wide geographical area including many whose parents attend Newbury College.

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Information about the setting

There are 14 permanent staff members and six regular relief members of staff working with the children. Of these 12 hold relevant qualifications at level 3 or above and three are at level 2. The nursery supports a number of staff who are working towards recognised qualifications as well as childcare students from Newbury College. Support staff include a chef, a kitchen assistant and an administrator.

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

 continue to develop high-quality professional supervision to fully embed all the new training and procedures in daily practice.

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who attend

Staff are very good at meeting the needs of all the children who attend this lively and welcoming nursery. Children quickly settle into the daily routines, which are organised to create interesting and challenging opportunities for children to learn and develop. For example, thoughtful staff aim to expand young children's interest in cars to different learning experiences. Children make car tracks through sand and gloop (corn flour paste) in water. While they enjoy the vehicles, they are also investigating the different properties of dry and wet sand and gloop and explore the feeling of different textures. Children are fully engaged in a broad range of learning experiences because staff carefully match their interests with challenging next steps in development. They also ensure that learning opportunities cover a broad range of topics so that children make good progress in all areas of their development.

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who attend

Effective systems are in place to gather information about children's starting points before they join the nursery and at each room change as they progress through it. This helps staff plan and provide stimulating resources and experiences related to children's interests and recent achievements. Sufficient time is given for children to play and develop their ideas, with observant staff nearby encouraging them to persist when challenges occur. Staff track children's progress frequently, they assess and evaluate their development across all areas of learning and share this information with parents. This helps to ensure that all children make the best possible progress and any gaps in their experience and learning are addressed through timely interventions. For example, targets for children who are learning English as an additional language focus on fast tracking progress in communication and language skills. Key words displayed around the rooms prompt staff to

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who attend

use children's home languages to support care routines. Targets for very young children include modelling meaningful vocabulary, while older children benefit from good use of dual language texts on labels and in books. Staff make all children feel valued and respected so they develop strong personal, social and emotional skills. A clear focus on establishing secure foundations for future progress helps children rapidly close gaps and become well prepared for the next steps in their learning.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is now consistently good across all age groups in the setting. For example, teachers in the pre-school room use the opportunity of making fairy cakes to catch up with the children's thinking and understanding. These three- and four-year-olds are experienced cake makers who are adept at planning what they need, how they measure the ingredients and sharing out the utensils. Staff give the children the opportunity to plan their ideas, disagree with each other, negotiate and work through the problems they encounter. They work amiably together, chatting about the 'flock' of birds that flew over in the 'number eight shape' yesterday. Each time there is a lull in conversation staff expand on the children's comments. They encourage the children to play with rhyming words and discuss their parts and lines in the forthcoming nativity play. Staff stretch their mathematical skills further by introducing the concept of filling four plus

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who attend

four plus four cake cases to make 12 in the tray. Children quickly grasp the idea that filling only two of their four cake cases would not be a fair way of sharing out the task. The teacher skilfully identifies where children are in their thinking and challenges them to greater insights. The children converse and develop their social, linguistic and mathematical skills, all of which is good preparation for their move to school next summer.

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who attend

Parents speak well of the staff and the close relationships they and their children have with staff. Most communication occurs at drop off and collection times when parents and staff exchange daily updates and interests. However, a broad range of initiatives helps to engage parents in their children's learning and development. Bright display boards in the central corridor provide parents with information on staff, education programmes, teaching initiatives and ideas to try at home. The nursery has also embarked on some parent education evenings to help parents understand the processes staff use to monitor children's progress in their learning, involvement and well-being. Another new initiative is the monthly 'activity for home' which provides a further focus for parents, their children and key staff to enjoy learning and celebrating achievements together. This is a very welcoming environment for children, parents and their team.

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

Staff's warm and attentive care helps babies and young children feel settled, relaxed and happy to play and explore. This confidence is the result of an effective key person system, in which parents and children's wishes are well known and understood by their 'special' key person. The nursery has recently implemented a range of new strategies to help very young children settle in to nursery life. They also help parents share information about their child's likes and dislikes, individual preferences and needs. The suite of rooms used to care for the babies is homely, beautifully presented, well resourced and highly practical. Bright coloured rugs, with well chosen, contrasting toys provide a series of stimulating play areas. Caring staff gently encourage babies' physical and social development, modelling vocal play, new words and singing rhymes as they do so. Babies are content and soon form very secure emotional attachments at the nursery. Parents and staff liaise

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

closely to maintain consistency across care routines and to celebrate each next step in the babies' development.

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

Toddlers entering the suite of rooms designed for children under two happily leave their parents to hug their key person and then swiftly move off to a chosen activity. Children choose between easels set with paper and paints, colourful books, puzzles and building blocks. The sand tray entices other children as they use the rough terrain for a rally car track. Children are very confident with the staff, when moving between breakfast and play and in their morning activities. They have a strong base from which to explore their three well-resourced rooms and the stimulating outside play area. Toys are stored in clear box trays on low shelving so that even the toddlers may move freely around the rooms, choosing and exploring their own activities. Staff observe children and note signs of deep involvement and sustained concentration. They add their observations to the children's learning journals and build on the children's interests when planning for their next steps.

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

With such appropriate and diverse learning experiences so firmly rooted in children's interests, children in all age groups are actively engaged throughout the day and generally behave very well.

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

The main outdoor area is full of stimulating and varied activities that encourage children to enjoy the fresh air for long periods. Children learn to manage everyday risks through their play. They wear suitable clothing in order to enjoy uninterrupted play in the mud kitchen or when using the water shoots. The younger children are free to create and investigate indoors or outside. Another source of physical exercise is the daily 'Wake and shake' session, which children thoroughly enjoy. They practise taking on and off their special red t-shirts and carefully listen to follow a series of movements to a familiar song. This not only provides a social and amusing exercise routine it gives them daily practice at listening to and following instructions. Again this is a useful skill for life and reflects the high expectations staff have for children to listen, think, reflect and enjoy their experiences. Children are encouraged to eat healthily, and the nursery chef and her assistant provide

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

varied home cooked meals that cater for all dietary needs. The furnishings in each base room are arranged flexibly so that sleeping zones become cosy and relaxing. Attentive staff patiently soothe and lull children to sleep at nap times. The thoughtful commitment of all staff ensures that every child's needs are met and that every child knows they are valued.

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

Parents comment appreciatively that they know their children feel safe at the nursery. Relationships are strong at all levels with children learning how to recognise and express their feelings. Older children use an 'emotion box' of prompts to discuss how they might feel in different situations and what they could do to manage those feelings appropriately. This is particularly helpful preparation for their moves to a more diverse social group at school later in the year. Other initiatives to support preparation for school include setting up a 'school' for role-play, dressing up in the local school uniforms and PE kits and serving their meals to each other. Children, their parents and teachers prepare information to pass on to the local schools together. They also invite their new teachers into the nursery to see how confident and capable the children are in their familiar environment.

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provision

After changes in ownership and management, leadership at the nursery is now stable and leading a team of dedicated and professional staff. New systems are in place to monitor children's development and plan challenging activities to support their learning. The range of activities staff offer children within each age group captivates their imaginations and stimulates their learning very effectively. The regional childcare curriculum advisor has helped drive significant improvements across the education programmes in the last year. Education programmes are of a good quality, guiding all children to make consistent progress in all areas of learning and development. Systems for assessing children's progress are tight and implemented well by all members of staff. Progress across the nursery is reviewed and documentation moderated to help ensure that all children maintain good levels of achievement. The quality of staff's teaching has also benefited

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provision

from a closer focus on how children learn. Effective strategies for developing children's thinking are particularly evident in the pre-school class, supporting their forthcoming moves to school.

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provision

The nursery fully meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Leadership and management have a clear understanding of their roles in supporting and guiding staff on all areas of child protection and managing children's behaviour. All members of staff have recently updated their training in safeguarding children, managing behaviour, the role of the key person and paediatric first aid. Procedures for recruiting, vetting and appointing new staff are robust with all permanent and relief staff having undergone checks by the Disclosure and Baring Service. Induction programmes and regular staff meetings also include sessions on understanding and implementing the policy and procedures regarding safeguarding children on a daily basis. All staff know how to act if they are concerned about a child or a member of staff's behaviour in relation to a child. Close monitoring of room ratios of staff to children occur

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provision

throughout the day, but especially during morning drop off. Staff deployment is also very good, resulting in a high level of care and nurturing for all children across the day.

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provision

Management and staff embrace a strong drive for improvement, which is evident in all they have achieved together in the last twelve months. Staff access training from the Busy Bee Chain of nurseries as well as from the local authority. An effective programme of professional development is helping staff to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. Consistent and sharply focused evaluations of the impact of staff's practice will help the nursery improve further. A sustained period of high-quality professional supervision from the management team is required in order to pursue the levels of excellence to which they aspire.

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provision

The key person system is now fully embedded in all areas of the nursery, tailoring care to the needs of individual children and their families. Parents are engaged in their children's learning through a wide range of strategies before, during and as their children move on from the nursery. Staff have a good knowledge of the children in their care, and parents understand how the nursery operates to secure the very best outcomes for their children. Parents review their children's learning journeys at parents' evenings or upon request. Partnerships with parents and with external agencies are strong enough to secure appropriate intervention packages where children are not achieving expected levels or where they have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children who are learning English as an additional language are ably supported so that any gaps in spoken language acquisition are quickly addressed and do not adversely affect future learning. The nursery

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provision

is currently working to strengthen relationships with external agencies and in particular with other nurseries their children may also attend. A good range of systems are in place so that all children receive the support they need to flourish.

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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 EY233534 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 943419 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 104 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Just Learning Ltd Date of previous inspection 30/07/2013 Telephone number 01635 524832

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Setting details

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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