Busy Bees Day Nursery at Birmingham Longbridge

Busy Bees at Longbridge Tessall Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham, West Midlands, B31 2SF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/12/2013 15/11/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children have access to a wide range of toys and equipment which supports their interests. As a result, children make adequate progress in the seven areas of learning.  Suitable systems are in place to support children's move to other areas within the nursery, which supports their emotional well-being.  Staff ensure children have daily access to the outdoor area, to support their physical skills and support a healthy lifestyle.

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It is not yet good because

 Children's safety is not given the highest priority because procedures for the safe arrival of children and the removal of identified risks are not fully effective.  Staff do not always use their observations and assessments well enough to clearly identify children's next steps in their learning and plan a suitable range of activities, which provide good levels of challenge for all children so that they make good progress. The 'progress check at age two' is not completed for all children when required.  Supervision is not always planned well enough to identify staff's future training needs, to consistently support their professional development.  Self-evaluation and review is yet to be fully developed to ensure all required areas for improvement are identified, prioritised and planned for. Partnerships with other settings are not fully developed to promote consistent support for children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector was accompanied by a second inspector.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors spoke with the company director, the manager, deputy manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day  The inspector carried joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records, learning and development information, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.  The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of staff's suitability and a range of policies and record keeping procedures.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees at Longbridge has been open since 1996. The nursery is part of the Busy Bees nursery group. It operates from four rooms in a purpose-built, single-storey building, located adjacent to Longbridge railway station in south Birmingham. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor area. The nursery serves the local and the wider community. The nursery has African giant land snails. The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and there are currently 83 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery is currently in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education for three- and four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and whom have an additional language at home.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday for 51 weeks of the year, from 7am to 6pm. There are 22 staff employed to work with children. Of these, 13 hold an early years qualification at level 3 and five staff members have a qualification at level 2. Four staff are unqualified. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 make better use of observations and assessments to: clearly identify children's next step for learning and plan an appropriate range of activities to ensure they offer good levels of challenge and support; complete the 'progress check at age two', in the prime areas of learning

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must:

 ensure identified risks are minimised in a timely way and review and improve risk assessments in relation to children's arrival at the setting: this is with specific regard to unauthorised persons opening the front door

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must:

 extend procedures for supervision sessions for staff, to ensure they clearly help to identify their future training needs and help support staff performance and development.

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

 extend the communication with other settings children attend and encourage the sharing of specific information about individual children's learning, in order to support and complement children's learning and development

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

 review methods for self-evaluation to ensure it clearly identifies the strengths of the provision and any required improvements to tackle areas of weakness.

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who attend

Children make acceptable progress in their learning and development as staff provide a suitable range of activities, which support their interests. However, staff do not always accurately use the information from their observations and assessments to plan for the next stage in children's learning. For example, on some occasions the organisation of adult-led activities does not ensure that all children are able to fully participate and engage. Staff plan a painting activity and later decide to cover the paint with clear film to allow a new experience for children. However, children quickly lose interest since they are not able to feel the paint on their hands. When staff begin to clear away the activity and remove the clear film, children start to enjoy the paint on their hands. However, they do not have enough time to enjoy this. Staff read stories to children, which supports their vocabulary. Through discussions, songs and rhymes children develop their language. Staff

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who attend

collect familiar words for children who have an additional language at home, to support their communication. Staff provide appropriate resources for children to count, compare and sort, which supports their problem solving skills. Staff label coat pegs with children's names to help them learn and recognise their names. Children access the computer independently where they use the touch screen to load their favourite games. These skills help children prepare for their future learning. Staff have completed the 'progress check at age two' for most children and this is shared with parents to enable them to provide support to their children. However, this has not been completed for all children where required. Staff work closely with other professionals to devise individual educational plans to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the correct support. For example, staff plan small group activities and provide one-to-one interaction

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who attend

to help children make suitable progress towards their early learning goals.

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who attend

Staff ensure babies have access to a wide range of interesting resources to support their learning. For example, babies explore different textures in the sensory baskets, such as, sponges, brushes and objects which make sounds. There is a wide range of messy play, such as, paint, sand and water, which supports children's creativity and imagination. Children thoroughly enjoy playing outside in the fresh air, which enables them to continue their learning outdoors and supports a healthy lifestyle. They initiate and extend their own learning as they access a wide range of resources and equipment. Children develop appropriate skills as they use cars, bikes and wheeled toys in the garden. Staff talk to parents about activities children take part in at the nursery and encourage them to extend this at home. They encourage parents to complete observations of their children's learning at home, which staff then build on at the nursery.

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

Children develop warm and positive relationships with staff and each other, which supports their security. They settle well because the key person ensures they collect information from parents about children's interests and preferences. For example, children bring in items from home, such as toys and comfort items, which reassures them. In addition to this, staff ensure that children sit with their key person at lunchtimes, which further supports secure bonds. Some effective procedures are in place to support transition within the nursery. For example, staff share information and complete a transfer document. In addition to this, staff accompany children to the new room, which helps them to settle in there. Children prepare for the next stage in their learning through stories, discussions and visits to school, which supports their emotional development.

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

The nursery provides a range of freshly prepared meals and snacks, which meets children's individual dietary requirements, such as a vegetarian diet. A four week menu is displayed to keep parents informed of the food served to their children. Older children use cutlery well while younger children demonstrate their growing independence as they learn to feed themselves with their fingers and a spoon. Children behave well as they take turns and share equipment. Staff use positive methods to promote appropriate behaviour. This includes talking to children about negative behaviour, which helps them to learn right from wrong and also supports their emotional well-being. Simple rules, such as 'be nice and share' are displayed to help reinforce appropriate behaviour. Children have access to a wide range of toys, equipment and furniture, which supports their interests and development. Toys are stored in boxes at children's level, which

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

enables them to make some choices about their play and learning. Staff encourage children to learn about road safety through role play activities. They learn about road signs and how to use the crossing, which promotes their safety. Regular fire evacuation drills further supports children's awareness of what to do in an emergency situation.

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provision

The inspection took place following concerns about the security of the premises. Evidence gathered during the inspection identifies that the provider is not meeting all the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The procedures for the safe arrival of children are not fully effective because parents, on occasions, open the door for other parents who are arriving at the setting. On the day of the inspection, the maintenance person had opened the door to a familiar parent, which does not fully support the security of children. The manager explained that a member of staff had observed this and was behind him, but accepts this practice is not appropriate. Despite safety checks being conducted by staff in the outdoor area, they fail to identify and remove all the potential hazards. Staff sweep leaves and place crisp packets on the side but the strong wind soon blows it all over the garden again. Children's access to such

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provision

hazards impacts on their safety and welfare and demonstrates that staff's knowledge of how to effectively manage risks, requires improvement. Despite the weaknesses, children are suitably supervised in the nursery to support their safety.

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provision

Staff have an adequate understanding of child protection procedures and attend training to update their knowledge. Written policies for whistle blowing and the use of cameras and mobile telephones are suitably implemented and help to support children's well-being. Suitable recruitment and vetting procedures ensure all staff employed are suitable to work with children and this includes a Disclosure and Barring Service check for all staff. Staff have positive relationships with parents and share both verbal and written information about their child's routine and the activities they participate in. Regular newsletters and the information board provide information about future events, which enables parents to be involved in their children's learning. Parents express their satisfaction with the care their children receive at the nursery. They state that staff keep them well-informed of their children's care and progress. Some children on roll have recently started to attend other

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provision

settings which deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Although, staff have started to develop links with these providers, these require further development to better promote consistency in children's learning and development.

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provision

The nursery is suitably led by the management team, who receives regular support from the area director. The nursery evaluates the provision for the educational programme through regular staff meetings and has support from the local authority. However, systems are not fully robust with regard to planning some activities to ensure they are appropriate and provide good levels of challenge and support for individual children, so that progress is better than satisfactory. Regular staff and room meetings are held to discuss planning. Although, systems are in place for staff appraisals and supervisions, these do not always clearly identify their future training needs and areas for further development. As a result, some staff are unsure of some of the practices, especially in relation to the planning of activities. The nursery has identified areas for further training for staff with regard to peer observations, but this is in the early stages. The process of

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provision

self-evaluation does not fully identify all areas which require further development to promote continuous improvement. The nursery collects both parents' and children's views through discussions and questionnaires. Parents' requests for more information on activities children enjoy at nursery have been addressed, which enables them to continue their learning at home.

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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 509451 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 941952

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 68 Number of children on roll 83 Name of provider Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 15/11/2012 Telephone number 0121 477 8777

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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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