Busy Bees Day Nursery at Birmingham QE

Busy Bees Day Nursery at The QE Hospital 160 Metchley Lane, Birmingham, B15 2TX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/01/2014 23/07/2013

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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

 Babies and children settle quickly and form close attachments with the attentive, caring staff who sensitively and adeptly promote each child's well-being, confidence and growing independence.  Staff foster babies' and children's learning effectively therefore children make good progress in their development. Their enthusiasm and active involvement in activities encourages babies and children to join in, to concentrate and persevere and to imaginatively express and develop their ideas.  The manager and senior staff have made significant improvements to the nursery's policy and provision. In particular, they have embedded rigorous staff performance and safeguarding procedures. As a result, staff are well supported and confident about their roles as key persons, and conscientious and proactive about ensuring children are protected from harm.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Babies' and toddler's identified next steps in their learning are not always rigorously followed up in staff's planning of future activities, so that they attain the very highest possible levels of attainment.  There is scope to offer children more challenging and varied experiences outdoors.

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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 observed activities in babies' and children's base rooms and outdoor play areas.  The inspector and nursery manager carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the company's childcare and curriculum adviser and the nursery manager.  The inspector spoke to staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector read and discussed the nursery self-evaluation form and improvement plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at The QE Hospital is one of 214 nurseries within a chain of daycare provisions owned by a limited company. It was registered in 2007 and is on the Early Years Register. The nursery is situated in purpose-built premises near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham. It serves hospital and university staff and the local community. It operates from eight rooms and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outside play. The nursery employs 41 members of childcare staff. Of these, one has a level 6 qualification, 32 hold qualifications at level 3, and four hold level 2. The nursery also employs an administrator, chef, assistant cook and an apprentice who is working towards a level 2 qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7am to 6pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 170 children on roll who

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Information about the setting

are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery offers support for emergency childcare placements.

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

 consistently include babies' and toddlers' identified next steps in their learning in the planning of future activities, in order to ensure the very highest levels of attainment for this age group of children

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

 strengthen the planning and organisation of activities and resources outdoors to offer babies and children consistently exciting and challenging experiences.

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who attend

Babies and children enjoy learning because they are encouraged and enthused by staff who make learning fun and purposeful, organising activities which capture their interest and imagination. Key persons have a good understanding of children's interests and next steps as a result of their interactions with them, consistent observations and assessments, and regular information sharing with parents and carers. They consistently track children's progress, ensuring they promptly identify their starting points and, thereafter, regularly monitor their ongoing developmental needs. Throughout the nursery staff confidently plan activities which reflect children's ideas and interests. In the main, staff also ably plan for children's learning priorities, particularly in the pre-school, where staff expertly build on and extend children's skills and understanding. However, occasionally it is not clear how babies' and toddlers' learning priorities are followed up in the planning of activities.

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who attend

Sometimes this means staff do not challenge younger children's thinking or build on their skills to the optimum level so that they achieve the very highest possible levels of attainment. The manager and her senior colleagues from within the nursery and company recognise this. They regularly moderate planning and help staff to plan more precisely for the needs of younger children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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who attend

Parents and carers are actively encouraged to contribute their views about their children's learning and development. For example, the information they provide helps key persons to get to know children when they start at nursery and to complete accurate baseline assessments. Thereafter, staff and parents regularly exchange information about children's activities and achievements during daily discussions and at more formal meetings to review their progress, such as parents' evenings. Key persons ask parents for their views when they complete children's two-year-old progress checks and their assessments of children who are moving on to school. Parents' comments about their children's interests and learning at home are welcomed and followed up, as is their involvement in nursery activities and events.

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who attend

The staff's good quality and, in some instances, excellent teaching ensures children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. All staff interact well with children, showing their enthusiasm for learning while they chat easily to them and join in their play. As a result, staff give children confidence to take part in rewarding activities, and ably help them to concentrate, express themselves imaginatively and persevere. For example, young toddlers eagerly join in imaginative play as they and a member of staff have a 'picnic'. Other toddlers enjoy exploring the differences between wet and dry sand, and another group of young children show delight and a good sense of rhythm during fun sessions of music and action songs.

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who attend

Pre-school children are inspired to learn by highly enthusiastic, imaginative staff, who skilfully plan and organise stimulating resources and activities which reflect children's ideas, challenge their thinking and help them build on their skills and understanding. Pre- school children's current interests in aliens and dinosaurs are expertly translated by the staff into exciting activities. For example, a group of children and two staff energetically act out going into space in search of aliens, all wearing the special badges they made earlier. A lively circle time discussion follows when children talk about how they and a puppet alien are feeling. They clearly describe the reasons for them or the alien feeling happy, sad or angry. Children's quick thinking, problem solving and coordination are all fostered during a fast-paced action game and then a quieter picture-matching game, both featuring aliens. Meanwhile, other pre-school children show high levels of concentration

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who attend

and imagination as they collaboratively design and make an elaborate model of 'dinosaur land'.

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who attend

Staff confidently promote children's communication skills. The adults' positive interactions with babies and toddlers, including plenty of opportunities for singing, looking at books and listening to stories, all help them to develop confidence and clarity in speaking. From an early age, children are also encouraged to sit and listen carefully when needed and they have many worthwhile opportunities to take part in discussions as well as social conversations. As a result, children become increasingly confident and articulate in different situations. Good support is given to children who speak English as an additional language. Staff's accurate assessments ensure prompt identification of any delays to children's speaking, understanding or listening. The nursery's well-established links with other agencies ensure well-targeted support and generally effective strategies to address concerns about children's communication skills or any other aspect of their development.

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

Babies and children are nurtured and thrive. Their individual care, health and dietary needs, routines, backgrounds and characteristics are clearly understood and catered for. Good settling-in arrangements enable staff to get to know children well when they start at nursery or move to another room. Children's hygiene, sleep, feeds and mealtime routines are fully understood and followed. This includes catering and childcare staff carefully managing children's dietary needs and food allergies at snack and meal times, while also fostering their growing independence. Any changes to children's health or care needs are fully discussed, any risks are carefully assessed and appropriate adjustments are made to routines and/or procedures.

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

Staff adeptly promote babies' and children's social and emotional well-being so they are effectively prepared for new situations, such as moving rooms within the nursery and starting school. Everyone who works at the nursery is approachable, kind and caring. They reassure and encourage babies and children, who settle well in their child-friendly surroundings and form close bonds with their key persons and other staff. In every room there is an atmosphere of relaxed, calm purpose, and adults adeptly channel their own enthusiasm into enhancing children's enjoyment. Staff build on children's independence and confidence by encouraging their choices of activities, resources, songs and stories. They extend children's appreciation of the needs of others, for instance, during stories and discussions about their behaviour and managing different feelings. Children are effectively supported in developing good relationships. For example, before lunch as they find their

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

places at table, toddlers take delight in saying their own and the other children's names so they get to know each other better. Well-organised, relaxed snack and meal times also provide opportunities for children's independent eating and socialising.

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

Staff foster children's good understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. They ensure children are looked after and learn in premises which are inviting, comfortable, safe and secure. In the way they respond to children and promote their safe behaviour, staff show they are fully aware of how to protect children from harm and to help them manage risks. For example, during sessions children are reminded about behaving safely and sensibly as they move around the premises and use utensils, toys and equipment. Managers and staff carry out regular, comprehensive risk assessments and safety checks. They involve children in helping to keep rooms clear and free from hazards, for instance, when they help to put away toys.

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

During activities and routines, children learn about different aspects of a healthy lifestyle. They become increasingly independent in seeing to their personal care and good hygiene during well-managed nappy changes and toileting routines. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks, and some children garden and grow their own vegetables. Staff ensure children play outdoors in all weathers and they relish being active. For instance, during an energetic indoor game to music, pre-school children move with confidence and control as they follow actions and form different shapes representing features in space. However, there is scope for staff to plan more precisely for children's outdoor play in order to fully extend their physical skills and to enhance other aspects of their learning outside.

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provision

Since the last inspection, and as a result of their comprehensive, accurate evaluation of all aspects of the nursery, the manager and other senior nursery and company staff have successfully made improvements to the provision. In particular, they have embedded rigorous staff performance arrangements and improved safeguarding procedures. The manager and her colleagues have clearly identified staff's development needs as a result of regular staff meetings and individual staff supervision sessions. They have successfully tackled areas for improvement in staff's practice and knowledge through in-service training, effective mentoring and by reorganising teams. In addition, since the last inspection the manager has successfully developed staff's knowledge of safeguarding procedures and their confidence in recognising when a child is potentially at risk of harm. Staff attend regular safeguarding training, and safeguarding is discussed at all group and

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provision

individual meetings with staff. Improved systems for recording information relating to children's welfare, health and safety have been welcomed and effectively used by staff. They are therefore ensuring there is a detailed chronology of events, discussions and incidents relating to children in their care.

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provision

There are effective systems for monitoring and developing other aspects of the nursery. Increasingly rigorous monitoring of staff's teaching and planning and of children's progress means that any gaps in the educational programme are promptly identified and addressed. For example, following their review of children's outdoor learning, the manager and staff are implementing new ideas for resources and activities. The manager has recognised there is scope to strengthen planning for children's learning priorities in some areas of the nursery. To this end, involving staff with expertise in special educational needs in moderating planning is helping all key persons to plan more precisely for their children's needs.

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provision

Well-established partnerships between the nursery and parents, other agencies and schools make a strong contribution to children's needs being met. Parents' views about their children's care, learning and development are encouraged and valued, and they are kept well informed about their children's routines, activities and achievements. They are encouraged to express their views about the nursery provision and to contribute to its ongoing development, for instance, by being a member of the parent partnership group. Staff work confidently with other agencies to ensure early, well-targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager and key persons are proactive and resourceful in the way they make links with the various schools children move on to. They do their best to help children to get to know as much as possible about their school. For example, key persons visit schools or teachers come to the nursery. Staff

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provision

collate photographs and other information about schools to include in activities and discussions with the children.

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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 EY344321 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 946046

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 133 Number of children on roll 170 Name of provider Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 23/07/2013 Telephone number 0121 428 4950

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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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