Busy Bees Day Nursery at Solihull Discoveryland

Discovery Land Lode Lane, SOLIHULL, West Midlands, B92 8NW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/09/2014 15/06/2011

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are happy and confident in this welcoming environment. Warm interactions with staff enable children to feel safe and secure. As a result, children's emotional well- being is being promoted positively.  Partnerships with parents are effective and staff and parents share information about children's care needs and progress to support children's well-being and learning.  Arrangements for safeguarding children are well established and staff consistently implement the clear policies and procedures to ensure children are protected and kept safe at all times.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching is variable because staff do not consistently identify children's next steps for learning and development or plan activities that will sufficiently challenge children. As a result, children are not always fully engaged in purposeful play and opportunities for them to make good progress are not built upon.  The monitoring of the educational programmes within all rooms is not thorough enough to ensure all areas of learning are well-planned for.  Staff do not always skilfully question children, in order to develop their thinking skills and extend their learning further to maximise their learning potential.

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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 had a tour of the nursery with the senior room manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the five playrooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of policies, children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and the nursery's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Discovery Land Nursery was registered in 2010 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is one of a chain of private day nurseries managed by Busy Bees Nurseries Limited. The nursery is situated within a local car plant in Solihull and is only accessible to children of the car company's employees, contractors and family members. It operates from a purpose-built, self-contained single-storey building and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 29 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 105 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak

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Information about the setting

English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 improve the quality of planning and teaching, so that children's learning and development is extended towards clearly identified next steps through relevant, rewarding and appropriately challenging activities.

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

 improve the monitoring of educational programmes and staff practice to manage the provision of a broader range of experiences for all children more closely and to promote consistency in teaching

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

 enhance children's thinking skills, for example, through the use of effective questioning, to fully challenge them and extend their learning.

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who attend

Staff have an adequate understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements. They provide activities across the seven areas of learning through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. In the pre-school room, staff plan activities with a particular focus to encourage children to learn new skills. They allow children to take the lead and adapt activities accordingly. As a result, older children are generally engaged in purposeful play and make steady progress. Children are happy and confident in the nursery. Warm interactions between children and staff ensure children are generally supported in their learning. Some staff recognise children's learning potential and skilfully question children to extend their learning further. However, the quality of teaching is variable and, at times, some areas of learning are not so well planned for. This results in some children not being fully motivated or engaged in their learning. For example, staff do

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who attend

not use some opportunities to talk to children promoting their language skills and encouraging them to have their own ideas in their play. Staff in some of the younger children's rooms do not always take into account children's age and stage of development or adapt the activities for them. Consequently, some children become distracted and lose interest in activities quickly.

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who attend

The baby room has a wide range of resource, which supports all areas of learning, with a particular focus on the three prime areas. Babies enjoy their time exploring their environment. They are developing their physical skills as they move over blocks and bridges, and enjoy sand and water play. They eagerly join in with singing their favourite nursery rhymes and staff encourage babies to take part in music sessions led by an outside agency. They allow babies time to get use to the activity and encourage them to become involved slowly, giving them the confidence to try new things. Children are given shakers and staff model shaking them to the beat. Children enjoy a peek-a-boo game using coloured silks. Staff use suitable teaching skills to develop babies' communication and language; they model language by repeating words and giving a running commentary of what they are doing. As a result, babies are developing the skills needed and are well

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who attend

prepared for the next stage in their learning. Every room within the nursery is bright and stimulating with displays showing children's achievements and information for parents. All resource are presented at the children's level, therefore, they can access a variety of toys and equipment, promoting their independence. Older children are developing an understanding of numbers and counting, as staff use counting throughout the daily routine and plan a variety of activities focusing on mathematics. Children have independent access to paint, water, sand and play dough. They have opportunities to take part in messy activities and are encouraged to use their sensory and exploration skills. All children have access to books and staff encourage children to listen to stories daily. There are mark-making areas where child have access to a variety of writing equipment. Younger children explore and make marks and older children are encouraged to recognise

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who attend

letters and write their names. Consequently, children are beginning to develop the skills needed for school.

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who attend

Staff complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years and evaluate children's progress in the three prime areas of learning. This information is shared with parents during parents' meetings and any concerns are discussed and noted, which enables staff to plan accordingly for their key children. Staff complete daily diaries, informing parents of the activities their child has taken part in. Parents are encouraged to speak to their key person about what their child is learning at home in order to support their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are adequately supported as staff liaise with outside agencies and parents. Staff plan a range of experiences using individual education plans to support the individual needs of each child. Staff plan together time for their key children and this reflects children's individual interests and they regularly review the interests of all children. Staff use information

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who attend

gained from parents and daily observations and generally plan extensions to activities. However, information from observations and assessments is not consistently used to accurately identify next steps in children's learning. As a result, children are not being fully challenged in all areas of their learning to make better progress.

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

The effective key-person and buddy system within the setting means staff are able to quickly establish positive relationships with both the children and their parents. Staff know children very well and understand the importance of supporting them. As a result, children settle quickly and are emotionally secure within their surroundings. Parents comment that 'all staff are brilliant'. This is reinforced by other parents who comment on how well their children have settled and that staff are supportive. Staff value parents' input, as they understand the importance of meeting all children's individual needs in order to support their emotional well-being. Good procedures are in place when children move rooms. Parents are informed of their child's new key person and room visits and detailed handovers effectively aid the transition from room to room. As a result, children are emotionally prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children independently follow good hygiene routines and are regularly reminded of the importance of washing their hands before meals and after messy activities. A wide variety of snacks and meals are freshly prepared on the premises including fresh fruit and vegetables. Staff encourage children to taste all foods and discuss with them the importance of healthy eating. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise daily, which contributes to their healthy lifestyles. There are robust procedures in place that are fully discussed with parents to support children's particular dietary requirements. These are stringently followed to promote children's good health and well-being at all times. Children are reminded about safety but are also enabled to take supervised risks as they play, for example, climbing and balancing, and riding on bikes and scooters. Children show they have an understanding about their own safety and that of others. For example, during

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

imaginative play children act out the role of firefighters and talk about the dangers of fire.

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

The environment is stimulating, friendly and well resourced. A variety of resources is available for children to make independent choices in every room. Staff discuss with parents different languages children speak at home and create books with key words and pictures in. Staff demonstrate a commitment to promoting diversity, through discussions, books and other resources. Staff ensure all children feel included and valued and they respect each individual child. Therefore, children learn to be respectful of each other as they celebrate festivals throughout the year. Positive images of diversity along with words in different languages are reflected on displays around the nursery. This enables staff to promote children's home languages, and actively promote inclusion. Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff get down to the children's level and use age appropriate explanations to help all children understand what the expectations in the nursery are. Staff

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

encourage children to share and take turns and frequently praise children for their achievements. As a result, their behaviour is good. Children are well prepared for their move into other rooms or school because staff value the importance of this. Pre-visits into other rooms are arranged and the key person contributes to a detailed handover. In the preschool room, staff plan a variety of activities. For example, they turn the role-play area in to a school and encourage children to dress up in school uniform; they make healthy pack lunches with children and hold many discussions around how children are feeling. They complete transition from for the new school teacher. This gives the teacher an idea of children's progress and learning styles prior to them starting school and supports children's well-being as they adjust to periods of change and transition.

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provision

The manager has a sound understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and ensures all staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. All staff complete safeguarding training as part of their induction and they are all aware of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment and selections procedures are effective and ensure that all those working with children are suitable to do so. All required documentation is in place and all staff are aware of the procedures to follow for the safe running of the nursery.

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provision

The manager completes self-evaluation and regularly updates this, gaining views from staff, parents and children. Focused improvement plans have been developed using information collected from staff observations and the voice of the child evaluation forms and regular supervisions take place. However, there is not a strong enough focus on the quality of teaching and learning to fully impact on the educational programmes. Teaching remains variable and some areas of learning are less well planned for. Therefore, activities do not always provide a sufficient amount of challenge to support children to make good progress. Staff track children and this information is recorded on a central tracker, which is analysed and evaluated to identify any gaps in children's learning. However, this is not completed frequently enough in order to accurately evaluate current practice. Staff meetings regularly take place to ensure staff work together to continually share ideas and

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provision

support each other. One of the areas for improvement that has been identified is providing staff with more ideas for activities to extend children's learning. Senior managers for the organisation are preparing a training programme and have introduced activity cards with prompts for staff to support them with this. However, staff are not yet confident in using them to effectively provide challenging activities that support children to make better progress. Other areas for improvement have been identified, including reviewing the use of the garden as a more effective outdoor environment that covers the seven areas of learning. This is currently being developed, with input from children and parents. At the last inspection, a recommendation was raised about planning and assessments and although planning has recently changed, staff are still not fully confident with it and this area of practice remains weak. Staff training is being identified during individual

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provision

supervisions, appraisals and staff meetings to support future professional development.

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provision

The partnership with parents is a particular strength in the nursery. Staff encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning through rigorous settling in procedures, parents meetings and workshops. A parent partnership group has been put together and meetings take place termly to enable parents to put their views across and get involved in initiatives that are taking place within the nursery. For example, parents are involved in organisation of the forthcoming garden day to work on enhancing the outdoor areas. The manager has built effective links with other professionals to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and included in the setting.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY422568 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 852332

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 103 Number of children on roll 105 Name of provider Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 15/06/2011 Telephone number 01217004898

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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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