Busy Bees Day Nursery at Edgbaston

Busy Bees at Edgbaston 54 St. James Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 1JL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2014 18/04/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The nursery provides an excellent range of exciting activities through which all children maximise their learning opportunities. Children make rapid progress as all staff have an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn through play.  Teaching is highly focused on children's individual next steps in learning, which are shared with parents. This results in excellent support for children, both at home and at the nursery.  Children are extremely safe at the nursery as they are very well supervised at all times and staff understand and implement meticulous policies for safeguarding and to protect children's health.  Children's behaviour and manners are excellent and there are very good relationships between staff and children. Staff are very caring and meet all children's individual needs extremely well. Children are learning to be independent and their health and

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This provision is outstanding

well-being is given a very high priority in the nursery.  Staff evaluate their provision very effectively and involve the opinions of parents and children in order to identify targets for improvement. There are very strong partnerships with parents and carers and with other professionals, which means that children and their families are extremely well supported.

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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 compulsory part 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 in the five playrooms and the outdoor play area, and completed a joint observation with the deputy manager of the nursery and a senior member of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the deputy manager, a senior member of staff and the provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed children's assessment records, the self- evaluation process, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Busy Bees at Edgbaston opened in September 2002 and is part of the Busy Bees group. The nursery is situated in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham. Children are cared for in a number of rooms on both floors based on their age and stage of development. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is open on Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm all year round, except for bank holidays. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 39 members of childcare staff. Of these, all but one hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 115 children attending, who are within the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who

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Information about the setting

speak English as an additional language. It receives support from the local authority.

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

 extend the already excellent links with other local early years providers to those outside the Busy Bees group, in order to further share good practice and support staff in the even more precise evaluation of their practice to maintain the high quality and rich variety of children's learning experiences.

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who attend

Staff begin to observe children from their first week at nursery in order to assess what they already know and can do. This information is collated with detailed information from parents, so that staff have a very clear starting point on which to build children's learning. A formal assessment is carried out once children are settled in their new environment. Staff work together to plan exciting activities based around children's needs and interests. The playrooms and outdoor area are extremely well resourced and provide enabling environments in which children thrive. Staff are very knowledgeable about how children play and learn, and teaching is very effective in challenging all children in their learning. This means children make very good progress. Staff make continuous assessments of children's progress through their detailed observations. These are analysed regularly so that any gaps in learning are very quickly identified and addressed. Staff evaluate their

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who attend

teaching and planning highly effectively in order to adapt the activities so that children build on their individual learning. They plan focused activities and small group activities, which develop children's language and communication skills extremely well. Parents are made to feel very welcome at the nursery and are encouraged to share information about their children each day so that their needs are met. Staff invite questions and comments from parents about children's learning, so that both parents and staff are very well informed about children's activities, routines and progress. Very informative displays, diaries for under twos and daily contact with children's key person help parents to understand the purpose of children's play and how they may support their learning at home. This very strong partnership results in excellent support for children's learning and development.

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who attend

Babies explore all the space in their cosy rooms. They fill and empty containers in sand and water, so that they find out about the different textures and develop their small muscle skills very well. Staff ensure all children are engaged in their activities, as these are based on children's developing interests. They provide walkers and low furniture for babies to support themselves on as they learn to stand and walk. Toddlers have great fun as they play in the mud kitchen outdoors. Staff encourage them to extend their language and vocabulary when they find a worm and talk about where it lives and what it might like to eat. Pre-school children are extremely well prepared for school because staff teach them to recognise sounds, letters, shapes and colours. They have very good pencil control because they develop these skills through making marks in sand or corn flour and water, then progress to the use of a wide range of media. Staff maximise every opportunity to

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who attend

help children to count and use simple addition and subtraction. They include this when pre-school children help to prepare the tables for lunch. Children work out how many cloths they need to clean the tables and how many plates they need so everyone has one. Staff challenge and stimulate children exceptionally well, according to each child's individual needs. They focus on the next steps in each child's learning through their activities and routines so they make rapid progress in all areas of learning. Teaching is of a consistently high quality throughout the nursery, which means children gain the maximum benefits from the activities.

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who attend

Children are very enthusiastic in their learning, as staff place great importance on this being led by the child. This means children are fully engaged in their activities and staff extend these so that children develop their own learning styles. The outdoor area has an exceptionally rich and varied range of activities and resources. Children use these to develop their physical skills and their imagination extremely well. They explore the natural world and play outdoors in all weathers, so they can see the effects of different weather conditions on their environment. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported very well indeed, as staff work closely with parents and involve them in sharing photographs and information about their families, cultures and home languages. Parents are very enthusiastic about this, which means they are involved in children's learning and provide a valuable contribution to their experiences. This means that all children learn

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who attend

about the diversity within the nursery and the community. They take part in exciting artwork, role play, cooking, dance and learn from the visitors who come to nursery. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support. Staff work with parents and a wide range of other professionals so that their needs are fully met and they are included in the life of the nursery.

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

Children feel very emotionally secure in the nursery as the kind and caring staff comfort them if they are upset and children form close bonds with their key person. They also have a back-up key person to support them when their main carer is not present, so children do not become unsettled. Parents say their children settle very easily when they start at the nursery and they may have several settling-in sessions where they can stay with their child while they become used to the nursery. There is a very happy, family atmosphere and staff help children to get to know each other so they make friends easily. Staff and parents work extremely well together to support children in their care routines, so they receive consistency. Staff are extremely flexible in this, as they attach great importance to accommodating the needs of every child and parent. Children's well-being is given the utmost priority and staff ensure that they take every opportunity to meet

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

children's individual needs. They obtain detailed information from parents about children's routines, so that these are continued as far as possible to ensure children are secure. Babies sleep easily when they need to and are checked every ten minutes by staff so they are safe.

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

Children's health and well-being is given high priority in the nursery. Staff know children very well so they know which children have food allergies and specific medical needs. This information is passed on to all staff so that children's needs are met. Accident and medical records are meticulously kept and analysed and staff have food hygiene certificates so that food safety is observed at all times. Children are provided with healthy snacks and meals that are prepared in the nursery. They eat fresh fruit each day and have access to drinking water at all times. They develop their independence by pouring their own drinks and choosing their own activities. Children are encouraged to find and put on their own coats and decide whether they want to play indoors or outside for part of the session. Staff teach them about healthy lifestyles and foods and children learn to manage risks with supervision in their outdoor play.

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

Behaviour is excellent because staff manage this with great sensitivity and work with parents to put in place highly effective strategies, which improve the ways in which children can manage their own feelings and behaviour. This is achieved through positive reinforcement and consistency. Children are taught to have good manners at the table. They all say thank you when they are given their food and chat happily to each other and to staff as they eat. Staff teach children to be kind to each other, to share the toys and to ensure everyone is included and valued. Children's moves to new rooms in the nursery and to school are managed exceptionally well. This means that children are emotionally secure and their individual needs and those of parents are fully met. Staff ensure these needs continue to be met by maintaining contact with their new teachers to share information about their progress and well-being.

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provision

Children are safe at the nursery, as all staff have successfully completed recent safeguarding training and are vigilant in their supervision. The management team are extremely thorough in the many ways in which they monitor staff knowledge and practice of the very detailed and effective policies. This means that staff are confident about how to identify and report any concerns. These policies are reviewed monthly so that they remain in line with current legislation. Highly comprehensive risk assessments are carried out daily, which ensure that children are safe. The premises are secure and closed circuit television in each room protects both children and staff. A robust system is place for the safe collection of children and rigorous recruitment procedures check that all staff are suitable to work with children. The manager monitors the ratios of staff to children throughout the day so that these are maintained appropriately. Consequently, staff

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provision

deployment and child supervision is always exceptionally well organised. Children who have been identified to be at risk are extremely well protected due to the excellent knowledge and awareness of the management team and staff.

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provision

There is highly effective monitoring of all aspects of the provision by the management team and room leaders. The management team works extremely well to continually evaluate the provision, observe staff practice and identify areas for improvement. This is addressed through focused training and mentoring. Staff appraisals and regular discussions with the management team ensure that staff's training and professional development is tailored to their needs and to those of the nursery. This is meticulously documented in order to provide an ongoing record and a precise focus for each staff member, so that their knowledge and skills enhance the quality of children's learning experiences. Staff share the knowledge they gain on training courses with other staff, so that all children ultimately benefit from their improved skills. The input of all staff, parents and children is valued and acted upon to ensure the provision is of a high quality, so that

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provision

all children's needs are met and they continue to build on their learning. This means that self-evaluation in the nursery is highly effective in identifying and addressing improvements. The management team pass on their great enthusiasm to the highly motivated staff and there are high expectations of the quality of teaching and learning. This is monitored very closely, which results in a high standard of achievement in each room. Parents are extremely well informed about the nursery policies and procedures and are very involved in shaping these.

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provision

Support from the local authority is available should the nursery require assistance with the monitoring of teaching and planning. There are very strong links with other early years providers and schools in the area. This means the management team and staff share ideas and best practice regularly, and keep up to date with current developments in childcare. The very strong leadership and organisation of the management team is highly effective in the nursery's achievement of this. However, this is currently limited to sharing good practice only with other settings within the Busy Bees group. Staff work extremely well with a wide range of other professionals to support children and their families. They very often exceed the expectations of parents and extend their support considerably so that individual needs are met as far as possible. The nursery provides outstanding care and support for children and their families and gives children a firm foundation on which

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provision

to build their future, successful learning and social development. Staff initiate links and share information about children's needs and progress with the other settings that they attend. This means they complement children's learning and protect their well-being. Children are involved in extending links into the community, which enhances and extends their learning very effectively.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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. 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 EY226075 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 928378

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 135 Number of children on roll 115 Name of provider Busy Bees Day Nurseries (Trading) Limited Date of previous inspection 18/04/2011 Telephone number 0121 4564919

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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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