Honeybear House Day Nursery

Honey Bear House Limited Conrad Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2SD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/08/2014 22/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Children are not effectively safeguarded as the provider does not consistently refer to the Government's statutory guidance, 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', with regards to notifying agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay if they have concerns about children's safety or welfare.  Leaders and managers do not have robust understanding of their responsibilities to notify Ofsted of any allegations against a member of staff.

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It has the following strengths

 The quality of teaching is good. Practitioners provide children with an educational programme that is interesting and challenging across the seven areas of learning. Key persons use their observational skills to identify children's next steps in learning and plan appropriately to meet these.  Partnerships with parents are generally good. Parents are provided with clear information about the nursery and how it operates. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in their children's learning by meeting with their child's key person and helping to identify their next steps in learning.  Children enjoy their nursery day and behave in ways which demonstrate that they feel secure and settled in the environment.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all of the nursery rooms and gardens.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the registered provider, the nursery deputy, the area special educational needs coordinator, practitioners and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documentation relating to evidence of practitioners' suitability checks and qualifications.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a joint observation with the nursery deputy to review the quality of teaching in the room for children aged between two and three years.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at records relating to children's details, information about children's learning and development, accident and medication records, written policies, written risk assessments, information about complaints, daily attendance registers, written information about cleaning routines and a selection of other relevant documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to at the time of the inspection, through written comments in children's development files and through written feedback, which contributes to the nursery's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The Honey Bear House Limited was registered in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose-built building, in the Witham area of Essex and is managed by a private company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four main rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or 3. The nursery opens throughout the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 98 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a small number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure providers and managers have regard to the government's statutory guidance, 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' by notifying agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay of any allegations that raise concerns about a staff member's suitability to continue to work with children

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must:

 ensure leaders develop knowledge of and follow correct procedures for notifying Ofsted of any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of any person who cares for children on the premises.

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who attend

Children enjoy their nursery day in a welcoming and well-equipped environment. Practitioners demonstrate secure knowledge of how children learn and use this to provide children with an interesting educational programme. Key persons use their observational skills effectively to follow and track children's progress, efficiently identifying their next steps in learning. Practitioners within each room plan the weekly adult-led and child- initiated activities, tailoring many of the adult-led experiences to meet individual children's learning needs. Children's achievements are tracked by key persons and progress reports are devised through the collation of this information. Evidence seen during the inspection, shows all children are progressing well considering their starting points. Systems are in place for key persons to support children who speak English as an additional language and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to close gaps in

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who attend

children's learning and ensure that all children make progress to the best of their ability. Practitioners skilfully follow children's interests, for example, some building work taking place next to the nursery, prompts children's interests in construction. Practitioners adapt areas indoors and outdoors to provide children with opportunities to role play being builders. They are encouraged to construct in a range of ways, such as building walls from foam bricks. Children enjoy learning about planting and growing when they grow a range of fruit and vegetables in their growing garden. Older children have opportunities to participate in the 'gardening club' and tend their produce. Once harvested the produce is used in snacks or meals, or fed to the nursery's pet giant snails. Babies explore a range of natural and household resources, which enable them to experience different textures and materials.

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who attend

Practitioners use effective teaching to promote children's communication skills. For example, they ask clear and appropriate questions to extend children's thinking. They encourage children of all ages to participate in small and large group discussions and to have an active voice within the nursery. Children's literacy skills are effectively promoted as children have good opportunities to develop handwriting skills by using a range of different media. For example, they use sand, shaving foam and corn flour play to form letters and shapes. As children develop their emergent handwriting skills they are provided with a writing book, in which they learn how to write their name and other recognisable letters. Children explore literacy through well-planned and delivered story sessions. They understand rhyming words and confidently tell practitioners which two words rhyme in the stories. Children develop good mathematical concepts as they use numbers and counting

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who attend

in everyday activities, such as snack and mealtimes. For example, children count how many children are sitting around their table and how many plates, cups and bowls they will need. A mathematical area in the pre-school room enables children to explore weight and measurement as they use sets of scales to weigh sand, stones and other natural materials. The interesting range of activities available to children enables them to develop skills for their next stage of development. For example, they learn how to dress and undress themselves for physical exercise sessions, in preparation for starting school.

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

Weaknesses identified in the nursery's implementation of their safeguarding policy have an impact on children's overall safety and well-being, resulting in the judgement for this aspect of the provision being inadequate. Children are settled and comfortable in the nursery environment. They form close relationships with their key person and enjoy the interaction they receive from them. Effective settling-in procedures, which are guided by parents, ensure that children's early days at nursery are pleasurable and well managed. Children behave well as practitioners gently remind them of the nursery rules, such as using their indoor feet and voices when playing within the nursery building. Children's confidence and self-esteem are effectively promoted, by practitioners who recognise the importance of developing children's emotional well-being, through praise and encouragement.

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

Children play in one of four nursery rooms. The rooms are organised according to age and ability and children move from one to the next when key persons feel they are ready and able to manage in an older room. The nursery is purpose built, with each of the rooms having dedicated nappy changing arrangements or access to children's toilets. Each room also leads to one of the two large nursery gardens, providing good opportunities for children to make choices about whether they play indoors or outdoors. The nursery environment is bright and welcoming and practitioners organise the rooms and resources to provide children with opportunities to guide their own play and learning. Storage containers and children's coat hooks are labelled, providing an environment, which is rich in print. Effective air-conditioning machines are used in each of the nursery rooms, to maintain a pleasant temperature in warm weather.

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

Children enjoy a range of meals and snacks during their nursery day. Management and practitioners have recently reviewed and tightened procedures concerning the serving of meals, to ensure that children are always provided with correct food to meet their individual needs. The meals are cooked on site by a qualified chef, who plans the weekly menus and ensures that alternative meals are always available for children with allergies, special dietary needs or intolerances. Children are encouraged to develop independence skills at mealtimes by pouring their own drinks and helping to serve their meals. Children understand the importance of good hygiene routines, such as hand washing when they have been to the toilet or when they have touched the nursery pets. Children are fit and active as they access the nursery gardens throughout the day. They have opportunities to develop physical skills, such as running, kicking balls, climbing large-scale equipment and

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

negotiating space. Children practise these skills in preparation for the nursery's annual sports day. Arrangements to ensure children's safety and well-being during the sports day, which is attended by parents, grandparents and other visitors, are appropriate. Children are prepared for their next stages of learning, for example, they develop confidence in meeting new people, when they go for walks in the local area, or when visitors come in to the nursery to extend their knowledge.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised about the provider's ability to safeguard children in the nursery. This was with specific regard to the provider following correct procedures for dealing with allegations against a practitioner, management of children during a recent sports day and management of cleaning routines to ensure children's well-being. The inspection found that the provider had failed to respond appropriately to an allegation of abuse against a practitioner. As a result, the appropriate authorities were not informed in a timely fashion to ensure interventions were made to safeguard children. The nursery has a clear safeguarding policy that meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; however, this was not implemented effectively on this occasion. In addition, the provider has failed to notify Ofsted of an allegation of a significant event affecting the suitability of a staff member. This relates to

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provision

an incident when staff failed to meet a child's individual needs by giving them food that the parents had said they should not have. These significant weaknesses in practice are breaches in the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are breaches of the requirements of the Childcare Register. The inspection found that management and practitioners had managed a recent sports day effectively, following their risk assessments and procedures for ensuring children's security were maintained. The inspection found that the nursery employs a cleaning company to clean the premises thoroughly at the end of each day. Therefore, any cleaning that takes place while children are present is generally done to clear away dropped food or messy play activities. Some practitioners have completed relevant safeguarding training and demonstrate knowledge of how to refer any concerns through the nursery's safeguarding procedures. Children play

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provision

in an environment that is kept clean, safe and well maintained through effective risk assessments and daily safety checks. Evidence to demonstrate that all practitioners and adults working on the premises have undergone suitability checks is available for inspection. Sufficient adults are employed and appropriately deployed across the nursery, to meet the required adult-to-child ratios and to supervise children effectively.

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provision

The nursery is privately owned and recently became independent from the small chain of nurseries, the registered provider was linked to. This prompted a re-launch of the provision and a name change from Puddleducks nursery to Honey Bear House Limited. The management structure comprises of the registered provider, a manager who has worked at the nursery for a number of years and two deputies. The management team supports a large number of full-time and part-time practitioners, who demonstrate secure knowledge of their responsibilities to promote children's learning. Practitioners use their knowledge to deliver an interesting educational programme that covers all areas of learning indoors and outdoors. Managers have systems in place for monitoring the educational programme, planning and assessment. This ensures that they keep a sharp focus on each child's progress. Practitioners and managers play an active role in

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provision

evaluating the success of the educational programme through regular team meetings and by contributing to the planning for each room. Regular supervision meetings enable the manager to review the working practices of each practitioner and to discuss individual children's learning needs and requirements. The registered provider conducts annual appraisals for all practitioners and managers and uses this opportunity to review professional development and the practitioner's working practices. Management, practitioners, parents and children feed their views and suggestions into the nursery's self- evaluation and help to identify its strengths and areas for future development.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are generally secure. Parents are provided with information about the nursery and how it operates. They have opportunities to be involved in their children's learning through regular meetings with their children's key person and through daily verbal updates. Key persons have systems in place for working in partnerships with other early years settings that children attend. They liaise effectively with local schools during the term prior to children leaving the nursery, to aid a smooth move from nursery to school. Practitioners work well with other professionals to identify children's needs. They initiate appropriate interventions, by working closely with the children's family.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Not Met

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 put in place effective systems to ensure that the registered person, the manager and any person caring for or in regular contact with children, and any person who lives or works on the premises where childcare is provided (including on a voluntary basis) is suitable to work with children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of any person caring for children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  put in place effective systems to ensure that the registered person, the manager and any person caring for or in regular contact with children, and any person who lives or works on the premises where childcare is provided (including on a voluntary basis) is suitable to work with children (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of any

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

person caring for children on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY276157 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1000792

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 98 Name of provider Honeybear House Limited Date of previous inspection 22/07/2013 Telephone number 01376 521510

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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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