Busy Bees Playgroup

Busy Bees Playgroup Southwick Methodist Church, Manor Hall Road, Southwick, Brighton, East Sussex, BN42 4NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 September 2015 15 February 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The manager has a very strong vision and thinks critically about practice. She effectively uses information gathered from staff, parents and children to plan improvements. For example, recent changes to the way that staff plan activities has increased children's independence and has enabled them to make more decisions for themselves.  The quality of teaching is good. For instance, staff use what they know to ask challenging questions that encourage children to think further about what they are doing. This means that children are interested, motivated and show high levels of involvement when they are playing.  Children are happy and confident; they have very good relationships with the adults that care for them and they play very well with their friends.  Partnerships with parents are very good and staff share information regularly. Parents praise the work that the staff do with their children. Children benefit from this shared

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This provision is good

understanding of how to help them do well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Sometimes routines and the way that staff organise activities do not always meet children's needs. For example, at snack time, staff try to talk quietly to small groups of children but other groups are moving around the room which is sometimes distracting .  Some staff are less confident when supporting physical play in the garden. For example, although children enjoy a range of physical games and equipment, they do not consistently learn to manage their own risks. Consequently, they do not always challenge themselves and find out what they are capable of.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the way that activities are organised to strengthen the routines and systems to consistently meet the needs of all children  increase staff confidence in how to support active play to enable children to physically challenge themselves and be adventurous while learning how to keep themselves safe.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and in the garden.  The inspector spoke to all staff and the manager about their responsibility to keep children safe.  The inspector spoke to several parents and took what they said into account.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of practice with the pre-school manager.  The inspector read a range of documents, including pre-school policies and procedures, staff files, children's records and information provided for parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager is effective and uses her understanding of requirements and new legislation to make improvements. She works closely with parents and encourages their involvement. For example, a recent 'stay and play' session helped further develop strong links between parents and staff. The manager leads by example, for instance, by working alongside staff modelling best practice and acting as a mentor. As a result, staff skills improve rapidly. The manager uses effective systems for monitoring children's progress. She analyses staff observations and assessments to swiftly identify gaps in learning and then puts measures in place to ensure that the gaps close. Consequently, all children make good progress. Safeguarding is effective because all staff have appropriate training and fully understand how to protect children and keep them safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use what they know about children to plan a wide range of activities that will excite, interest and motivate them to learn. Consequently, children are enthusiastic and eager to participate. For example, children who learn better outside are easily able to do so because staff enable them to decide how, what and where they want to play. Staff support children who have additional needs very well. They confidently liaise with other professionals to ensure that they are planning appropriately for everyone. The pre-school environment is welcoming and stimulating. Children are imaginative and experimental in their art work, for example, as staff teach them to explore paint as they play. Staff effectively teach children mathematical concepts as part of their play. For example, they practise counting numbers and manage simple calculations while exploring large sponge bricks in the garden. Children develop a love of books and show interest in their early

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

writing skills. Staff enthuse them when they read stories and encourage them to write.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

All children behave well and staff have very high expectations of them. For example, staff are good role models and expect children to be considerate and to have respect for others. These good manners help them in their future lives. Children benefit from the warm and caring relationships that they have with the staff. For instance, when they start to attend, they settle quickly with their key person and are skilfully helped to get involved and find friends. Consequently, both children and parents are relaxed about being at pre- school. Staff prepare children very well for school. Children develop independence and confidence, and staff know what they can do and provide support for the tasks they cannot yet manage. This helps children to manage some things for themselves and become excited about what they are going to learn as they move on to the next stage in their learning.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress based on their starting points. Staff closely monitor each child's progress and ensure that they all get the support they need to fulfil their potential.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113398 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 846039 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Busy Bees Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 15 February 2011 Telephone number 01273 597747

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Setting details

Busy Bees Playgroup registered in 1992. It operates from a hall at the Methodist Church in Southwick, East Sussex. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions run from 9am until 12pm each morning and from 12.15pm until 2.45pm on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years old.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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