Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Hatfield Road

Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Hatfield Road 601a Hatfield Road, Smallford, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0HL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 August 2017 22 August 2013

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Leadership and management of the nursery are exceptional and all staff are committed to providing the best possible care for all children. Staff go over and above expectations to support every child and their family. Parents are highly complimentary about the care and education their children receive.  The quality of teaching and learning is exceptional. Staff have high expectations of all children. They ensure teaching is of a consistently high quality and offers outstanding challenge, with children making excellent progress from their starting points.  Staff place a high priority on developing children's communication skills. They continually introduce new vocabulary during play activities and everyday routines. They use enhancements, such as multi-sensory areas and 'talk-time baskets', to encourage children to use their imagination and language skills.  The managers meticulously track children's progress. They analyse the data they collect

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This provision is outstanding

and make highly effective adjustments to improve children's outcomes. This helps to ensure that all children make excellent progress.  Exceptional support is given to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff work closely with external agencies, which helps to ensure that all children have their needs quickly identified and extremely well met.

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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

 continue to build on the already excellent partnerships with parents, particularly to strengthen their involvement in child's learning, to raise children's achievements to an even higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all rooms and the outside area.  The inspector spoke with the management team, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as the suitability and qualifications of staff, children's records, policies and procedures.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the assistant manager and held discussions in relation to children's learning and progress.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views expressed in surveys.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The management team provides exceptional support for staff to help ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently outstanding. The highly effective systems for supervision and rigorous performance management work very well in celebrating the excellent practice in the nursery, as well as identifying areas for development. Safeguarding is effective. The managers and staff thoroughly understand child protection issues and have a secure knowledge of safeguarding legislation. All staff have undertaken safeguarding training. They know the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child. The management team plans very effectively to move the nursery forward and improve the quality of the provision. For example, they are continually looking for ways to involve parents even more in their children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The nursery environment is full of exciting and interesting spaces, where children can explore and learn. Staff are passionate about their provision and believe that all children deserve fun and meaningful learning experiences. For example, children are keen to mix ingredients to make a pretend volcano and are fascinated as they watch the 'lava' spill over the top. Staff bring books to life and encourage children to act out their favourite stories. Children love to make imaginative resources to use in their stories, such as a gingerbread house. Children are active, keen and motivated learners, who thoroughly enjoy guiding their own play and learning. For example, they become 'garden detectives', using clipboards on which to draw the insects they find in the garden.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The caring, family atmosphere of the nursery enables children to feel extremely secure and happy. They develop exceptionally strong attachments with their key person. Staff are excellent role models. They encourage the concepts of kindness, courtesy and respect for others. They consistently reinforce rules, which help children to have a clear understanding of behavioural expectations and boundaries. Children learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, they eat the vegetables they grow in the garden and enjoy nutritious, freshly cooked meals, prepared by the nursery chef. Babies enjoy using their own outdoor space, where they can explore the environment safely with excellent staff support. Older children are encouraged to consider risks as they make their own risk assessments of the garden.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make outstanding progress from their starting points. They thoroughly enjoy learning and eagerly join in activities, using the highly impressive range of resources. Children have fun working in small groups, developing their concentration and listening skills. Children are extremely independent and babies are actively encouraged to feed themselves. Older children become responsible for their own personal care needs. They gain superb early literacy and mathematical skills in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY233068 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1064334 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 76 Number of children on roll 72 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 August 2013 Telephone number 01727 833980

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reference number

Busy Bees at St Albans Hatfield Road registered in 2001. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. This includes one member of staff with qualified teacher status and one who holds early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, from 7am until 6.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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