Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Hospital

Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Hospital St. Albans City Hospital, Waverley Road, ST. ALBANS, Hertfordshire AL3 5PN

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Inspection date 23 July 2019 Previous inspection date 13 May 2016

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

n The management team rigorously tests and evaluates every aspect of practice within the nursery to ensure an exceptionally good experience for children. The manager closely examines the effectiveness of all resources, activities, communication and training, and has inspired staff to follow her example. n Staff contribute ideas to planning and actively increase the range of inspirational activities that interest and challenge children of all ages. For example, staff drill holes in plastic plates, through which young children weave straws to replicate how worms move. Staff help older children investigate which ingredients make pretend volcanoes erupt the most lava. n Each child has a key person who checks their progress meticulously. They plan precisely to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress from their starting points. n Parents say staff work superbly with them to meet their children's learning and care

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This provision is outstanding

needs exceptionally well. Parents are delighted with the nursery and appreciate that their views are welcomed and valued. n Staff teach children communication and language skills expertly, making excellent use of conversation with children during every activity. Staff constantly model clear speaking and careful listening. They know exactly when to repeat or extend what children say. n Staff's high expectations, nurturing manner and well-established routines support children's excellent behaviour. n Children, including babies, develop physical skills through a very well-targeted range of activities to develop their large and small muscles. Staff take children to enjoy the large open spaces in the park located in the grounds.

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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

n share outstanding practice with other settings to help maintain children's high levels of learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environment. She conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke with staff and children throughout the inspection, when appropriate. n The inspector looked at a range of documentation, such as children's assessment and planning records and the setting's risk assessment and safety records. n The inspector checked evidence of self-evaluation and the suitability and qualifications of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff understand their responsibilities in relation to child protection issues very well. They know how to report any concerns about child welfare to relevant professionals. Members of the management team vet staff closely to confirm their suitability to work with children. They provide a thorough induction to meet the setting's high standards. They carry out detailed observations and supervisions to evaluate the effectiveness of training and ensure staff always know how well they are progressing towards well-defined goals. Following recent training, staff simplified and streamlined the indoor and outdoor areas to create a visually striking environment where children can easily access appropriate resources and understand how to use them. Following the manager's lead, staff deploy resources imaginatively for maximum impact on children's development. For example, children explore mark making

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

without using writing tools. Babies make marks in finger-painting collages and young children make patterns in sand with the wheels of toy vehicles. Older children make graceful swirls in cornflour paste.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Very young children explore reflections in different sized shiny cubes. They handle them and re-organise the display. Young children learn about bugs and insects. For example, they hunt for toy insects buried in soil. They count insect body parts and match them to picture charts, and observe living bugs in their outdoor 'bug house'. Older children demonstrate washing germs away, using glitter to represent the germs. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They give clear guidance on making small steps to build success quickly. For example, when young children beat rhythms, a staff member helps them to count the beats and alter the range of sound.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children settle very quickly at the nursery. Babies and very young children snuggle close to staff and enjoy comfort and affection. They enjoy sharing books and join in with noises or choruses. They sing jingles and songs and accompany them with musical instruments. Older children are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions at 'chatterbox' time. Role play helps children to acquire life skills. For example, children set up a fresh fruit and vegetable market stall. With supervision they safely cut items in half to entice customers with the wonderful display. Young children help set up tables for lunch. Older children use good-quality domestic items as a matter of course and treat them with great care. From a young age, children learn to respect and look after themselves, each other and the environment.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are motivated learners who enjoy a challenge. Babies and very young children show high levels of confidence as they move around the room and investigate toys. Children learn about how the world works and confidently share their findings. They develop excellent early reading and writing skills. Children listen to sounds within words and link sounds to letters of the alphabet. Children acquire extremely good mathematical skills. They are very well prepared for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY422557 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10074702 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 1 - 5 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 83 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 May 2016 Telephone number 01727897602

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reference number

Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans registered in 2010. It is managed by Busy Bees Day Nursery (Training) Limited and is located within the grounds of St Albans Hospital. It opens Monday to Friday, for most of the year, from 7am until 7pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It employs 24 members of staff. Of these, most hold early years qualifications at level 3, and one holds qualified teacher status.

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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.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 . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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