Busy Bees Preschool

Inspection of Busy Bees Preschool Bluehouse Farm Community Centre, Laindon Link, Basildon, South East SS15 5UH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision requires improvement

Assessment, particularly for children aged between two and three years, is not consistent enough to ensure that early intervention is sought for children who may need it. Children who struggle to regulate their own behaviour do not receive effective support from staff to help them to understand the impact of their behaviour.

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The provision requires improvement

Children are warmly welcomed into the pre-school by the staff. Most children are happy and settle well. Children who are upset at leaving their parents soon settle into activities with support from staff. Children benefit from a well-thought-out environment that is planned with their current developmental needs in mind. Children are reassured that there is always an adult available to join in with their play and offer support. Children can self-select the activities that they would like to participate in and spend extended periods of time engaged with chosen activities.

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The provision requires improvement

Children access fresh air and develop their physical skills throughout the day. They use the outdoor area freely. This area provides plenty of opportunities for the children to develop their gross-motor skills. The children enjoy mark making in the garden, using large wheels that they steer along the path. Children quickly learn how to pedal the bicycles with help and encouragement from staff. Children enjoy joining in with ring games and delight in singing along and following the actions with their friends.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, the manager and leadership team have sought support from external agencies. They have made improvements to benefit the children. For example, they have enhanced the quality of teaching and children are now provided with sufficient challenge during activities. This helps the children to remain engaged in activities that they are interested in. However, some improvements are not yet fully embedded. For instance, staff do not use effective questioning techniques to develop children's growing vocabulary. n Children are beginning to show an understanding of what is expected of them and the rules they need to follow. However, on occasions when children struggle to regulate their own behaviour and need support, staff do not use consistent strategies and do not take appropriate action. This results in the escalation of undesirable behaviour. n Staff carry out some assessments to monitor children's development. However,

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need to do better?

the manager does not ensure that they complete the required progress checks for all two-year-old children. This means that gaps in children's development may not be acted on quickly. Where checks have been completed, these are not clear and do not provide a summary about what children can and cannot do.

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need to do better?

4 October 2022 This does not ensure that children receive the support that they may need. n The key-person system is not well planned. Although the manager allocates all children a key person, she does not ensure that there is an effective handover of information when children change from one key person to another. This does not promote continuity of care for the children. n Children are helped to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. When using the wooden blocks and toy animals, children are encouraged to measure their lines of blocks with a tape measure. Staff talk to the children about who has the longer or shorter line and help them to compare the sizes of the animals. Children are encouraged to work together to help each other use the tape measure. Staff extend this further by encouraging the children to measure each other. n Staff support children's language development. Book times are made exciting for

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need to do better?

the children. Staff talk about the pictures and use different tones when reading the words. Staff use books to start conversations, for example, about what kind of homes they live in. Children are reminded to treat books with care. Staff know how to support children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use visual cues to support children with daily routines. They show physical objects to the children as they say words in English to help children build connections. n Staff work closely with parents before children start. For instance, parents complete 'All about me' information regarding their families. Parents are complimentary about the staff and comment on how quickly their children settle. They feel that their children have made progress since they started to attend. They value the support and guidance that they receive to help their children at home, such as potty-training advice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern regarding a child's well-being. The manager ensures that all staff complete regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff are aware of wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation and county lines. Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable to carry out their roles. Children are well supervised in both the indoor and outdoor environments to ensure they remain safe.

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Due date

4 October 2022 ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately and consistently by all staff 10/11/2022

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Due date

ensure that progress checks for children aged between two and three years of age are completed for each child and shared with parents 10/11/2022

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Due date

implement an effective key-person system to ensure continuity of care for children. 10/11/2022

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should:

n improve the use of staff questioning to ensure that children have consistent opportunities to think, problem-solve and develop their ideas.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2568275 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10213285 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 42 Name of registered person Busy Bees Pre-School Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01268418555 Date of previous inspection 14 October 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Preschool registered in 2019. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. All hold early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.05am until 11.15am and 11.30am to 2.40pm, with the option to stay for lunch between sessions. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

4 October 2022 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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