Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne

Inspection of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne South Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 4SU

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

The provision is good

Children are happy to come to this safe and nurturing nursery. They are greeted by friendly staff who engage positively with them throughout the day. Children receive lots of praise, which helps to boost their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. They often play alongside their friends and enjoy singing familiar songs together and completing rhymes. Staff teach children to be kind to each other. Children praise their friends when they put their own coat on and help each other clean the table after snack time.

p.2

The provision is good

All staff have high expectations for children and provide activities based around their own interests, to engage them. Babies are confident and at ease in the nursery. They babble and kick their arms and legs with excitement, as staff play peekaboo with them. Toddlers immerse themselves in learning about different sea creatures, while matching toys to pictures. Older children show enthusiasm when exploring a parachute outdoors. They work as a team to solve how to use sticks to turn the parachute into a den. Staff support children of all ages to become independent. They even help staff to complete daily risk assessments, with the help of 'Safety Buzz', a bee teddy.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff know each child well as an individual. They use effective assessment and planning to design activities that children will engage with. Staff often challenge them through extending the learning. For example, staff use a ruler with older children to look at how many centimetres high they can jump, when exploring who can jump the highest in the garden. n Staff are good at planning a variety of activities that support each child to make progress. However, some staff lack the confidence to adjust the planning and amend practice when something doesn't go to plan. This can result in children being left out of learning or not making the most out of every learning opportunity. n Staff encourage children's mathematical development effectively. Younger children confidently count the number of bubbles they can pop. Older children are encouraged to think about which lemon is the heaviest, when using weighing scales. Staff help children to identify and understand the concepts of

p.2

need to do better?

size and quantity. n The manager has placed an emphasis on communication and language following the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff speak to children clearly and use an abundance of questions to further their learning and understanding. They consistently introduce new words such as 'suction' and 'pearls' when looking at sea creatures, and 'acidic' and 'sour' when exploring lemons. However, at times, staff use too many questions and do not allow children the appropriate time to

p.2

need to do better?

2 November 2022 think and answer for themselves. This leaves some children behind and doesn't fully promote children's thinking skills. n Children benefit from many opportunities to develop their independence and social skills in readiness for school. Babies are taught Makaton to express their needs. Older children learn how to put on their own coat, pour their own drinks and collect their dinner at lunchtime. n Staff support the emotional well-being and development of children. The manager has used funding effectively to promote this. She provides story sacks, games and yoga mats for families to share at home with their children. This extends into children learning about supporting the local community, with a '30- day yoga challenge' to raise money. n Leaders and the manager are proactive and committed to continually evaluate and improve practice at the nursery. Staff are well supported to access ongoing

p.2

need to do better?

training, to support them in delivering a good standard of care and education to all children. All staff work well with the local authority adviser and external agencies, such as Sure Start, to improve their knowledge and understanding. n The manager has built strong relationships with parents. She actively seeks the views of parents, staff and children, and then uses this information to plan improvements. Parents report that they feel included in the nursery. They say their children settle quickly and are happy to come in each day.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

All staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues and their roles in safeguarding children. Staff complete regular training to update and expand their knowledge. Staff are clear about the importance of making prompt referrals should they have any concerns about a child. Staff undertake effective risk assessments of the nursery environment, which helps to reduce and minimise any potential hazards.

p.3

should:

n improve staff's confidence in adapting their teaching and routines, to ensure all children are benefitting from the learning taking place n support staff to further improve their interactions with children, to give children more time to think and respond to questions before the learning moves on.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 127560 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10228026 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

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

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 77 Number of children on roll 45 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 01795 428881 Date of previous inspection 5 December 2016

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne re-registered in 2014 under new ownership. It operates from a purpose-built mobile building set within the grounds of South Avenue Infants School in Sittingbourne, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 11 members of staff, eight of whom hold recognised early years qualifications.

p.4

Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager, spoke with staff, interacted with children and viewed appropriate documentation. n Parents shared their views about the setting with the inspector.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

2 November 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6