Busy Bees Day Nursery at Darlington

Inspection of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Darlington 19 Newton Lane, Darlington, County Durham DL3 9EX

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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

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The provision is good

Children are well cared for by a kind, caring and attentive staff team. Staff focus on supporting children to develop secure bonds with their key person. Children who are new to the nursery and feel unsettled are offered lots of comfort and reassurance. This helps them to begin to feel settled, safe and secure. Children show confidence and behave well as they relate well to the staff team. Babies are engrossed in their play and make good progress in their learning. In the pre-school room, children confidently access activities, indoors and outdoors, that help them to develop their skills across all areas of learning.

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The provision is good

Children are supported to develop the fundamental core skills to support their future development. They learn to share and take turns. Children are encouraged to interact positively with their peers. They learn to sit and listen for extended periods of time as they progress through the nursery. Staff help children to learn to vocalise their needs and to recognise and deal appropriately with their emotions. Staff use outdoor play to support children to develop their physical skills. Staff maximise these opportunities to help children to learn how to extend their independence, such as they successfully put on their coats and shoes.

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need to do better?

n Staff create an environment that is rich in opportunities for children to develop their language skills. Older children communicate confidently with their peers and with adults. Babies babble with delight as they look at books and play peekaboo. Staff work with other professionals to support children's communication skills, when needed. n Generally, staff plan an ambitious curriculum that excites and motivates children to learn, However, staff do not consistently know and understand about the specific learning intentions for individual children. Therefore, learning opportunities are not fully maximised. n Partnerships with parents are good. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they are kept informed about every aspect of their child's care and education. They share information electronically, as well as verbally, at the start and end of the day. Parents speak highly of the staff team and comment that

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need to do better?

they are kept well informed about their children's progress. However, when children first start the nursery, staff do not always gather detailed information from parents about what their child can already do, to ensure staff plan for children's progress from the very start. n Children eat healthy food, which is prepared on site. Babies learn to use their spoons and drink from open cups. Older children enjoy social mealtimes, alongside staff who support their conversations. When they have finished eating, children scrape their plates and stack them in the basin. Mealtimes are positive

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need to do better?

9 November 2022 experiences, where children learn about healthy eating. n The management team and staff take time to reflect on the provision and implement changes if required. Staff benefit from regular team meetings, supervision sessions and appraisals. Overall, the manager monitors staff's performance well. However, staff's engagement and interactions are not consistent to fully support and extend children's learning. Staff report very good levels of well-being. They say that the managers support them very well. n The manager and staff place high focus on supporting children to develop a love of reading. This is evident as children benefit from using attractive and well- resourced reading areas within the nursery. Children frequently borrow books, which helps to extend their learning at home. This helps to support their early literacy skills and interest in the world. n Staff use lots of language when playing alongside children to support their

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need to do better?

mathematical understanding. For example, when children play in the water, they use measuring cups to measure capacity. Staff talk about 'full' and 'empty'. They support children to count and subtract as they sing a song about five currant buns. n Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active throughout the day. They benefit from time spent outside in the fresh air. Babies have space to crawl, move around and pull themselves up as they begin to stand. Older children practise balancing on beams and master riding tricycles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a very good knowledge of how to keep children safe. Staff access regular training and updates externally and within the company on safeguarding and child protection. They know what to do should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Staff understand a range of safeguarding issues, such as the risks to children of being exposed to extremist views and county lines. They are vigilant to local issues that may impact on children's safety. Staff know the procedures to report any concerns, including about other adults working with children.

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should:

n help staff to further develop their understanding of the curriculum, so that they are aware of the specific learning intentions for individual children n gather more detailed information from parents about what children already know and can do when they first start at the setting n develop the consistency of staff's engagement and interactions with children further to fully support and extend children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 301131 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 10229392 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

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inspection

Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 125 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01325 460440 Date of previous inspection 29 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Darlington registered in 1996 and is located in County Durham. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including two who hold early years professional status. The nursery opens all year round from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early year's curriculum. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n An inspector carried out joint observations of activities with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspectors. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

9 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.

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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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