Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Glenalmond

Inspection of Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Glenalmond 14 King Harry Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4AP

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 of all ages enjoy the time they spend in this friendly nursery. They engage deeply in numerous learning opportunities in an extensive, stimulating environment. For example, children enhance their knowledge of nature by exploring the woodland trails in the vast outdoor area. They regularly spend time creating sculptures and paintings in the well-equipped art area.

p.2

The provision is good

Children of all ages show high levels of independence. Staff support this by encouraging children to complete age-appropriate tasks. For example, babies learn to feed themselves at mealtimes. Toddlers learn to complete essential hygiene routines, such as wiping their noses, with little support from adults. Pre-school children lay the table and pour their own drinks at mealtimes. They clear away their own plates and cups once finished. These tasks prepare them well for the routines of school.

p.2

The provision is good

Children across the nursery are confident. They engage well with visitors, chatting to them enthusiastically and welcoming them into their play. For example, pre- school children are keen to discuss their favourite activities and resources at the nursery. Staff support children's self-esteem well. They encourage children to write down their accomplishments and hang these on their 'positivity tree' for everyone to see and celebrate.

p.2

need to do better?

n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported. They develop close relationships with their key staff, who demonstrate excellent knowledge of children's circumstances. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to meet children's specific needs. For example, staff visit other settings that their key children attend. This enables them to plan activities that complement children's learning. n Staff support children's curiosity well. They plan exciting learning opportunities, which children engage in well. For example, young children create rainbows in a science experiment. Staff support children's knowledge by giving children plenty of time to respond to their thought-provoking questions. Older children construct their own marble run out of garden equipment. Staff encourage them to explore how they can adapt their structure to change the route the balls take.

p.2

need to do better?

n Children of all ages are kind to one another and demonstrate good manners. Staff supervise activities well, supporting children's understanding of acceptable behaviour. For example, staff sit with children during mealtimes. They interact well with them, encouraging children to develop appropriate table manners. Staff are good role models. They are polite and respectful towards children and other adults.

p.2

need to do better?

30 March 2023 n Parents speak highly of staff and the care they provide. They comment on the high-quality communication they receive about children's learning and development. Parents of children with SEND are particularly complimentary about the manager and their children's key staff. They greatly appreciate the additional training staff complete, and acknowledge how this supports their children to make good progress. n The manager places sharp focus on supporting the well-being and development of all staff. For example, she has recently established a peaceful 'snug' area for staff to reflect and relax in. The manager conducts regular appraisals of all staff to identify areas for development. Staff have access to a variety of online and face-to-face training opportunities to enhance their knowledge. n The nursery provides many wonderful opportunities to support children's literacy and language development. All children enjoy daily visits to the nursery library.

p.2

need to do better?

Young children investigate story sacks and delight at the puppet shows staff perform of their favourite stories. Pre-school children look forward to selecting books to take home and share with their families. Toddlers engage deeply with staff during well-planned activities. However, staff frequently ask questions that children cannot answer. This inhibits children's emerging language skills. n Leaders continually evaluate the care they provide to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of all children. For example, the manager has recently made some well-considered changes to the structure of the pre-school room. However, staff do not yet fully support children in adapting to their new routine.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Management and staff demonstrate good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They discuss the correct process to follow when reporting these concerns to the appropriate authority. Staff confidently explain the process they would follow if they felt their concerns were not being addressed. The provider has robust recruitment and induction processes in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff complete regular safeguarding and first-aid training in line with local authority guidelines. This supports them to keep their knowledge up to date with changes in legislation.

p.3

should:

n build on staff's knowledge of how to support toddlers' emerging language skills n ensure that staff in the pre-school room are fully supported to deliver consistent development opportunities that enable all children to engage well in routines and activities.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 123548 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10280486 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

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

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 120 Number of children on roll 138 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 01727 854499 Date of previous inspection 22 August 2017

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Glenalmond was registered in 1998. The nursery employs 39 members of childcare staff. Of these, 22 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including four at level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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 inspector considered the views of parents by speaking to several during the inspection. n The inspector looked at relevant documents, including evidence of the suitability of all staff. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children during activities. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact on children's learning. n The inspector and manager completed a joint observation of an activity to assess the quality of teaching. n The inspector held discussions with staff about the monitoring of learning and development in the setting and tracked the progress of several children.

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

30 March 2023 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