Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stowmarket

Inspection of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stowmarket The Buntings, Cedars Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5GZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children settle quickly, as friendly staff greet them individually on arrival to this bright, welcoming setting. They develop positive bonds with staff and demonstrate that they feel safe in their care. Children are eager to join in with activities that reflect their interests, and they demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. For example, they explore trays of natural materials and animal toys. They name the different creatures and scoop sand to create 'nests' for the crocodile toys.

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The provision requires improvement

Children have ample opportunities to be physically active. They practise lots of physical skills as they pedal, climb, jump, run and balance using a range of equipment. Children pedal their friends around on a tandem tricycle and practise keeping themselves safe as they climb to the top of the triangular climbing frame and jump onto squashy mats. Children demonstrate an interest in the natural world as they notice ladybirds and spiders. Staff teach children to handle them carefully, so as not to hurt them. However, at times, the quality of teaching is variable, and some staff do not understand how to implement the ambitious and challenging curriculum to help children make as much progress as possible.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, there have been changes to staff, including the leadership team. The manager has reflected on areas she wants to improve, such as the organisation of the toddler rooms and support for home learning. However, these changes have yet to be implemented and are not always linked to incisive evaluation of the service, which identifies areas to improve that will have the most impact on children. n Staff do not currently receive regular supervision meetings or coaching to improve their practice. They do not always know the purpose of activities, what role they play in promoting children's learning or how their teaching skills can be improved. This results in variable practice across the setting. However, staff do access mandatory training, such as safeguarding or first aid, which helps them to keep children in their care safe. n Older children are imaginative and use a variety of resources creatively. In the

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need to do better?

garden, they gather up guttering and metal stands to make a run for balls. Children demonstrate good teamwork as they put the items together and take turns testing them out. They later add a 'roof', using tiles from the construction area, and a bowl at the end to make catching the balls easier. n Although the number of staff to meet the statutory ratio requirements is sufficient, there are times when children's needs are not consistently met. This is often because staff need to carry out routine tasks, such as helping children to sleep or preparing to serve meals, which takes them away from the main group for extended periods. At times, this is due to the organisation of spaces where

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need to do better?

26 July 2023 some children are playing while others struggle to get to sleep alongside them. As a result, transition times can be chaotic, with children becoming unsettled, and the remaining staff are not always able to support all children's emotional and learning needs in a timely manner. n Staff use their knowledge of their key children's development to identify their next steps in learning. For instance, in the pre-school room, staff use skilful questioning to help individual children learn about numbers, colours and the wider world. n Staff share information about children's care with parents via an electronic application daily. This includes details of children's nappy changes, diet and sleep times. Children enjoy a variety of healthy meals and snacks prepared by the setting's chef. Staff ensure that children's individual dietary needs and preferences are met. They supervise children closely at mealtimes to ensure that

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need to do better?

children do not access foods that pose a risk to them. n Parents praise the 'passionate, professional staff' and comment how much their children enjoy attending the setting. They appreciate the information staff provide on children's experiences and the range of activities children access, particularly outdoors. n Children develop a love of stories. Babies and toddlers enjoy exploring sound books with buttons, and older children begin to retell key parts of familiar stories. They remember the importance of different items, such as a magic wand. Staff deliver stories enthusiastically, using interesting props to capture children's attention. They use different voices and emphasise key words with gestures to help children understand novel words.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff know the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. They understand how to identify and report concerns appropriately. Staff are aware of the setting's whistle-blowing policy and know what action to take if they are concerned about the practice of a colleague. The manager ensures that staff keep their knowledge up to date and access regular training to refresh their understanding. When appointing new staff, the manager follows thorough recruitment processes to check that staff are suitable to fulfil their roles. She also checks the ongoing suitability of staff.

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Due date

26 July 2023 implement effective supervision for all staff, which includes targeted coaching and professional development opportunities, to nurture staff and raise the quality of education to a consistently good level 31/08/2023

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Due date

review and improve the organisation of spaces and deployment of staff to respond to children's needs more effectively. 24/08/2023

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should:

n evaluate the quality of the setting rigorously to identify targeted areas for improvement, addressing these promptly and monitoring their impact on children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY137300 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10301830 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 Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 112 Number of children on roll 203 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01449 770806 Date of previous inspection 7 August 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stowmarket registered in 2002. The setting employs 38 members of childcare staff. Of these, 23 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The setting operates from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. The setting 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 setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the setting. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk across all areas of the premises to explain how the early years provision and curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The manager completed a joint observation and evaluation of an activity with the inspector. n The inspector spoke to staff, children, parents and senior leaders at appropriate times during the inspection. She also took account of the views of parents through written feedback provided. n The inspector looked at a sample of the setting's documents. This included evidence of staff suitability and training.

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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

26 July 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.

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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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