Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton, Riverside

Inspection of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton, Riverside Unit 3 Museum Way, Riverside Business Park, Northampton NN3 9HW

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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 Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children and staff form strong bonds in this welcoming nursery. In the baby room, children separate from their parents and hold out their arms as they are greeted by their key person when they enter the room. Older children hang up their coats and confidently make their way to their group rooms. Children enjoy exploring the safe and stimulating learning environment. Staff set out resources to help children make independent choices about their play. They get to know children well and set up activities linked to their interests. However, staff do not use what they know about children's development to carefully plan activities and tailor their ongoing support during general play and daily routines. Less confident children are sometimes missed and not consistently supported by staff. The coaching and support provided for staff does not target specific gaps in their knowledge and weaknesses in their teaching practice.

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The provision requires improvement

Nevertheless, staff have high expectations for behaviour, and children are kind and behave well. Staff provide age-appropriate strategies and encouragement, where necessary, to help children learn about sharing and turn-taking. Children are encouraged to be independent and learn to manage their self-care needs. They visit the 'independence station' to collect tissues and help themselves with drinks throughout the day. Children enjoy looking at books with staff and understand simple questions and instructions.

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need to do better?

n Staff are knowledgeable about children. They describe their stage of development, interests, likes and dislikes in detail. However, they plan activities that children will enjoy based on their interests rather than their next steps in learning. Consequently, they do not always focus on what children need to learn next. As a result, staff do not consistently support children to make good progress in their development. n Staff generally provide activities that children enjoy and engage in. They sit at activities alongside children and support their play and general learning. However, they do not tailor their support to encourage less confident children to join in activities or help children build on what they already know and can do. n Although staff take part in training, they do not yet fully understand how to support or sequence learning. Management does not carefully reflect on weaknesses in the staff's teaching practice or provide enough individualised

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need to do better?

coaching to help close gaps in staff knowledge and teaching skills. n Children enjoy being outdoors. They test their physical skills by moving in various ways, such as balancing and digging. Staff confidently follow children's interests to incorporate what they want children to learn. For example, children learn about numbers. They delight in filling buckets with wet sand and counting

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need to do better?

14 November 2023 scoops. Staff encourage children to recall previous learning as they turn the bucket over and pat it before removing it to reveal a sandcastle. n Staff are extremely caring and positive with the children. They are attentive to their care needs, offering comfort and affection and reassuring them if they become tired or upset. Staff teach children to use their manners, and older children enjoy helping to tidy away resources. This support contributes effectively to children's developing good self-esteem and emotional security. n Staff establish effective partnerships with parents and other professionals involved with children's care and learning. This helps children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, to make progress in relation to their individual starting points. n Parents speak positively about the nursery and feel their children have made

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need to do better?

good progress since attending. They describe the staff as 'amazing', and state communication is good. Parents say their children have learned new vocabulary at the nursery and particularly like how staff support them in managing children's behaviour. n Staff provide activities to support children's imaginative play. As children play in the home corner, they use their imagination well. They pretend to make cakes for staff to eat. Children happily involve their friends as they offer them imaginary drinks and tell them, 'Be careful it's hot'. Children benefit from supportive staff who show a genuine interest in their conversations and generally model language well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager follows robust safer recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to fulfil their roles. All staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. The manager effectively monitors the staff's knowledge of safeguarding and ensures that regular training updates are completed. All staff demonstrate a clear understanding of what to do if they are concerned about a child, including how to report concerns to local safeguarding partners. Staff routinely assess risks in the environment and in the activities they offer to ensure that children are safe. They record and report any accidents to parents.

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Due date

14 November 2023 plan and provide activities that consistently focus on children's most relevant next steps in learning 06/12/2023

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Due date

ensure all children are consistently supported to engage in meaningful activities and interactions that help to close gaps in their learning 06/12/2023

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Due date

ensure the monitoring of staff's practice identifies where improvements are required, and provide appropriate professional development to advance their knowledge, teaching skills and support for children's learning. 06/12/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY469243 Local authority West Northamptonshire Inspection number 10318753 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 92 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01604 400027 Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton, Riverside registered in 2013 and is located at Riverside Business Park, Northampton. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications between levels 2 and 6. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspectors and the manager completed a walk around the nursery and discussed the manager's plans and reasoning for the early years curriculum. n The inspectors observed the quality of the curriculum during activities, both indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspectors spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspectors completed joint observations with the nursery manager. n The inspectors held a meeting with the nursery manager and area managers. They reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff

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Inspection activities

working in the nursery. n The inspectors spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and considered their views.

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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

14 November 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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