Busy Bees at Bicester Kingsmere

Inspection of Busy Bees at Bicester Kingsmere Whitelands Way, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 1EG

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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

The quality of education is variable. Staff are building on strengthening their skills, having experienced several changes in the team recently. While they provide a range of learning experiences for the children to enjoy, not all children benefit from a consistently planned and well-implemented curriculum. Staff deployment is not always effective, particularly in the toddler and pre-school units. This results in inconsistent teaching and learning. However, overall, staff create fun indoor and outdoor environments, which children of all ages confidently explore. Children use their muscles to safely navigate bridges, balance beams and obstacles. Babies are confident and settled and clearly feel safe and secure. Staff are attentive to their needs and know their routines well.

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The provision requires improvement

On occasion, some older children display challenging behaviour that is disruptive. Children do not always listen to staff, and they repeatedly ignore staff requests. While some staff do address behaviour appropriately, some do not pursue it, which does not build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations and the consequences of their actions. At times, this impacts on the quality of teaching. Despite this, children have formed positive bonds with staff who care for them. Staff praise children for what they do well.

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need to do better?

n The new management team is skilled and passionate about providing good- quality care and education for all children. There are targeted plans to work towards to drive improvements and strengthen the team further. However, the recent changes in the staff team have meant that coaching, mentoring and the implementation of the curriculum are in their infancy in helping staff fulfil their roles and build on the quality of practice. n Overall, most children listen and behave well. However, there are some staff that have yet to establish consistent behaviour management strategies. This gives children inconsistent messages and does not help them to understand what is expected of their behaviour. Consequently, these weaknesses are a distraction to others and do not support all children in making the full progress they are truly capable of. n Staff ensure that the youngest children have plenty of opportunities to explore

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need to do better?

and learn through messy play. They identify and support individual sensory needs well, as children thoroughly enjoy water, sand and play dough. Staff surround babies with love and nurture, particularly as they settle them to sleep. n Overall, staff focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. They get down to the children's level to talk to them about what they are doing and play with them suitably. Staff enthusiastically sing songs and nursery rhymes. Younger children delight in these daily routines and try to copy the

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need to do better?

24 September 2024 actions and sing along. n Children enjoy a wide range of outdoor experiences. They benefit from nutritious and balanced meals and snacks throughout the day. Staff help children to understand that this contributes to their overall good health. Staff support children to do as much for themselves as possible. For example, children make simple choices about the food they want to eat. They are supported to use cutlery and pour their own drinks. Older children have opportunities to prepare the table and serve their own food. This helps to develop children's early independence skills. n Some skilled staff use opportunities as they arise during play to build on children's mathematical skills. For example, they encourage children to count in sequence during activities and support them to recognise shapes. n Staff provide children with opportunities to learn about diversity and other cultures and beliefs. However, they have not considered ways to fully support

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need to do better?

children to gain a better understanding of the modern world, with particular regards to information and digital technology. n The management team ensures the setting has appropriate arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children are developing and building on their independence skills well. This helps to prepare them for the next stages of their learning. n The management team and staff have effective communication with parents, and this helps to provide continuity in children's care and learning. They share daily feedback about children's care and learning activities. This helps to reassure parents and support children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

improve strategies in guiding children's behaviour, which support staff to be consistent in their approach, and build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations and the consequences of their actions 18/10/2024

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Due date

24 September 2024 improve methods of coaching and mentoring to effectively support staff to have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and increase the quality of practice. 18/10/2024

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should:

n fully support children to gain a better understanding of the modern world, with particular regards to information and digital technology.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2543500 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10364608 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 110 Number of children on roll 106 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01869660022 Date of previous inspection 4 November 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Busy Bees at Bicester Kingsmere registered in 2019. It is situated in Bicester, in Oxfordshire. The nursery is open each weekday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. It employs 22 members of staff. 11 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and one member of staff holds a recognised qualification at level 5. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Anneliese Fox-Jones Tracy Bartholomew

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment process, following information we received about the provider. n The inspectors observed activities in the three main base rooms and garden. They talked to staff about the progress that individual children are making and what they want the children to learn. n A centre director and the inspectors completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n A joint observation was carried out by an inspector and a centre director. The inspector observed interactions between staff and the children and the impact these have on children's learning. n The inspectors reviewed relevant documentation, including the arrangements for paediatric first-aid training. The inspectors had a discussion with leaders about the evaluation of the setting and plans for improvement. n The inspectors spoke to parents and children during the inspection and took

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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

24 September 2024 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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