Busy Bees Day Nursery at Oxford

Littlemore

Unique reference number (URN): EY487171 Address: 2 Armstrong Road, Littlemore Park, Oxford, OX4 4XT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/06/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with gaps in their learning, make steady and some effective progress in their learning and development. Children are confident in making choices about their play, such as toddlers deciding whether to play indoors or outdoors. Throughout the setting, children develop their speech and language effectively. They enjoy listening to stories and singing songs, which helps to develop their attention and listening skills. Toddlers recall familiar phrases from books during their play, such as when acting out shopping scenarios, linking what they know about fruits and health to stories they have heard. Pre-school children use stories and props to make connections. They express their thoughts and ideas confidently.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop important skills for the future, including independence. Pre-school children pour their own drinks and learn practical skills, such as putting on their coats before going outside. Babies, with staff's support, begin to feed themselves, while toddlers start managing aspects of self-care, such as using tissues and washing their hands independently. These experiences help children to build confidence, independence and essential life skills. However, there are some minor inconsistencies in staff's adaptation of teaching, which means that a small number of children are not always purposefully engaged. This means that, at times, children are not engaged consistently purposefully in their play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff praise and encourage children well, which helps to build their self esteem. Children's behaviour is positive overall. They are polite, curious with visitors and friendly with their peers. Staff communicate clear expectations and support children to develop skills, such as taking turns and cooperating with others. For example, staff talk to children about sharing and help them to resolve disagreements when they occur. Staff adjust what they expect from children based on their age, development and individual needs. They ensure that the guidance and behaviour expectations they give are fair and achievable. However, at times, practice in the pre-school room is not consistent in supporting children to develop early skills in self-regulation and understanding how their actions affect others. Also, there are occasional minor inconsistencies in staff's interactions, which do not consistently promote

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

high levels of engagement in learning for some children. Children are happy and confident in the nursery. They develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. For example, babies seek comfort from familiar adults as needed when they are tired or upset. Staff work closely with parents to gain a thorough understanding of each child's routines, interests and stage of development before they start. Leaders monitor children's attendance and follow up absences appropriately. This helps to promote children's wellbeing and supports families in establishing consistent routines that encourage regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff know their key children well and understand their individual needs. Children show that staff are important to them, seeking cuddles and enjoying the attention offered. Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers through professional and friendly communication. They gather detailed information about children's interests, needs and routines when they start and update this regularly. These steps help children to feel safe, secure and well cared for and reduce barriers to their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's emotional wellbeing is supported through deep and trusting relationships with staff. Staff use stories and everyday conversations to help children recognise and express their emotions. Settling-in arrangements and transitions throughout the nursery are managed effectively, helping children to feel safe and secure. Staff ensure that care practices are tailored to meet individual needs. For example, in the pre-school room, staff provide activities to promote oral health, which helps children to practise their brushing skills. Babies' weaning needs are met through carefully planned routines that reflect their individual stages of development, while toddlers are supported to drift peacefully to sleep through calm, responsive care and consistent sleep practices.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff encourage children to develop an understanding of their physical development, personal safety and health. For example, staff remind children not to climb on wooden blocks used for construction. They remind and promote good hygiene consistently through handwashing and mealtime routines. All children enjoy outdoor play, where staff support toddlers to develop their large physical skills by completing obstacle courses and negotiating balancing bars and steps. Pre-school children extend their learning outdoors, such as when they create dinosaur footprints and laugh as they chase their friends around the garden. Younger babies that are new to walking receive support by staff as they negotiate spaces. Mealtimes are well organised, with staff supervising closely and considering individual needs to promote independence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a welcoming environment that encourages children to explore and learn. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the setting's curriculum intent. They plan and provide activities that support sequenced learning and build on children's next steps. Staff promote children's communication and language effectively. They introduce new vocabulary through daily conversations, group activities, stories and songs. Staff provide activities that skilfully incorporate mathematical concepts, which helps children to learn about numbers, shape, space and measure. For example, babies receive support in their active exploration as they learn to build a tower using different-sized blocks. All children have opportunities to be outdoors and physically active. Younger children excitedly kick balls to each other. Older children develop new physical skills as they skilfully balance on beams and jump into hoops.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff understand their role to plan effectively for children with additional needs and special educational needs and/or disabilities. They identify and support children whose development is not at expected levels, ensuring that appropriate strategies are in place to help them make progress. Staff plan activities that help children to understand and manage their emotions. For example, when children struggle to share with a rolling pin, staff offer clear solutions, such as taking turns. Staff help children from a young age to develop key skills for future learning, including listening and attention, through group activities and storytelling.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a commitment to inclusive practice. They work well together as a team, and they are professional and responsive to the needs of each other. Leaders maintain a warm and welcoming environment for all children and their families. Staff know their key children well. They ensure that they work closely with parents and carers so that each child's individual needs, routines and circumstances are securely met. Partnerships with any external agencies are effective in ensuring that children and their families receive the support they need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training and updates so they can support children with additional learning needs or potential special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. As a result, these children make positive progress, and any gaps in their development are addressed quickly. Staff help children who speak English as an additional language by learning key words from parents and using their home languages alongside English within their daily routines. They also use resources that enable children to listen to songs in their home languages, which helps them feel included and develop a sense of belonging.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The setting is welcoming and provides resources that reflect children's similarities and differences, helping to promote diversity and inclusion. Leaders use additional funding, including early years pupil premium funding, effectively to meet the individual needs of children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders maintain effective oversight of the setting, enabling them to evaluate improvements and implement plans that enhance education and care. During the inspection, they demonstrated awareness of staff's wellbeing by adjusting staffing to better support the pre- school room. Staff confirm they are well supported, feel happy and that the leadership team is supportive. They have many opportunities to enhance their learning and skills and have access to training that develops their skills. Leaders are actively supporting staff in curriculum training, which has increased their confidence. However, some staff have not yet fully embedded the leaders' high expectations and vision for practice, particularly in relation to mealtimes in the pre-school room. There are effective partnerships with parents and carers and professionals, which in turn support children's development well. Staff and leaders communicate effectively with parents,

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

who speak positively about their experiences and the leadership team. Leaders are knowledgeable about safeguarding processes, and they embed the nursery policies consistently, such as not allowing any person entering the nursery to use their mobile phones in the setting and maintaining accurate adult-to-child ratios. All policies are accessible to parents, and records show that complaints are managed and followed accordingly. Arrangements are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. While leaders have clear policies, these are not always implemented consistently by staff.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy and settled at this nursery. They are warmly welcomed by leaders on arrival and by staff as they enter their base rooms. Staff use the key-person approach effectively to help children to feel confident and secure. This enables children to separate easily from their parents and carers. Staff work closely with parents and provide regular feedback so that parents understand their children's progress. Children develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. Babies play alongside and with one another, building early social skills. Staff respond sensitively to children who need help managing their feelings. For example, staff offer comfort and use simple language to help support children to express emotions. Overall, staff use positive behaviour strategies, such as encouraging turn taking and supporting children to resolve minor disagreements when seen.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff plan and provide a range of activities for the children to enjoy, which cover all areas of learning well. This helps children to prepare for the next steps in their learning. Children enjoy activities, such as sand, water and dough play, which build on their fine and gross

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Inspectors:

Tracy Bartholomew Nicky Butler motor skills. Staff introduce children to early mathematical and scientific concepts. They use these and other activities, including role play and construction, to promote children's language development. For example, staff encourage children to describe textures and use their imagination. Children develop their independence and confidence well as they gain age-appropriate knowledge and skills. Staff work effectively to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. They support all children, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make progress from their starting points. Children have good attendance.

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Next steps

Leaders should take steps to provide additional support to staff to maintain the leader's high expectations for staff's practice in relation to policies and procedures to help raise the quality of the provision further. Leaders should provide targeted support to staff in the pre-school room to strengthen practice that helps children consistently develop and manage their feelings and behaviour effectively. Leaders should enhance staff's teaching practice so that they can respond flexibly and effectively in the moment, adapting their approach to maximise opportunities for children's learning and development.

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, including those with key roles of designated safeguarding leads and the special educational needs coordinator, children, and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

2 Armstrong Road Littlemore Park Oxford OX4 4XT

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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