Bees Knees Day Nursery and Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are cared for by an enthusiastic and committed staff team. Children are greeted by warm and friendly staff when they arrive. Babies settle quickly into the arms of staff, who know and mirror the care routines they receive at home. Older children enjoy the opportunities to work collaboratively with key staff and their friends. Staff support children effectively to gain independence and self-care skills. Consequently, children are eager to try things for themselves, such as serving their meals and pouring their own drinks.

Staff listen to children and plan activities around their interests and learning needs. As a result, children are engrossed in a variety of fun sensory activities provided to support them in experiencing different dry and wet textures. Children have many opportunities to learn about similarities and differences in society. For example, parents are encouraged to share special family celebrations. Furthermore, they are invited to attend frequent family events throughout the year. This ensures that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are supported to have a sense of belonging in the nursery.

Children behave well. Staff are good role models for the children. They use good manners and thank children for helping. For example, children help to lay the table ahead of lunchtime. Staff encourage children to share and to take turns. This helps to develop children's self-esteem and confidence.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders are passionate about supporting children in the early years. Since the last inspection, there have been many improvements made. Leaders and the new manager have worked hard to drive the required changes. The new manager demonstrates clear vision and is forward-thinking. For example, they have recently split the rooms for the older age groups and adapted the pre-school room to allow children more space to explore and develop.
• Interactions between staff and children are kind and warm. Children openly reach out to staff for reassurance and cuddles. They are clearly happy and settled. Staff chat to children and ask open-ended questions to challenge children's knowledge. However, on occasion, staff are very enthusiastic and keen to answer for the children and do not allow them enough time to think or respond. This means, at times, that children are not able to fully express their ideas and build on their understanding.
• Staff know the children well. They observe and assess children's development and identify what they need to learn next. This is reflected in the personalised and well-balanced curriculum. This enables children to make steady and sustained progress.
• Children show a particular interest in exploratory play. Staff foster children's communication, creativity and imaginations well. Babies and young children delight in messy play. They explore drawing with chunky chalks, and they pour oats and dip tinsel into paint with increasing control to make patterns. This helps children to develop the coordination and muscles they need for early writing.
• Staff recognise the benefits of outdoor learning. Children have fun opportunities to develop their physical skills and coordination. For example, older children dig in the sandpit, negotiate space on tricycles and are supported to walk confidently along balance beams. Children are curious learners and are fascinated to observe a frog in the garden. Staff use this as an exciting learning opportunity to support children's understanding of the world. For instance, staff encourage children to consider the frog's appearance and what it may eat.
• Overall, staff build effective relationships with parents and are valued by the families. Parents appreciate regular communication and express their complete satisfaction with the staff. However, some parents are unsure of their child's next steps in learning. Nonetheless, there is a new system in the early stages of development, although it is not yet fully embedded. This will endeavour to support parents in guiding their children's development at home.
• The manager supports the staff team well. Staff complete mandatory training and share their ideas on ways to make positive changes to the children's learning and the environment. Staff have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice, request training and to discuss their professional development through supervision meetings. The manager offers regular feedback and spends time with staff to support their practice and overall well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend strategies used for questioning children, to develop the consistency of staff's interactions to further support children's ideas and thinking skills
• strengthen the way that information about children's learning priorities is shared with parents to further enhance and support children's learning at home.