Bizzy Bees Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school happy and eager to learn. Before they start their day, children line up with their parents and carers and vote on which story they would like to read at the end of the session. Children develop their imagination as they role play real-life situations. In the home corner they pretend to prepare lunch for the dolls. They flip the bread in the pan and make sizzling noises to mimic a frying pan. Children sit dolls in the high chairs and remind them of how to behave, asking them to 'sit down nicely'.

Children understand how to stay safe and demonstrate good behaviour and attitudes. They are courteous to their friends and offer support to one other when needed. For example, when children get ready to go outside into the garden area, younger children find it difficult to put their wellington boots on. Older children are attentive to their needs and try to help. Children use good manners and are extremely enthusiastic at tidy-up time. They use cloths to wipe the tables and clear away food spillages with the dustpan and brush. Children receive lots of positive praise from practitioners for their efforts.

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

• Children learn about the community as they visit the post office and the butchers. Practitioners extend this learning in the pre-school. They teach children how to locate where they have been on the 'community map'. Children see photos of themselves, and these spark discussions about what they have learned. This helps to widen children's experiences.
• Practitioners observe children's learning and development and plan exciting activities, taking children's interests into consideration. However, on occasion, they do not ensure that children's next steps for learning build on progress that has already been made. Therefore, children do not always make the best possible progress.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents value the staff and give them great credit for their hard work during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Parents express how they feel supported by the leaders and managers and value the relationships between practitioners and their children.
• Leaders and managers ensure staff training is kept up to date. They understand the importance of a highly motivated and skilled workforce. Managers take steps to ensure additional training is not a burden on practitioners. For example, they are given time within the working day to complete training and reflect on the impact of this on their practice.
• Practitioners support children to develop a can-do attitude. For instance, children are encouraged to spread the butter on their crackers at snack time. They put their wellington boots on before they go into the garden, and they clean their hands and face with flannels following mealtimes. As a result, children are confident and independent in managing their personal needs.
• Children's mathematical and literacy skills are supported and developed well. Practitioners help children learn how to count as they build a tower of tyres. Children access a vast array of books and mark-making resources in the outdoor classroom. Additionally, practitioners help children to learn the letters in their name and practise letter formation. This helps to support children to be prepared for school.
• During group time, children work with their friends to identify different animals based on their characteristics. However, practitioners do not always recognise when children find the activity too easy. On occasion, they do not adapt the activity to make it more challenging. As a result, some children become disengaged from learning.
• Practitioners and children are very affectionate and supportive of one another. Children are confident, resilient and thrive from the positive interactions they have with practitioners. For instance, at lunchtime children give a round of applause to their friends when they have eaten their lunch. Practitioners offer praise and reward them with a sticker. Children beam with pride from the positive encouragement. This promotes children's self-esteem and well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to challenge children to extend their learning
• strengthen support for practitioners to ensure they understand and precisely target children's next steps for development.