Bumble Bees Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's laughter is everywhere as they happily leave their parents to explore the exciting activities in this nursery. Children immediately immerse themselves in learning that captures their interest. Staff give children's feelings and attachment a high priority. For example, children explore the 'emotions tent 'and read books that help them to put a colour to their feelings. Loving staff are so in tune with children's emotions, that they pre-empt children's distress by scooping them up for cuddles.

Children benefit from a highly reflective staff team who follow their interests. For example, the children's interest in dinosaurs leads to making play dough volcanoes. Children excel at recalling when they made their own footprints, as they make dinosaur footprints in the dough. Children enthusiastically display high levels of enjoyment, explaining 'we made footprints in the snow, and we made snow angels'.

Staff playfully join in children's imaginative storylines. For example, a walk in the forest to look for pirates becomes a game of find the 'X' that marks the spot. Staff remind children to look at their map to ensure that they get to 'pirate island' safely. They ecstatically exclaim to the inspector, 'look out for the X and you will find the treasure'. Their physical skills develop as they climb a special 'climbing' tree. Moreover, they demonstrate their impressive turn-taking skills as they wait patiently to have a go. They develop their imaginations further by looking for pirates or being princesses once at the top of the tree.

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

• Highly reflective and thoughtful staff implement an extremely well-thought-out curriculum. They find out children's starting points and rapidly provide high-quality support to address any gaps in learning. For instance, staff noticed that children needed further language support, so they completed training to enhance their skills in this area. When they read a story, they encourage children to discuss it with them and their peers. Children tell of their swimming experience and compare it to a character's in the book. This helps children develop excellent language skills and become school ready.
• Literacy and teaching traditional tales is of great importance to staff. Children learn stories using props that staff provide to inspire them. They demonstrate impressive levels of concentration while they listen to staff read the story of the Gingerbread Man and loudly join in to finish the rhyme. Children delight in singing nursery rhymes that match the initial letter of a soft toy they choose from a bag. Staff provide skilful support to help children learn about story formats and develop their memory skills. Furthermore, children begin to understand about important social skills for the next stage of their education.
• Children flourish in their personal development. They demonstrate highly effective self-care skills. For instance, they do up their zips themselves and older children put on their own coats. They go to the toilet without help and understand why they wash their hands.
• Children's behaviour is consistently impeccable. For instance, they show kindness and care to others and involve them in their imaginative play. Children wait patiently for their turn to get into 'all weather' clothes for their walk. Their attitude is admirable as they follow instructions when staff ask and demonstrate high levels of interest in nature. For example, on an outside walk, children comment that there are no leaves and remember that this is because it is winter and 'too cold'. Staff inspire children as they look for signs of spring and skilfully extend their learning. For example, when children notice the buds, staff seamlessly begin a discussion about growth. Children's excellent behaviour means that little time is lost and all children are able to focus on their learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive outstanding support and flourish in their development. The manager goes above and beyond to ensure that children with SEND get every possible resource available to them. For instance, staff work tirelessly to ensure that specialist teachers and therapists support children on site. This means that all children get the support they need to reach their full potential.
• Parents are very happy with their children's progress and the communication at the pre-school. They have electronic means of communicating and speak with the staff daily. Parents say that the setting is 'idyllic'. Staff are very happy at pre-school and the low staff turnover delights the parents as their children keep the same key person. The staff are also highly effective at liaising with other settings that children attend. They plan together to make certain that children benefit from consistent individual support of the highest quality.