Busy Bears Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify any gap in children's development early on. They act quickly and involve parents in conversations about support for children. They use assessment to monitor children's development and update their learning targets regularly. Staff ensure activities are inclusive and can be accessed by all children. They make adaptations to allow children to fully access the learning opportunities on offer. For example, children who are hard of hearing, are placed closer to staff during group activities to ensure they can hear what is being taught.

Leaders liaise with other professionals and have a good knowledge of what other agencies are involved with children. They discuss support plans with parents and other professionals and include their advice to ensure the right support is in place. Staff have suitable training and knowledge to understand and support children's needs effectively. Funding is used appropriately on training and resources. Leaders consider the needs of children and purchase resources that support them to make progress in their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is well designed to meet children's emerging needs. Teaching is sequenced across the nursery to ensure children develop and build on their existing skills. Leaders have ensured natural and real materials form part of children's learning. This is evident in children's play and learning both indoors and out. Staff are skilled at teaching children the things they need to learn. Staff model how to use woodwork tools in a safe and well supervised area. Staff stay close to children as they develop their skills using drills and hammers. Children develop their concentration and coordination through these activities. They show high levels of enjoyment and engagement and express their enthusiasm to take part. Younger children are given more suitable materials to begin to develop the skills they will need to use real tools. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive more targeted support to enable them to take part in these more complex activities.

Staff set up activities that require children to think about what is happening and how they can solve problems, to help them develop concentration and perseverance. They provide opportunities for children to experiment with magnets and water, learning about properties and volume. Children freely incorporate mathematics into their own learning as they add other materials to fill containers and count resources. Babies have opportunities to move around and develop their physical skills. Staff position furniture suitably to encourage them to stand and then eventually walk. Staff provide sensory activities for babies to explore. This helps them to learn about the feel of different materials and notice aspects such as texture and sound. There is sometimes a lack of organisation of some activities that restricts children's learning at times. Staff have to spend time reacting to cleaning tasks, rather than teaching children. Therefore, children's learning is not fully maximised.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points. All children fully access the curriculum, allowing them to develop the skills they need. Children learn to communicate effectively with others. Babies gesture and point to pictures in stories, and older children start to ask questions about characters and become curious in their play. They learn to express their emotions and manage their feelings with support from staff. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They build strength in their core muscles as they learn to balance and climb. They lift and transport items around the outdoor area, and develop their coordination as they use smaller tools for creative work. Children who are getting ready for school follow a particularly focused programme. They learn to be increasingly independent, developing the skills they will need to be independent learners. They follow routines and learn to dress themselves. Children increasingly do things for themselves, such as fastening zips on their coats. They gain the confidence and skills they need for their transitions to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders promote an inclusive environment where all children develop a sense of belonging. They promote regular attendance and follow up persistent absences from nursery. Children are keen to learn, and display excitement at the activities being offered. They focus and pay attention when engaging in play. This helps them to develop new skills and maintain concentration. Children show pride in their achievements and are keen to quickly hang their creations on their pegs ready to take home and show parents and carers.

Staff develop secure relationships with children. Babies show they feel safe and settled as they approach staff for cuddles and comfort when they are upset. Staff respond warmly, which helps children to settle quickly. Children behave well. The nursery is busy at times; however, children demonstrate that they understand behaviour expectations as they share and negotiate during their play. Staff give gentle reminders of the rules when needed. This helps children to become confident and emotionally secure. Routines in the nursery are generally well-established. Children are supported to follow hygiene practices and understand when they need to sit at tables for meals. However, there are times when children do not fully understand what they need to do and routines become a little disjointed. For example, when coming in from outdoors, some children run through the areas of the room that have been set up ready for children to sleep in, rather than get ready to wash their hands before lunch. Staff need to provide additional support at these times to prevent unwanted behaviour.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children develop secure attachments with their key person. Parents are involved in their children's care, with regards to understanding children's routines and feeding arrangements. Routines for babies are flexible, ensuring children eat and sleep in line with the usual patterns they experience at home. Children are provided with nutritious and healthy meals that reflect the latest nutrition guidance. They spend time outdoors daily, ensuring they are being physically active, and learning to keep their bodies healthy. Children learn how to manage their own feelings which supports them to make friends with others. Children are accepting of one another and learn about each other's differences. This ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included.

Staff know children well and understand their individual needs. However, during some parts of the day, particularly during transition times, staff do not consistently implement nursery policies. For example, on occasion, there are minor delays when completing checks on children who sleep. Additionally, staff do not always ensure children have the right cutlery when eating, and older children are sometimes not reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet. Leaders step in and intervene at these times to support staff and remind them of expectations, so that there is no impact on children's wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear oversight of the nursery. They identify areas that need to be improved and devise plans to address these. For example, leaders plan for staff to visit other nurseries and observe practice. This will support staff to strengthen their own practice and deliver high-quality learning for children. Leaders are given focused responsibilities. This ensures that all staff have the support they need, and areas for improvement can be acted upon quickly. Leaders meet with staff regularly and discuss their personal development needs. Staff attend training that supports their knowledge and skills to improve. This results in improved learning experiences for children. Leaders monitor the impact of staff training and spend time in rooms, role modelling expected practice. They recognise that there are changes that can be made to some aspects of the daily routine to improve outcomes for children. Leaders support staff in the moment to change their practice if it does not meet their expected standard, however, there is scope to strengthen support for staff so that they implement nursery policies and procedures consistently. Staff comment that they feel supported and their wellbeing is promoted.

Positive partnerships with parents are fostered across the nursery. Parents and carers comment that they are happy with the care children receive. They see their children making progress and appreciate the clear communication they receive daily. They say they have good relationships with children's key persons and children are happy to attend.