Busy Bee (By The Bridge)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff build strong relationships with children and their families at this setting. Children arrive happily and immediately begin exploring the stimulating environment tailored to their interests. They become quickly engaged across all areas of the curriculum through painting, building, playing, creating, sorting and weighing objects. Outside, children become engaged in many more exciting activities. Staff encourage independence, supporting children to play and learn on their own. Children show pride in their achievements. Staff are positive role models and praise children, awarding recognition for their efforts. Children's behaviour is good.

Staff speak clearly and listen attentively, building children's confidence and communication skills. They interact with children, using questioning and modelling to expand children's vocabulary. Children enjoy looking at books, listening to stories and singing songs. Songs are used effectively for daily transitions. For example, children sing as they tidy-up toys or wash their hands.

Children develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff encourage children to talk about themselves, where they come from and the languages they speak. Staff, who speak many languages, celebrate diversity, allowing all children to feel included. Visual prompts, such as a world map and multilingual signs, reinforce this sense of inclusion and belonging.

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

• Staff support children's emotional well-being. Settling-in procedures are effective and ensure smooth transitions when children start. Staff work positively with parents and carers to make the transition successful. For example, parents are invited to stay for their child's first days if needed. This allows children to settle quickly and happily.
• The wide range of activities on offer take children's interests carefully into consideration. Staff observe, assess and support children across the curriculum. However, leaders and staff are not always clear on what the learning intent of each activity is. For example, an activity to learn about connecting with construction toys is planned but staff are not sure of what the learning intent is. This impacts on children's learning and development.
• Staff are consistent in their approach to teaching and encouraging independence. For example, they supervise children closely as they are encouraged to use a knife safely to cut up fruit for snack. In addition, children are able to put their own coats on and pour water from a jug. Children are developing good independence skills.
• Early mathematical skills are considered across all areas of the curriculum. For example, children are encouraged to count how many pieces of fruit they have and talk about their size and shape. This supports children's problem-solving skills.
• Communication is a key focus across the nursery. Staff model language and ask questions, and children respond. However, staff do not always build on children's communication skills by encouraging thoughtful conversations, allowing children to consistently use the new vocabulary. This hinders children's communication and does not encourage cooperative play with others.
• Leaders are quick to highlight and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work with parents to support children's progress. They signpost and support parents for outside support. Staff are keen to develop their knowledge and skills. As a result, all children are making good progress.
• Parents have positive opinions of the setting and the staff. They value the lovely staff and say their children are happy and keen to come to nursery. Parents enjoy receiving feedback about their child's progress and what they have been doing. In particular, parents of children with SEND share how helpful staff have been in identifying and meeting children's needs, as well as supporting parents.
• Children are keen to learn about keeping healthy. They sing songs, read books, make fruit salad, learn about skeletons and play in the doctor's surgery. The children are inquisitive about their bodies and know why they need to wash their hands and eat fruit to be healthy.
• Children behave positively and staff model and encourage children to talk about their emotions. For example, they sing a song to say how they feel. Children are beginning to understand about their feelings and emotions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• clarify the learning intentions for planned activities, to take more careful account of what children need to learn next
• support staff further to develop children's communication skills so that they can hold thoughtful conversations with adults and peers.