Busy Bee Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to come in as staff warmly greet them. They are excited to share things of importance to them with the staff, such as experiences they have had over the weekend. Children confidently self-register using their picture and happily select resources to play with. Staff support children as they develop their independence skills. For example, children excitedly show each other how to pull their Christmas crackers and put on their Christmas crowns.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children are polite and well mannered. Staff support children as they learn the pre-school's rules, such as wearing a hat while on the climbing frame to signal that they are using it. Children quickly learn that if there are no available hats they must wait their turn to use the climbing frame.

Staff encourage children to take part in movement sessions that help develop their physical skills as they run, hop and jump. For example, children race around as they try and put the 'presents' down the 'chimney'. Children develop their mathematical skills through games with staff. For instance, children play a game where they have to guess which numeral is missing from a row of numbered skittles. Children excitedly shout out the correct number and eagerly hide the next skittle.

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

• Staff know children well, including their likes and dislikes. Staff track and assess children's development effectively. This helps children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff ensure they use additional funding appropriately to further support the good progress children make in their learning. For example, they have purchased nursery rhyme props to help develop children's communication skills.
• The manager and the nominated individual are dedicated to their roles in ensuring they are providing high-quality childcare. They reflect on and evaluate the provision and quality of teaching regularly. For example, with staff, they have created a new curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. The manager and the nominated individual recognise that this is not yet fully embedded among staff. They are developing plans to provide further support and coaching to staff.
• At times, some of the expectations for the youngest children are overambitious. For example, older children take pride in helping to chop the vegetables for their Christmas dinner. However, the youngest children struggle to cut the vegetables without adult support and quickly lose interest. As a result, at times, the youngest children do not fully benefit from the learning experiences offered.
• There are strong parent partnerships. Parents speak highly of the kind and caring staff. They note that their children are thriving at the pre-school. This partnership is strengthened by staff providing parents with home learning ideas. This helps to further support children's learning and development.
• Staff take part in regular supervision with the manager. This helps to support their well-being as well as providing opportunities to discuss practice. Staff are keen to undertake further professional development. This benefits the children positively as staff are able to cascade information they have learned, such as different strategies on how to support children with SEND, to the rest of the team.
• Staff support children's emerging language skills well. They model language for children and introduce new vocabulary to them, such as 'Brussels sprouts'. Staff quickly identify children who need additional support with their communication development. They ensure they provide children with enriched language support through language games. For example, children play a game that encourages children to think about words that sound the same. These games also develop their listening and attention skills further.
• Children learn about the world around them through sharing lived experiences with their peers and through regular outings in the community. For example, after children share their experiences with tractors, other children are curious and keen to learn more. Following this, staff provided children with the opportunity to see a tractor out on the local farm. As a result, children expand their knowledge of their local community and take pride in sharing their experiences with one another.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed further staff's knowledge and understanding of the curriculum
• support staff to adapt their interactions during activities to meet the individual learning needs of younger children who take part.