Busy Bees At Chichester

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their parents with ease as they happily enter this friendly and welcoming nursery. Staff help children to find their peg to place their bag and coat on before running over to their friends. Children display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure. For example, babies crawl over to staff and spontaneously sit on their laps. Staff respond by cuddling the babies into them, showing genuine warmth and kindness.

Staff implement a fun and unique curriculum. This focuses on developing children's independence. Children show high levels of enthusiasm as they carefully carry jugs of water over to tables that are set out for lunch. Staff carefully consider children's next steps in learning. They use the information they identify to plan targeted experiences to help close gaps in learning.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Staff are good role models, and they support children to resolve any minor conflicts swiftly. Children display kindness towards their friends. Older children help younger children when they face a problem. For example, they pass balls over a fence that are out of their reach. Staff praise children for their efforts, causing them to smile widely.

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

• The curriculum is well designed to meet children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders support staff in implementing a meaningful curriculum that fosters a love of learning and provides unique experiences for all. Staff work cohesively with parents and other professionals to ensure that information is regularly shared, reviewed and updated. Staff assess children's needs well and know when to make referrals to other agencies.
• Staff make good use of outings and visits to extend children's understanding of the local community. For instance, children love listening to the 'nee naw' siren on the police vehicle when police officers visit the nursery. They also enjoy going to visit residents in a local care home. Staff question children well and provide targeted resources to consolidate their learning. This helps children to begin to understand who can help them and keep them safe.
• There is a strong partnership with parents. Parents value the key-person system and the good communication they receive regarding their child's care and learning. Key people listen to parents and follow home routines successfully, such as baby-led weaning. Staff provide support and ideas when needed, such as when progressing to toilet training.
• Experienced leaders support staff well, and they are happy in their roles. Staff work well as a team. On occasion, however, staff are not available to support each other when needed, such as lunchtimes. This impacts on the smooth running of the setting and the support children receive at these times.
• Leaders have systems in place to identify staff's training needs. They monitor staff's practice through observations and meet with staff regularly, both one to one and as a team. New staff have a mentor who offers them support and coaching. Leaders give staff ample opportunities to complete relevant training courses of interest to them or to help their key children. This helps staff to improve their skills and develop their knowledge of individual children. All staff show a commitment to their professional development and want to develop their already good practice further.
• Staff support and encourage children to become confident communicators. Children have many opportunities to widen their vocabulary and develop early writing skills. They listen to interesting stories, and older children join in with a 'shake and write' activity. Younger children take part in singing sessions in one- to-one interactions with staff. Children learn a 'word of the week', which is shared with parents and carers to support this new learning at home. For example, they learn about words, including 'jive', and how to use them in the correct context.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language to develop their language skills and sense of belonging in the nursery. For example, staff work with parents and ask them to provide words in their home language. They then share these words with children, helping them to feel valued in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff deployment to ensure that children's needs are consistently met at all times.