Busy Bees at Leicester City

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at this nursery. Staff welcome them by saying 'hello' in the children's home languages. Staff support babies with cuddles and reassurance as they smile and snuggle into teddy bears. Older children confidently speak to visitors, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Children practise their physical skills in the fresh air. For example, they ride tricycles and chase bubbles in the garden. Younger children learn their first words as staff name insects and sing songs about spiders and bees. Older children learn mathematical language as they play counting games outside and talk about the time. Children run, laugh and scream during the game as the 'wolf' chases them.

Staff encourage older children with their concentration, problem-solving and teamwork. Children work with staff to complete a large dinosaur jigsaw on the floor. They talk about the big orange dinosaur and its big sharp teeth as they help to turn the pieces around to complete the puzzle. Older children are supported to learn about the world around them. Staff help them to plant seeds and understand that water and sunlight are needed to help seeds grow. Children learn to behave well and be proud of their achievements. For example, younger children smile as staff praise them for pulling up their coat zipper.

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

• Staff support children to practise their physical skills. For example, they hold children's hands as they balance their way across an obstacle course in the garden. Staff encourage children to pretend to move like animals and help them learn how different animals walk. They recognise children who need extra support and allow more time for them to join in. Staff help babies develop hand-eye coordination and small-muscle skills as they encourage them to pick up and complete peg jigsaws.
• Staff promote children's early communication and understanding. For example, as younger children look at books, staff talk to them about the vehicles they see, such as a helicopter. Older children construct models of rockets and robots as staff help them and use words such as 'tall', 'wobbly' and 'bigger'. However, staff do not support children to understand and recognise their own or others' different emotions. For example, when some children's models fall or break, other children laugh. Staff do not explain how this might make children feel or how they can help.
• Staff teach older children about the world as they look at paintings together by different artists. Children hear words such as 'landscape' and 'portrait' as they decide which way to hold their paper. Staff encourage children to look at shapes and swirls in the paintings and to make their own patterns with chalk. They talk about the crescent and moon shapes as children repeat these words. However, some children are not interested in the paintings and want to look at flowers instead. Staff do not follow this interest and, as a result, these children lose focus.
• Staff support children to behave well. For example, younger children listen to staff instructions as they line up, hold onto the banister and carefully walk down the stairs. They wait for the older children to go past. Staff involve older children by taking photos as they act out the behaviour rules of the nursery. Staff use these photos to make a visual display to support children's learning.
• Staff encourage children to do things for themselves and to learn about healthy food. For example, older children collect their cutlery and pour water from a jug into open cups. They eat fish curry, and the staff talk about the healthy sweetcorn and that vegetables are good for you.
• Managers reflect on staff practice and the needs of the children. For example, following the COVID-19 pandemic, managers have focused on promoting communication and language with the children. Managers provide staff training, to further improve the quality of education. Staff state that they feel well supported.
• Parents speak of the nursery as a second family. Overall, they know what their children are learning. Staff communicate with parents online and face to face. Parents state that they feel well supported and are happy with the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen support for children to develop an understanding of their own and other's feelings and different emotions
• support staff to react more readily to children's emerging interests in play to help them engage deeply in their learning.