Busy Bees at Maidstone Oakwood

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff skilfully and swiftly identify the needs of all individual children and fully understand how to support them to achieve in relation to their starting points. Staff plan individually to minimise learning barriers for all children. This includes disadvantaged children, children who are known (or were previously known) to children's social care and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. This is demonstrated when staff complete specific training and share resources and equipment with families. Staff know where to direct families for the support they need and prioritise the wellbeing and welfare of all families and children.

Staff successfully assess children's progress and ensure they meet the children's individual needs very well. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff make effective adaptations to support all children and provide a consistent approach to their care and learning. For instance, they share and provide the same resources and share effective strategies with parents, such as spinning chairs and visual prompt cards to help children focus and regulate their emotions.

Leaders use additional funding effectively to support the individual needs of children. This includes purchasing resources and equipment that they know will support children's individual development. All staff have established highly positive partnerships with outside agencies and families. This includes sharing training ideas and implementing strategies to support children, such as using sign language.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have worked hard to ensure they embed and successfully implement an engaging and challenging curriculum for all areas of learning across the nursery. Staff have a clear knowledge of what children already know and how they can help them build on their skills. For instance, when babies bring a tiger toy over to the train play, staff skilfully retell a well-known tiger story, and children hear a wide range of vocabulary and enjoy storytelling activities. When older children are exploring sunflowers, they go on to learn about the process of planting and are excited for their own sunflowers to grow.

Staff plan concise and individual next steps for children's development, and children make progress in relation to their starting points. The curriculum is well embedded and thought out. However, on the odd occasion, staff do not quickly engage children who may need additional encouragement to join in their interesting activities more promptly. All children are happy, and staff supervise and deploy themselves well. However, some children would benefit from more adult encouragement to get the most out of their learning sooner.

All staff support children to be confident to communicate. Older children make up their own narratives during role play and answer thought-provoking questions. All children including the youngest consistently and effectively use signing. For example, babies sign 'more', and all children are able to communicate their needs effectively.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress in relation to their starting points across all areas of learning. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children develop skills to prepare them for their next stage of learning. For instance, children follow routines and fully understand what is expected of them. However, at times children do not consistently have opportunities to problem-solve with greater independence.

Children fully understand each other's needs and respect that some children will require different support and manage their emotions differently. For example, children are kind in suggesting that calming tents are put out to support children with SEND to feel safe and calm if they become overwhelmed. Staff are dedicated to supporting children and building on their own knowledge and skills. This includes attending specific training to support children with SEND.

All children have a keen interest in books and singing, and their communication and language are confident. Babies enjoy props to tell well-known stories, and older children are keen to act out stories and recall the storyline with confidence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All staff are positive role models and support children to behave well. Overall, all children fully understand what is expected of them. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children know the routines and follow instruction with maturity. Children behave well. However, when children have slight and minor disagreements, staff quickly step in to suggest a resolution. Therefore, children do not consistently have opportunities to problem-solve any minor issues with more independence to strengthen their social skills even further.

Staff are skilful in identifying how to support children who have SEND. This is evident when staff redirect children to an activity that they know will regain their focus and regulate their emotions if they feel overwhelmed. Leaders and staff ensure they teach children routines and what is expected of them. All staff know babies well and ensure they are settled and happy. They swiftly identity when babies are in need of a bottle or a nap. Babies' individual needs are effectively and swiftly met. Older children know the routines well, and these are well organised by staff. There is minimal waiting and disruption to children's play and learning. Therefore, children remain engaged throughout their day.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

All children are happy, settled and confident, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have successfully created safe, hygienic and welcoming learning environments for children of all ages and abilities. For example, leaders and staff risk assess equipment routinely.

Leaders and staff have successfully established an effective key-person system which supports all children to feel safe and secure. Children engage in activities and learning experiences to develop their physical skills. For example, babies balance on safe and age-appropriate beams and splash in puddles. Older children negotiate space while riding bikes. All children learn about the importance of following thorough health and hygiene practices, such as handwashing, and follow these routines with independence. Staff teach children about the importance and benefits of healthy eating.

Staff support children to manage their emotions and feelings well. This includes the youngest, who use mirrors and pictures to learn about how they may feel. Staff talk about children being 'new' and 'worried', and children kindly suggest they may be 'feeling sad'. They go on to be encouraged about how they can help make these children feel happy. Children play happily together and enjoy the company of staff. This includes older children seeking them out for reassurance and babies giggling as they play peekaboo games.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have worked extremely hard to support the team to build morale and make significant improvements since the last inspection. It is evident that there are highly effective processes in place to ensure they coach, support and mentor all staff. This includes providing individualised bespoke training to build on the staff's strengths and develop their confidence in all aspects of practice, including embedding a successful curriculum.

Leaders are very evaluative and reflective on practice. Staff wellbeing is supported and workload is manageable. Leaders prioritise the wellbeing of staff and ensure that they work together as a team to highlight areas they wish to build on further. This includes aiming to widen their community involvement and what they would like to celebrate as one of their strengths, such as their partnerships with parents. There are strong partnerships with parents and other early years professionals. For example, staff keep parents informed of their children's learning and next steps and routinely share children's achievements with them. This includes carrying out observations and making next steps in learning together. There is a strong and consistent link between children's shared care and learning opportunities.

Leaders are extremely passionate and dedicated and have very high expectations of both themselves and staff. Therefore, all staff have high expectations of their performance and strive to provide the best possible outcome for all children.