Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not always have oversight of the impact of the curriculum for all children. Barriers to learning for children who speak English as an additional language are not consistently reduced. Leaders have not ensured that staff understand how to support children who speak English as an additional language, which means that these children are not always able to access meaningful learning opportunities.

Leaders have recognised that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have not had the support required to make progress in their learning and development. However, leaders have begun to implement processes to change this. However, it is too soon to see the impact of the changes. Leaders are beginning to work well with families of children with SEND to identify gaps in children's learning and development. Meetings with parents and other professionals have supported staff to look at the barriers to children's learning and begin to put strategies in place to assist with their learning and development. Staff are knowledgeable about their key children, working closely with leaders responsible for SEND to create individual plans for children's next steps in learning. Leaders work with key persons and parents to identify how to make the best use of additional funding for specific children. For example, one-to-one support is put into place for key hours of the day. This has a positive impact on children's experience at the setting.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have not supported staff to make adaptations to how they implement the curriculum to meet the needs of children who have barriers to their learning. They have not been proactive in ensuring that children who speak English as an additional language or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Staff are not consistently assessing children's learning and development. As a result, they sometimes fail to adapt teaching to children's learning needs, which limits children's engagement and affects their ability to sustain attention. This means that the curriculum is not delivered as intended. This does not support children's learning effectively across the day.

Leaders have begun to implement the setting's curriculum. Staff have knowledge of this and how this links to the children within the setting. Staff are able to plan activities to build on what children already know and can do, but these are not always followed up by other staff. As a result, children lose interest in their activities, which limits the learning taking place.

For the youngest babies, staff are knowledgeable about child development and how to build on babies' physical skills. For example, staff create activities at different heights to encourage children to pull themselves up to stand. In the pre-school room, staff read stories regularly to children. They talk to them about what is happening in the story and encourage them to revisit what they have already learned and read.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make the progress they are capable of. The lack of focused support for children, including building on their communication and language development, has a direct impact on their progress in other areas of learning. Some children across the setting struggle to manage changes that routinely happen during the day. This is due to a lack of support and explanation of expectations. A lack of consistent staff means that children with barriers to their learning do not have reliable support.

Children do not achieve as well as they could because there are weaknesses in staff's knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. They gain some skills for their next stage of learning. Children do not consistently build on skills they already have because staff lack the knowledge of how to build on these through a range of activities. Children become bored quite quickly during activities. Staff do not know how to consistently support children to remain interested and engaged in their learning. This affects their overall progress through the curriculum.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders have not ensured that the deployment of staff meets children's needs. They have not been proactive to ensure that staff support children to understand expectations of them during the day, particularly at transition times. As a result, children wonder aimlessly and are unable to follow the setting's routines. The learning environment becomes chaotic in certain areas of the setting. This impacts on children's ability to focus on their choice of play. This, in turn, has a detrimental impact on children's learning.

Leaders are determined in their vision for improving the nursery. They have made some progress in this by reorganising staffing and routines to create a more consistent transition for children. However, this is not embedded. Overall, children behave very well. Older children learn to collaborate, take turns and solve problems together with purpose and determination.

Across the setting, children develop positive relationships with staff. Staff prioritise secure attachments within the baby rooms, and relationships are secure. Where additional staff are required, leaders ensure that these are familiar for children to lessen the impact on their wellbeing.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not promote children's welfare to a consistently high standard across the setting. They do not encourage all children to learn how to manage their own personal hygiene, and, therefore, children wander around with runny noses. In addition, staff do not support all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language to begin to recognise their emotions and develop appropriate strategies to support their emotional wellbeing.

Leaders and staff are beginning to establish safe and appropriate routines across most of the setting. However, transition times across the setting are not well managed. Babies and children enjoy sociable mealtimes alongside attentive staff who interact well with them. Staff monitor children's safety and support their understanding of healthy eating. Staff are knowledgeable about children with allergies and ensure that they are safe at eating times.

Children generally form close attachments with their key persons. However, this is often difficult with the ever-changing staff team. That said, babies do seek out staff for emotional support and reassurance, and they find comfort in their nurturing interactions. For example, children crawl over to activities where staff are present to join them.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders are aware of the priorities for improvement across the whole setting. The quality of teaching varies significantly across the setting, and staff do not always have the skills and knowledge they need to embed learning. Leaders do not use staff's skills appropriately to ensure that all children have access to high-quality teaching. Leaders should target training opportunities for staff to help them build upon their current professional knowledge and skills precisely. They have adapted the curriculum to meet the needs of the children in some areas of the setting, but not all. This is particularly evident for those who speak English as an additional language. This hinders the progress that some children can make.

Leaders have not ensured that the deployment of the staff team across the setting meets the needs of the children. This means that children's individual needs are not consistently met. Leaders are aware of the impact staffing issues are having on the setting and ensure that, where additional staff attend the setting, they are consistent. Therefore, the impact on children is minimal.

Regular one-to-one sessions support staff's wellbeing. Staff comment positively on how they feel well supported by leaders and the changes that have taken place in recent times.