Busy Bees Day Nursery at Brough

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come into the nursery eager to learn. They enthusiastically explore the well-resourced rooms and outdoor areas. Babies enjoy many opportunities to develop their independence, as they become more mobile. They crawl to access their favourite resources, such as books. Non-mobile babies are consistently well supported by staff, who ensure stimulating resources are accessible for them to make choices.

Staff enhance children's learning through their interactions and adult-led activities. For example, they play a shopping game with children, who enjoy taking turns at being the shopkeepers and customers. Staff teach children specific skills, such as how to use scissors and cutlery correctly. Children grow in confidence as they master these new skills.

Nursery leaders have high aspirations for all children. The curriculum is well designed to coherently build on what children know and can do. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access the curriculum. Children make good progress over time. Staff ensure children are well prepared as they get ready to move on to school. For example, they teach children how to be independent in managing their self-care needs, such as dressing and washing their hands.

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

• Children develop strong emotional bonds with their key person and other staff. They seek them out for a cuddle or when they need some reassurance. Staff are very responsive at these times, helping children to be happy and settled.
• The routines across the nursery generally offer children good levels of structure and predictability. However, staff do not manage the transition times consistently well to fully support children's continued learning and development. As a result, at times, children are unsure what is expected of them and become disengaged in their learning.
• Children thoroughly enjoy the high-quality meals and snacks that are provided. The nursery chef enhances children's knowledge of food. He teaches them about the ingredients that are used to make their meals. Children learn about the foods that promote their healthy growth and development.
• Children's communication and language skills develop well over time. Staff identify, and respond to, the different ways babies communicate their needs. Older children confidently tell visitors about their friends and their favourite meals at nursery. Staff show much interest in the things children tell them. They actively encourage children to share their thoughts and ideas.
• Staff promote children's mathematical understanding well. Toddlers join in with number rhymes, mirroring staff's actions, such as holding up their fingers as they count 'one, two, three, four, five'. Pre-school children confidently count beyond 10. They learn the names of shapes that they use in their play, for example circles and cylinders.
• Staff provide many opportunities for children to be physically active and develop their social skills. For example, older children demonstrate high levels of energy as they play chasing games, developing their coordination and balance. They show much cooperation and friendly behaviour during these times. Children learn the importance of turn-taking and being aware of others as they play together.
• Leaders regularly evaluate the impact of the curriculum and environment on children's learning and development. They identify the nursery's strengths and what the priorities are for future improvement.
• Nursery leaders are invested in the continuous development of the staff team. They monitor the quality of teaching and the subsequent impact on children's outcomes. Staff have regular supervision meetings and comment that they feel well supported by leaders. However, at times, less-confident staff do not receive the targeted support they need to further develop their skills and knowledge to the highest levels.
• Strong partnerships with parents are nurtured by the staff team. They give parents and children a warm welcome as they arrive. Parent feedback is very positive. They comment on the high levels of care children receive. They describe the staff as 'a second family'. They compliment the nursery staff for the positive ways they celebrate and communicate children's achievements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• identify more effective ways to manage transitions during the day, so that staff consistently promote a calm learning environment that fully supports children's learning and development
• provide targeted support for less-confident staff, to build their knowledge and skills further, so the quality of education is consistently at the highest levels to maximise children's learning and development.