Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chatham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children positively flourish in the nursery where they are enormously happy, settled and safe. Children form incredibly strong bonds with the nurturing staff who know them exceptionally well. Staff work seamlessly with parents to provide emotional support and a curriculum specifically tailored to the needs of every child. Staff consistently follow children's routines from home to help reassure babies and young children.

Children's behaviour is exceptional. They are highly motivated and deeply focused on tasks. Staff support young children superbly to understand rules, such as turn taking. Older children learn to adapt and negotiate with others so that play can be sustained and extended. For example, children listen to one another's ideas and stories as they create highly imaginative role-play scenarios, such as a trip to the hairdresser. All children are highly engaged and stimulated as they play and learn.

Children explore the inspirational environment where they play with exciting resources alongside excellent teaching. Staff recognise that during the COVID-19 pandemic, children have missed some opportunities to encounter new experiences. Staff provide extremely well-planned activities, such as a realistic café or builders role play, to increase and extend children's knowledge of the world around them. Children achieve the skills they need to be confident, competent and capable life-long learners.

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

• Leadership is truly inspirational. Innovative ideas for teaching and learning are successfully shared and securely embedded across the nursery. Staff are competent in delivering a targeted and precise curriculum which is extremely well sequenced. The nursery is a central hub for the development of excellent practice and knowledge across the nursery group and within the local area.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a tailored curriculum to support their progress. Staff develop superb learning opportunities and activities that compliment and extend children's interests and skills. They work harmoniously with parents to assess what children need at the right time. For example, staff planned water activities to help children feel confident when they were going swimming with parents.
• Children develop excellent communication and language skills. They speak confidently and fluently. Staff ensure children improve and build on the words they use as they move through the nursery rooms. Babies listen and repeat simple words and songs with staff. Older children confidently speak about their favourite toys during a 'show and tell' group activity. Children who speak English as an additional language have opportunities to listen to and use their home language as they play.
• Parent partnerships are exceptional. From the moment children start at the nursery to the time they move on to school, parents are actively involved every step of the way. They are positively welcomed into the nursery and are included in parent groups to evaluate and support the leadership team. Children can listen to recordings of their parent's voices to soothe and settle them during the day. Staff and parents share regular and meaningful information to extend and challenge children's knowledge and skills. This creates a true partnership for supporting children's learning and development. Parents describe the setting as 'excellent', 'professional' and 'amazing'.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's self-confidence and independence skills. This is excellently sequenced to allow children time to practise and consolidate what they can do. For example, babies learn to feed themselves, toddlers pour their own water and put on their own shoes. Older children learn to care for their bodies, hair and teeth. They competently serve their own food, take themselves to the toilet and get ready to go outside.
• Children develop excellent physical skills to improve balance, movement and coordination. Babies develop their fine motor skills when they reach out to grasp toys. Toddlers build on these skills when they draw and paint while older children expertly write invitations for a pretend party. Staff skilfully challenge children's abilities by engaging in activities, such as throwing and catching a ball or walking on steppingstones to further extend their skills.
• Staff create a wonderfully inclusive nursery that celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of the children and their families. They encourage children to share their talents and interests with others. For example, staff place photographs of children next to activities which have been inspired by the children's individual interests and fascinations. They learn what is special about themselves and how their lives are similar and different to others. Children gain an excellent understanding of life in modern Britain.
• Staff are sympathetic and empathetic practitioners. The depth of commitment they show to the children in their care is excellent. Staff comment on how much they love the work they do. Leaders and staff demonstrate passion, dedication and a sense of fun.