Busy Bees Day Nursery at Corby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by friendly staff, who know them and their families well. They quickly settle with ease, showing they feel happy and confident in the setting. Staff provide an exciting environment, which provokes children's curiosity and engages them in activities straight away. For instance, children are keen to join their friends at the play dough table, where they experiment with mixing coloured dough.

Children develop good physical skills as they play, both inside and outside, through well-planned activities. For example, babies use spoons to scoop sand, helping them to develop their hand strength. Toddlers build on their stamina as they enjoy stomping, jumping and balancing when they follow the actions to a story in the garden. Older children learn how to safely use scissors as staff demonstrate how to squeeze the handles to cut the paper. Children enjoy the freedom of choosing where to play, which supports those who prefer to learn outdoors.

Leaders have devised a well-balanced curriculum with a strong focus on children's social and emotional development. Staff help children to discuss how they are feeling and choose a colour to represent this. They regularly use the language of emotions to help children to understand how their actions may make others feel. Staff gently remind children to take turns and to be kind. This supports children's overall good behaviour.

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

• The curriculum is well designed to meet the needs of all children who attend the nursery. Leaders support staff in implementing a meaningful curriculum that promotes development in all areas of learning. Staff use observations and assessments effectively to identify children's next steps and any gaps in their learning. Staff work in partnership with other professionals to ensure that information is regularly shared, reviewed and updated. This proactive approach helps all children make good progress.
• In general, staff use routines well to organise and manage key transitions during the day. For example, some groups of children helpfully tidy away and wash their hands before lunchtime, and others gather together for song time. However, this practice is not consistently promoted throughout the nursery. In some groups, staff are not confident in organising the daily routine. This causes hectic transition times, resulting in children waiting for staff without purposeful activity and becoming bored.
• Overall, staff support children's behaviour well. For instance, older children know and understand the nursery rules and say them aloud when prompted by staff. However, behavioural expectations are not commonly understood or applied consistently for younger children. For example, staff do not always make it clear to young children what is expected of them at key times of the day, such as group time. This results in young children's listening and attention skills not being fully supported.
• Staff provide targeted support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring that they receive the necessary help to make the progress they are capable of. Staff make timely referrals and collaborate with parents and external agencies to ensure consistent support for children.
• Children's communication and language is well supported by staff throughout the nursery. Staff read books with babies, encouraging them to copy actions, such as pointing up and down. When young children play with water, staff introduce mathematical language, such as full and empty. As older children paint, staff have conversations with them and ask about their creations. Children are confident communicators and are happy to share their ideas with others.
• Staff help children to learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Older children are given the job of 'safety rangers', as they carry out daily checks of the garden. Staff provide activities, such as using toothbrushes to clean plastic teeth, to support children's understanding of oral health. Children learn about the importance of a well-balanced diet through conversations at mealtimes and being provided with freshly prepared meals and snacks.
• Parents praise staff and express appreciation for the positive relationships they have with their child's key person. They value the regular feedback on their children's experiences at the nursery and the guidance provided to support their learning at home.
• Staff comment positively on the support they receive from leaders and appreciate the process in place to discuss their well-being. Leaders provide regular supervision meetings for staff to identify continuous professional development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of daily routines to ensure that children remain engaged during transition times
• support staff to work together to deliver consistent expectations of behaviour to support children's development.