Busy Bees Day Nursery at Derby Heatherton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly arrive, excited to learn at the well-presented nursery created by staff. They confidently share their ideas with their friends and make choices in their play. Children develop their imagination and learn new vocabulary as staff explain what a 'barista' is. They listen intently to staff's instructions and work together, willingly sharing resources as they pretend to make different drinks. Children practise their counting skills and show deep concentration as they add scoops of mud and water into their cup, taking care not to spill any. They are keen to try things for themselves, such as using their hand muscles to open containers of different ingredients. Children answer a variety of questions staff ask about how they could mix their drinks and what they could use to imitate cream. They confidently ask questions they are not sure about. Children remind their friends what staff have taught them about keeping safe and healthy, explaining to each other why they cannot really drink their pretend coffee. They all erupt with laughter as one child suggests the coffee smells a little like 'poo', demonstrating their firm friendships and secure relationships with staff.

Staff praise children for using their manners as they say 'excuse me' and 'please' when responding to one another. Pre-school children tell their friends to wait in a line after washing their hands ready for snack. They persevere to peel oranges and other fruit independently, ready to eat. They learn to take responsibility for their own things as staff help them to scrape their plate and put it in the washing bowl when they have finished.

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

• Staff know the children and their families well. They play alongside children to assess what they know and can do, supporting them with what they need to learn next and addressing any gaps in their learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.
• Staff plan a variety of engaging activities that focus on children's interests and their next steps in learning. Pre-school children are proud to explain the maps they have made after going on a treasure hunt in the garden and the different skills and knowledge they have learned during this. Staff extend the play further as they discuss hiding the treasure with the children and how they could continue the play later in the day.
• Staff interact with children and support their communication. They allow children time to think and respond to questions and help them say new vocabulary. Staff help children know and repeat the word 'fossil' while digging for dinosaur bones in the sandpit. However, the quality of interactions and direct teaching is not consistent between all staff when children choose their own play. Staff do not always adapt their interactions enough to fully focus on what children need to learn next. Therefore, some teaching, particularly with the youngest children, becomes incidental and children struggle to remain focused.
• Some staff support children to learn good behaviours, such as putting resources away when they have finished playing and pushing the chairs under the table without being prompted. However, at times, they do not make their expectations clear to children or explain to them the behaviour they should be using, particularly staff working with two-year-old children. Therefore, some children become confused and display unwanted behaviour, such as getting up from the table and making loud noises during lunch.
• Since the last inspection, the manager has undertaken training and supported staff to ensure they meet the requirements of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. She has clear processes to monitor the quality of experiences that staff provide for children and makes adaptations to the procedures in place when needed.
• Room leaders identify areas that individual staff need further support with and set targets for improvement. They ensure staff support children's care needs promptly, such as wiping their nose. However, some room leaders do not guide staff enough on where to best position themselves and how to make the most of the environment available. Therefore, sometimes, staff make decisions, such as all remaining in the same space, that do not best support all children to make the most progress they are capable of.
• Parents and carers state they feel fully supported and communicated with on all aspects of their child's care and development needs. Parents explain how much they appreciate the opportunities staff provide for children. They talk about how wonderful it is to join them in the setting frequently to see this first hand.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff with further targeted support that effectively improves the consistency of high-quality teaching when supporting the youngest children in their self-chosen play
• improve how staff share their expectations and provide children with more consistent behaviour support, particularly during the routines of the day
• develop room leaders' ability to guide staff to make best use of the environment available and position themselves to best support all children's learning and development.