Busy Bees Day Nursery at Farnborough IQ

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work very hard to create an inclusive culture across the setting and are passionate about making a difference the lives of all children. Rigorous monitoring and assessments help staff to quickly identify children's emerging needs and provide sensitive support, from the outset. This includes making prompt referrals, working with outside agencies and implementing targeted interventions, all while providing knowledgeable support to parents and carers.

All children benefit from staff who recognise potential barriers to their learning. For example, children from military families receive extra care and attention when a parent spends some time away. Children learning English as an additional language receive highly-effective support. Their key staff learn words and phrases in children's home languages, which they introduce and use within play and everyday routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are incredibly well supported and make rapid progress from their starting points. Staff go above and beyond what is expected of them to ensure children with SEND get the help they need. For instance, staff learn from professionals, such as speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, and provide focused one-to-one time and targeted activities. Additional funding is utilised effectively and plans are constantly reviewed and revised to ensure support is always meaningful. As a result, these children are more than ready for the next stage of their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have extremely high expectations for all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, and ensure all staff have an equally secure knowledge of the curriculum. Staff ensure children are ready for their transition to the next room in the nursery or on to school. The curriculum is on display for ease of reference and individual activity plans have clear learning intentions and key words for staff to use. This helps everyone to understand how to get the best out of every activity and ensures that children's language skills consistently have a high priority.

Staff extend children's learning by following their interests. For example, they follow older children's curiosity in using different sized balls to further develop their mathematical skills. Children delight in taking turns to see how far their balls roll down a slope. Staff inspire children to problem-solve and think about what might happen next. They discuss why some balls travel faster than others, which develops children's curiosity and thinking skills. Staff encourage children to make predictions about how many skittles they can knock down using different sized balls. They then follow children's interests in patterns as they organise the skittles in different ways.

Staff in each room focus on a book of the moment, which fosters children's love of books and stories. Learning from these stories can be seen throughout children's play. For instance, in the baby room, a book about hide and seek prompts a game of 'peek-a-boo', between staff and children. Children then show their learning by having a go, themselves. They cover their faces with a scarf, pull it off and giggle with delight at the anticipated 'boo', from staff.

Achievement: Strong standard

The excellent, focused support for children who face barriers to their learning, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, means that they all make significant achievements and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Children show high levels of motivation. They are very confident communicators, continually using new vocabulary in their play. During a holiday-themed activity, where children explore items in a suitcase, they independently dress up and show high levels of perseverance. They demonstrate kindness towards others, help their friends and listen carefully to what others say. They enjoy discussing outings and holidays they have experienced with their families. Babies smile and babble with their key person. They explore their environment, both inside and outside with confidence, and this is helped as staff dress them in all-in-one outfits so they can crawl outside without getting wet. Children develop early literacy skills from a young age. They independently access books, linking to their interests and themes.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The leadership team closely monitor and promote the importance of children's attendance and punctuality and have procedures in place if they identify any concerns. Leaders find that children are keen and want to come to nursery as it is a fun and happy place. Across the nursery, there is an air of positivity. Staff are excellent role models and are very enthusiastic, which influences the children positively. Children demonstrate excellent manners, interact positively with one another and engage confidently in conversations with staff and their peers. For example, outside, young toddlers show superb sharing as they slot wooden rings onto poles. They readily share with staff who come to join them and narrate their play, saying 'one for you and one for me'.

Staff speak positively about how training on behaviour has improved their understanding. They recognise why children may display certain behaviours and how they can respond positively and appropriately. Staff demonstrate a reflective approach and explain how training has strengthened their confidence in supporting children's emotional regulation and behaviour in a calm and nurturing manner. Children who have previously struggled regulating their behaviour have made significant progress. They are able to express their emotions and recognise when they might need quiet time to calm down. They are able to explain how they feel and also use visual aids independently, to help communicate their feelings.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

A focus is placed on building trusting partnerships with parents and carers from the outset. The highly-effective key-person system and the priority to develop close, supportive relationships help children feel safe and secure. Key persons have buddies, and all staff in each room know all children equally well. Staff are very supportive of one another, helping to take over tasks so that children benefit from close care and attention, when needed. This child-centred approach helps children to feel valued.

Staff supervise children vigilantly throughout the setting and deploy themselves effectively to ensure they can always see and hear children. Transitions to play outside are managed very well, with staff overseeing small groups of children, to keep them safe. Children have regular opportunities throughout the day to benefit from the fresh air. They spend extended periods playing outside in the well-resourced outdoor provision. Lots of thought goes into children's play to make it inclusive for all. Staff support children's understanding of personal safety by asking questions appropriate to their level of understanding, such as what might happen if they spill water on the floor. Staff engage children in meaningful discussions about how healthy foods benefit their bodies. Children talk confidently about developing their muscles and gaining energy for outdoor play. Staff supervise children vigilantly during mealtimes to ensure their safety while eating. They are responsive to babies gestures and visual cues, such as to recognise when they have had enough.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The leadership team has a very positive influence on this nursery. Leaders feel well supported and in turn, their staff do too. Leaders have a clear oversight of the provision, robustly monitor the setting and act quickly to address areas for development. They carry out regular supervision meetings with staff and support their wellbeing. Leaders source relevant training that is specifically targeted to the ongoing and emerging needs of the children attending. For example, recent staff training, in supporting children's mathematical understanding, has had a positive impact on practice and outcomes for children. Staff now confidently embed and extend mathematical learning as children engage in their play and everyday experiences. Leaders regularly spend time in each room, overseeing practice and challenging staff about how they might enhance children's learning even further.

Leaders speak with pride and passion about the differences they have made to the lives of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a clear dedication to ensuring all children develop the skills they need for the next stage of their education. Feedback from parents and carers is highly positive and reflects the secure relationships staff build with children and families. Parents describe the nursery as calm, consistent and nurturing. They highlight that staff know children well and genuinely care about their wellbeing and development. They comment that staff provide highly-effective emotional support for children and parents, particularly for military families during periods of change or difficulty. Parents value the sensitive and flexible support offered by staff, including adapting settling-in sessions to meet their individual needs, and working with outside agencies to implement targeted interventions. Staff share information about children's progress in a variety of ways, and provide guidance and support to help parents continue children's learning at home.