Busy Bees Day Nursery at Haslemere

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well in the care of the staff team. They build strong bonds with their key person, who knows them well. Children follow staff's lead and learn through repetition and consistency. For example, staff calmly remind and show babies about using 'kind hands' and they stroke other babies' faces gently. Staff give toddlers simple explanations as to why they must sit down while eating. This helps children to understand the rationale for safety. Children enjoy short circle and story time sessions. Staff use simple signing when singing with the babies, which toddlers then use freely in their discussions with staff. This shows an effective sequence of teaching to enhance learning.

Toddlers build good levels of concentration and persist at their chosen tasks. For example, they use hammers to break the ice and free the toy dinosaurs. Children use words such as 'freezing' to describe the ice and staff pose questions to promote children's thinking skills. Staff encourage children to work together to enable them to succeed. Children engage enthusiastically in activities. For example, following looking at artists, they explore portraits and facial features. This strengthens children's awareness of similarities and differences. The manager has a clear plan for children's learning. She enables staff to plan for what children need to learn next effectively, which they weave into their plans and interactions. This enables children to gain the skills they need for the future, such as when they move up to the next age group room.

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

• Leaders and staff have worked hard to make changes to the setting since the last inspection. They have built an effective team, where staff have ownership over the planning for their key children and can suggest and make changes. This has greatly improved staff morale, the environment in which they work, and where children play and learn.
• The manager and staff have reviewed and improved processes for managing risks. They have analysed accidents and incidents and made targeted improvements to minimise hazards and eliminate repetitive occurrences. Staff carry out daily assessments of the nursery environment with children. This helps to build children's understanding of their own safety and that of others.
• Parents report that they have seen improvements since the last inspection and that staff know the children well. However, leaders do not always share information readily enough, to keep parents fully apprised of changes. This does not further enhance partnership working between leaders and parents.
• Staff understand their role as a key person and how to observe, assess and plan for what children need to learn next. They complete the required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. Parents report the usefulness of this in their discussions with other professionals. This enables all of those involved in children's care to aid in their learning and development.
• Staff are receptive to children's interests and desires. They recognise and respond to babies' non-verbal cues. For example, when a child yawns and rubs their eyes, staff offer cuddles and a soothing rock in their arms. However, sometimes, staff follow nursery routines too rigidly and do not always fully consider children's needs. This sometimes disrupts children's routines or learning.
• Babies explore sensory resources and staff readily support this. For example, babies touch filled bags of differing items and staff introduce new words, such as 'stars' and 'bumpy', and encourage children to 'squeeze' the bags. This enhances children's engagement in the activity, while supporting their language development.
• Children learn to be independent and manage their personal care needs. For example, when it is time for an afternoon nap, toddlers retrieve their comforters, locate their sleep mat, remove their shoes, and place them in their bag for safe keeping. This shows a clear understanding of the routines and how to complete tasks for themselves.
• Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play, building their physical skills and learning about the weather. Pre-school children show increasing skill as they negotiate the obstacle course, showing how they can climb and balance. They delight in playing chase with staff, running around in the wind pretending to be different animals.
• Staff understand the policies and procedures to follow to safeguard children. They receive regular training to develop their knowledge. Staff know their role in making referrals to their designated safeguarding leads, but also to refer any concerns they have directly. This includes allegations against those working with children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance communication systems with parents to build further on effective relationships and information-sharing
• strengthen the organisation of routines to strengthen consistency for meeting children's needs and ensuring that their engagement in play is not interrupted.