Busy Bees Day Nursery at Lancaster

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery provides a welcoming environment in which children make good progress in all aspects of their learning. Children arrive happy and are well supported by friendly staff to separate from their parents. They form close attachments with staff, who provide warm and nurturing care. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Children of all ages are extremely friendly and sociable. They readily welcome new visitors, ask thoughtful questions and show genuine interest in finding out more about them.

Children make choices in their play and learning, which keeps them interested and involved. Children are keen to engage with staff. They respond with enthusiasm to staff's 'invitations to learn'. For example, babies are keen to join in with painting activities, while older children want to find out more about minibeasts. Planned activities are well matched to what children need to learn next. This helps children make good progress from their individual starting points.

Staff have high expectations, reminding children of positive nursery rules. Children behave well. They are kind to others and learn to take turns and share their resources. Children are keen to help each other. For example, they pour drinks for their friends at mealtimes.

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

• All children benefit from storytelling sessions that are age appropriate and promote their learning. Each room shares a 'book of the moment' to enable children to learn stories well. Furthermore, children enjoy choosing books from the lending library and sharing these with parents at home. This supports their literacy development.
• Overall, children's developing communication and language are supported well. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'habitat, tarantula' and 'grasshopper', as children learn about minibeasts. However, at times, some staff use informal words, such as 'nee naw' for ambulance and 'doggie' for dog. This does not fully support children in learning how to say words correctly as their vocabulary quickly develops.
• Leaders plan a well-sequenced curriculum that considers the range of skills that they want children to learn. They build strong social skills and prepare children to be resilient and ready for school. Staff invite Reception teachers to visit the nursery, allowing them to meet the children in their own surroundings. This helps children feel comfortable with the teachers when they move to school.
• Staff know children well and confidently identify next steps to help them progress, in particular for those who may have some gaps in their development. Occasionally, however, not all staff deploy themselves effectively to support all children's learning. This means children sometimes lack the interaction needed from staff to engage them in meaningful learning and play.
• Staff support and encourage healthy eating. Children are provided with freshly cooked, home-made meals each day. Staff work closely with parents to manage children's allergies. The staff have a process in place to ensure this information is safely communicated across the nursery. For example, different coloured plates are used for those children with specific dietary needs. This ensures that children's dietary needs are met.
• Children show good levels of independence in their play, choosing activities and taking a lead in their own learning. At mealtimes, children serve their own food and scrape their plates into the bin once they have finished. This helps children grow in confidence and independence and develop skills for future learning.
• Parents compliment the friendly nature of staff, and the programme of learning provided. They feel well informed about their children's care and what they are learning. Parents comment that they feel valued and enjoy being part of the nursery through a range of experiences, such as stay-and-play sessions and sports day events. Partnerships with parents are effective.
• Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities that develop their knowledge of the wider world. Leaders invite professionals, such as the local fire service, to talk to children about their role within the community. This helps children to benefit from first-hand experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure the correct language and pronunciation are modelled accurately, to fully support children's developing language skills
• review the deployment of staff to provide purposeful interactions for children to build on their existing skills and knowledge.