Busy Bees Day Nursery at Milton Keynes Hospital

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

There is a simple and clear intention for what children will learn at the nursery. Overall, this is known and understood by staff, who generally support children's learning well throughout the nursery. Staff concentrate on helping children to become independent, make choices and regulate their emotions. Staff make sure that the youngest children at the nursery follow their own routines. This helps them to feel secure and safe. Older children show positive attitudes towards learning.

Staff show high ambition for all children to be successful and do well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because the curriculum meets their needs well. Staff recognise when children do not make expected progress in their communication and language skills. They teach children sign language to help them to express their needs. Staff are quick to access extra support for children and work closely with other professionals.

Staff manage children's behaviour well. They ensure that their interactions with children are kind and caring. Staff give clear direction to the children, so they know what is expected of them. By giving meaningful praise when children do well, staff help children to know how they can repeat good behaviours. This helps to create an environment where children play and learn together in harmony.

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

• Staff are aware of the transitions that babies go through in their early lives. They focus on supporting children as they start weaning, walking and sleeping. By offering guidance and support, staff work effectively together with parents to help promote children's good health and well-being during these times. For example, staff help support families to understand about the importance of having well-fitting shoes when children start walking.
• The curriculum intent is not always consistently implemented by every member of staff. For example, occasionally, some staff appear less confident in ways that they can expand on children's already good communication and language development. When children begin to do small tasks for themselves, some staff quickly step in and do things for them. This limits their ability to practise some skills.
• Across the nursery, there is a good focus on supporting children to be physically active. In the baby room, children have resources that help them to balance and practise walking. In the garden, older children use a range of apparatus to test out their large muscles through balancing, sliding and climbing. Children enjoy running around and expelling their excess energy. This helps them to feel ready for eating their lunch and then resting.
• If children arrive in the morning and show signs of distress when separating from parents, staff are swift to respond. Staff give children cuddles and spend time with them so they quickly settle. Staff are aware that some children become upset at home time and are finding ways to manage this to reduce any distress for children.
• The nursery is clean and tidy and staff ensure that children follow routines that help promote their good health. Children are learning about how to look after their teeth so they are starting to understand about tooth decay.
• Key-person relationships are strong and staff know children and their families well. This helps staff to support children when they start the nursery and when they move into a new room.
• The manager is effective in her role. She supports the staff well and they feel motivated in their work. Staff work closely with parents and share information about children's learning. This helps parents to know how to support children's progress at home.
• There are several staff undertaking core training with the nursery organisation. This is to increase their knowledge and gain a recognised childcare qualification. Staff report that they have had several changes in the assessors who guide their work. This has led to their learning being disjointed and staff not being able to put their learning into practice for children's benefit.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to more consistently implement the intentions of the curriculum to even more successfully build on what children already know and can do
• provide greater consistency and support for staff undertaking formal training, so that they have the assistance they need to increase their knowledge and skills effectively.