Busy Bees Day Nursery at Nottingham Daybrook

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter this welcoming nursery, where they are warmly greeted by staff. Children settle quickly, as they have formed positive relationships with their key person, and they are reassured and encouraged by all staff. Staff know children well and provide a varied and interesting curriculum that follows children's interests and supports their developmental needs. For example, in the baby room, staff focus on activities that engage children's natural curiosity and support their physical, social and communication skills. Babies make sounds and gurgle with excitement as they play in water trays and watch their hands move through the water. They look up and smile as staff say 'splish, splash, splosh' in response to their movements. They have fun interacting with each other and enjoy grabbing floating balls and practising their throwing skills.

Staff are positive role models who give children lots of praise and encouragement. They show interest in what children have to say and give them time to express their ideas. Children are proud of their achievements. For example, they carefully count objects during a creative activity and exclaim, 'I've got 22 legs on my monster!' Children are confident and develop positive self-esteem. Mealtimes provide children with good opportunities to develop their social skills and independence. In pre-school, children set the tables with plates and cutlery and carefully pour their own drinks. They behave well, remembering to say please and thank you, and engage in lively conversation with their friends.

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

• The manager supports staff well. Staff are encouraged to share their views, which helps them to feel valued at work. They make a positive contribution to the continuous development of the nursery and the learning environments. Staff work closely as a team to provide a curriculum that is meaningful and builds on children's learning and skills. They help all children to make progress.
• Children delight in group story times and focus their attention well as staff skilfully read books to them. Children demonstrate their understanding by discussing the characters and main events, and they consider what may happen next. Babies enjoy handling and looking at books as they explore different play areas. Although older children are clearly developing a love of stories during group times, staff do not facilitate access to books during their independent play experiences.
• Children enjoy a variety of opportunities to take part in activities that support and develop their physical skills. They join in enthusiastically with yoga sessions, expressing themselves freely through movement, and practise their balancing skills. Children have great fun outside, joining in parachute and ball games and learning how to move around and use equipment safely.
• Staff encourage children to be independent learners and give them lots of opportunities to explore and experiment using different materials. For example, when making monster models out of play dough, children confidently use a variety of tools and roll, knead and shape the dough with their hands. They carefully think about the monster's features, bending pipe cleaners to make arms and legs, pressing in pom-poms for noses and using materials to create imaginative hairstyles.
• Staff at the nursery engage extremely well with parents. Carefully considered initiatives help to strengthen this relationship. For example, an inviting lending library is available in the nursery foyer. This is well used by families and is helping to support children's reading and literacy skills at home. Parents speak very highly of the staff and manager and express that they feel listened to and valued.
• Staff work hard to provide play areas and activities that stimulate and interest children. Overall, staff support children well during activities by involving themselves in children's games, asking questions, and engaging them in conversation. However, at times, staff in the toddler room do not always draw children back into purposeful play quickly enough when they lose interest and wander off. This leads to noise levels rising and some children displaying unwanted behaviour.
• Staff work well as a team to support children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They carefully monitor children's progress and quickly identify if a child may need additional support. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals and make appropriate referrals if needed. This means that early assessments are carried out and children benefit from the targeted support plans that are promptly put in place.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff interactions are consistent throughout the nursery, to promote the best outcomes for all children
• extend opportunities for children to choose and enjoy books independently.