Busy Bees Day Nursery at Preston Bamber Bridge

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have embedded a highly inclusive culture where every child is recognised and valued as an individual. Systems for identifying and assessing children's needs are robust, and staff work closely with families to ensure that emerging concerns are identified swiftly. Leaders implement a clear graduated approach, ensuring that adaptations and reasonable adjustments are purposeful and tailored to each child's needs. Examples include using visual timetables, simplifying instructions, breaking tasks into smaller steps and providing calm spaces for regulation. Practitioners adapt the environment to reduce sensory overload, offer flexible settling-in routines and provide targeted small-group sessions to support communication, social interaction and early learning skills. These adjustments help all children participate fully and feel a strong sense of belonging.

Children with additional needs or those previously known to children's social care receive sensitive and effective support. Leaders work proactively with external professionals, such as health visitors, speech and language therapists and early help services, to ensure joined-up planning and consistent provision. Regular reviews show improvements in children's communication, confidence and engagement.

Leaders ensure that early years pupil premium funding is used effectively to reduce barriers to learning, for example through additional key-person time, enriched language activities and access to specialist resources. As a result, disadvantaged children make notable progress.

Ongoing professional development ensures that staff apply inclusive strategies consistently, enabling all children to feel secure, included and able to thrive from their individual starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum that supports children's learning across all areas of development. Most staff understand what children need to learn next and plan engaging activities that reflect their interests and build on prior knowledge. Children enjoy taking part in a range of meaningful experiences, showing curiosity and growing confidence. There is evidence of effective practice in some areas, such as supporting early communication, counting and exploration through play.

However, not all staff are yet confident in articulating the setting's curriculum vision or how their teaching contributes to it. Some are less clear about the sequence of learning or how to extend children's thinking during play. Inconsistency in staff's knowledge means that the quality of interactions varies, and learning opportunities are occasionally missed.

Leaders are aware of these differences and have begun to strengthen professional development and supervision so that all practitioners share the same understanding of the curriculum intent. Staff appraisals and coaching sessions are supporting greater reflection, but further work is needed to ensure that everyone knows their own development priorities.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their individual starting points, particularly in communication and language. Staff model language effectively through repetition, praise and questioning that extends children's vocabulary and confidence. They become enthusiastic communicators who listen and respond with growing understanding.

While there are minor inconsistencies in curriculum delivery in the younger children's rooms, these close quickly as children move through the setting. Experienced staff in the older children's rooms skilfully plan learning that meets individual needs, ensuring that children leave confident, articulate and well prepared for their next stage of education.

Disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children known to social care receive targeted support through close partnership with families and professionals. Progress is closely monitored, and additional help is provided promptly.

Children's achievements are celebrated, and they show pride, curiosity and growing independence. All children make sustained progress and develop a secure foundation for future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a warm and positive environment where expectations for behaviour are clear and consistently reinforced. Most children behave well, showing respect for adults and peers. Relationships between practitioners and children are nurturing, helping children feel secure and confident. Staff model positive interactions and encourage sharing, turn-taking and cooperative play, supporting children's personal and social development.

Leaders also promote the importance of punctuality and attendance effectively. They communicate with families about how regular attendance and arriving on time support children's wellbeing and learning. Daily warm welcomes help children settle quickly and reinforce the value of starting routines promptly. Monitoring systems enable leaders to identify patterns early and offer support to families when needed.

Children generally show positive attitudes towards learning and routines. They respond well to praise and reassurance and take pride in their achievements. Practitioners use calm reminders and sensitive redirection to maintain expectations and meet individual needs.

However, some routines are not yet fully effective. At mealtimes, children occasionally wait too long, leading to disengagement and missed opportunities to encourage conversation, independence and positive behaviour. This inconsistency means children's engagement is not always sustained throughout the day.

Leaders recognise this and are reviewing routines to ensure that transitions and mealtimes become more purposeful and supportive learning opportunities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Care practices across the setting are highly effective in meeting children's individual needs. Staff know the children well and respond sensitively to their cues, ensuring that every child feels valued and secure. Key-person relationships are positive and consistent, particularly in the younger children's rooms, where staff provide calm and nurturing support that helps babies and toddlers to settle quickly and build confidence.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged and those known to children's social care receive personalised care that reflects their individual routines and preferences. Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to ensure that adjustments are well planned and regularly reviewed. This targeted support promotes equity and inclusion for all children.

Children are encouraged to make choices and develop independence in caring for their own needs, such as feeding themselves, washing hands and dressing for outdoor play. Practitioners skilfully use daily routines to talk about keeping healthy and safe. Staff help children recognise and name their feelings, using visual cues and calm discussion to build emotional understanding and resilience.

Routines for sleeping, weaning and mealtimes are flexible and responsive to children's individual rhythms, successfully promoting a secure sense of wellbeing, safety and trust throughout the setting.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reviewing routines to ensure that transitions and mealtimes become more purposeful and supportive learning opportunities.

Leaders demonstrate a clear commitment to providing quality care and education. The manager has an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development through self-evaluation and regular monitoring. Decisions are made in the best interests of all children, including those who are disadvantaged and those who need targeted support. As a result, all children's individual needs are well met, and staff promote an inclusive, caring and nurturing environment.

Supervisions and team meetings are established and regular, providing opportunities for reflection and feedback. However, these are not yet fully effective in identifying or addressing individual staff development needs. Some practitioners are not confident about their own professional targets, which contributes to minor inconsistencies in teaching practice. The manager has completed a self-evaluation of the setting, but this has not yet been shared with the wider team. As a result, staff are not fully aware of the setting's current improvement priorities or how they contribute to them.

Leaders promote staff wellbeing and maintain manageable workloads. They are reflective and motivated to continue improving outcomes for all children.