Busy Bees Day Nursery at Preston Hospital

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are committed to giving children the best start in their early education. As a result, children benefit from a wealth of activities that spark their interests and hunger for learning. Staff do their utmost to ensure that children are happy and settled. They place children at the heart of everything that they do. Consequently, babies and children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. This is evident from the laughter and conversations that flow throughout the nursery. Children have a voice. For example, they are actively encouraged to put forward their ideas on what may happen when mixing paint.

Children relish the opportunities to spend time with their friends. They enjoy collaborating with one another. For example, children offer each other guidance and support as they plant pretend vegetables. Staff encourage children to be independent. Babies learn to feed themselves. Older children help to set the table for meals, serve themselves and clear away afterwards. This helps to prepare them for their next stage in learning. Children behave well. They provide gentle reminders to their friends about using 'kind hands'. Overall, children demonstrate positive behaviours and good attitudes to learning.

A key strength of the nursery is how well the staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff think carefully about what the children need to learn and how. The special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) work tirelessly to ensure that children with SEND get the right support to help them to succeed.

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

• The SENCos are tenacious and have a real passion for their role. They use a wide range of strategies and support to create a bespoke curriculum for individual children. For example, they actively challenge other professionals to ensure that children receive the right support. As a result, children with SEND make steady and continuous progress.
• Staff provide a language-rich environment full of songs, rhymes and stories. These spark children's creativity and imagination. For example, children enjoy recreating a favourite story using a variety of props. Younger children giggle in delight as they read 'Dear Zoo' and eagerly anticipate which animal is hidden beneath the flap. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to early literacy.
• Staff provide a highly inclusive environment. Children's cultures and beliefs are acknowledged and celebrated. They enjoy exploring the meaning behind Holi, Eid and Diwali. Subsequently, children understand that people have different beliefs.
• Children develop a 'can-do' attitude as they negotiate the balance beams and clamber over tyres. Babies enjoy plenty of tummy time, which enables them to develop the muscles needed to sit and walk unaided. Children are confident to use a range of resources and wheeled toys to develop their gross motor skills. Consequently, children develop confidence in their own abilities.
• Staff help children to learn about the importance of good health and hygiene. Children understand the importance of washing their hands at appropriate times. Staff also teach children how to wipe their noses. Children benefit from lots of opportunities to stay fit and well
• Children enjoy using a wide range of tools, such as paintbrushes, sticks, pencils and crayons, to make marks. They learn about different scripts, such as how letters are written in Arabic. Babies make patterns in 'gloop' and smile as it seeps through their fingers. These activities help children to repeat and practise new learning.
• Staff ensure that parents are fully informed about their children's day. They provide effective support and guidance to parents on all aspects of their children's care and education. Staff guide parents to support their children's learning at home. For example, they provide information packs on how to support potty training. This helps children to succeed.
• The manager and staff have created a balanced and sequenced curriculum that is based around the children's interests. On occasion, staff are not clear on what children need to learn, how and in what order. This means that some learning intentions are not fully met.
• Staff provide a wealth of interesting activities. However, on a small number of occasions, staff do not organise group activities, such as story time, so that all children are fully involved or have a chance to speak. This means that children lose interest and become a little disengaged.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help all staff to organise activities more precisely to focus on what leaders intend
• strengthen the curriculum, so that learning intentions are clear and consistently implemented.