Busy Bees Day Nursery at Reading International

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by staff who are affectionate and sensitive to their needs. This helps children feel secure and they settle well. Children are encouraged to engage in learning, and focus on their activity with positive interactions from staff. The youngest children are warmly supported to settle into their environment. For instance, staff gently comfort them by singing and looking at books. The staff read to the children in a way that provokes their curiosity and keeps them interested. They encourage the children to turn the pages themselves. With thoughtful distraction, their transitions are supported well.

Children love being outside, and staff provide activities that engage the children and support their learning. For example, children have individual pots of water and paintbrushes. They make marks on the floor and walls and staff support them to recognise simple shapes. They extend their activity by encouraging the children to write the first letter of their name. Children are engrossed in their learning and relish in their experience. Furthermore, staff sit with children and build towers using large soft bricks. They encourage children to persevere and share their delight when they knock the towers down.

Children are happy, confident and they demonstrate positive behaviour. They adhere to appropriate rules and boundaries and are developing a positive sense of self.

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

• The manager's intention for the children's learning is centred around their needs and stages of development. She can clearly identify areas to be enhanced and explains how children are supported to achieve goals and develop. The manager considers what children already know and can do. The curriculum builds on learning and supports children with what they need to learn next. Overall, the manager has a good understanding of how children learn and how she can promote their learning.
• The manager and staff demonstrate inclusive practice and provide quality learning for all children. Activities are well thought out and adapted to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children's individual needs and abilities are considered with targeted goals to be achieved. This helps children receive the support they need and they progress well in their learning.
• Staff organise group activities for children before their mealtime. During this time, staff enthusiastically sing to gain children's attention. Some children are interested and enjoy joining in and sing with their friends. However, other children lose focus and go off on their own agenda, as staff have not planned these times fully effectively. This means that not all children benefit from these activities.
• Managers and staff have rigorous risk assessment checks in place to ensure that the environment is safe for the children to play and explore. Staff are watchful and seek to minimise and remove potential dangers to keep children safe. The manager conducts regular security checks to make sure boundaries are secure and any hazards are swiftly identified and removed.
• Children are generally supported well at mealtimes and demonstrate a good understanding of the daily routines. Most staff use the opportunity well to help younger children become independent in feeding themselves. However, this is not consistently reinforced across the nursery. For example, staff working with the older children do not consistently help children to practise skills they have already learned, such as using cutlery competently. This limits the opportunities for children to be confident in managing self-care routines, such as pouring drinks themselves.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents express that they are happy and feel their children's needs are met. There are appropriate systems in place for parents to share any concerns they may have. Staff keep parents well informed about their children's learning and development. This helps them to continue children's learning effectively at home.
• The nursery is managed by an effective leader. She has high expectations and is committed to supporting the well-being of her staff team. She leads by example and staff confirm they feel well supported and their professional development is continually planned for.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that older children are encouraged to become increasingly independent during all routine activities, including mealtimes
• strengthen the planning of group activities to ensure that these sessions engage and include all children consistently.