Busy Bees Day Nursery at Rugby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at this awe-inspiring and stimulating nursery. They are excited to attend and quickly form strong bonds with their key persons and friends. Children feel safe, secure and confident here. The high expectations from staff mean that behaviour is exemplary. Staff are excellent role models. Children's communication and language development is outstanding. A love for reading is embedded throughout the nursery, and children regularly learn new vocabulary, which they use in their play. Opportunities for children to develop their independence are in abundance. Children consistently make their own choices about their play. Older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. Staff encourage children to manage their own risks, and children help adults to check that the areas are safe to play.

Children develop their physical skills exceptionally well. For example, babies are provided with a wealth of resources that encourage them to pull themselves to standing. Older children learn to ride bicycles, climb, balance, draw and write labels for the toys in the pre-school room. Staff prepare children well to start school. They learn to read simple words and write their names. Children enjoy joining in with the inspiring and engaging activities that staff have skilfully planned. For example, children laugh as they join in with yoga outside, practising their physical skills while retelling a familiar story.

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

• The manager and staff team plan an ambitious and sequential curriculum that builds on children's personal interests and experiences. Key persons know their children extremely well. They are highly attuned to children's interests and needs and plan activities to support these. Due to this, children are always engaged in purposeful play and make excellent progress from their starting points.
• The promotion of British values is a high priority in the setting. Children learn about, and celebrate, cultural festivals specific to them and their peers. Children use exemplary manners and respect each other and adults. Children learn that their differences are their 'superpowers', and this is what makes them special. Staff teach children about different family make ups.
• There is a strong process in place for finding out what children know and can do when they start at the setting. Once children are settled, there is a rigorous assessment process, which supports staff to find out what children have achieved and what their next steps for learning are. Communication during transition times is excellent. Key persons complete in-depth handover information, which supports children to settle and continue to make excellent progress as they move rooms.
• Opportunities for children to develop their speaking skills are exemplary. Staff ask children open-ended questions and encourage them to discuss what they are learning about. Children listen to and join in with familiar nursery rhymes throughout the day, joining in with the actions as they sing. Staff and children use signs alongside speaking. This ensures that younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) develop their communication skills excellently.
• Children learn about oral health by participating in exciting and engaging activities. For example, they use a toothbrush and toothpaste to practise cleaning the teeth of a toy dinosaur.
• Children with SEND make excellent progress. They receive the extra support they require in order to make continual progress. Key persons are aware of external targets and integrate these into daily practice. Leaders use additional funding effectively to support individual children's needs.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the nursery. They say staff go above and beyond to support children and families, particularly in times of need. They say staff are passionate about creating activities to support interests children have developed at home. Parents say the nursery is extremely inclusive and that staff go the extra mile to celebrate similarities and differences.
• Partnership working is outstanding. Staff consistently work in partnership with parents, inviting them into the nursery to discuss their child's progress at regular intervals. Staff work closely with staff at other settings children attend to ensure children receive consistency and continuity of care. They work closely with external agencies to ensure children receive the support they require.