Busy Bees Day Nursery at Salisbury

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this well-established nursery. They arrive eager to learn and thoroughly enjoy a stimulating range of interesting resources and thoughtfully planned activities. For example, they thoroughly enjoy exploring different coloured paints on a plastic screen, using their fingers and brushes to create varied effects and write letters. Staff are dedicated to finding out as much as possible about each child and offering them tailored support and learning. This ensures that all children flourish, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who speak English as an additional language. Children evidently love attending, and feel safe and secure with the nurturing staff. They are exceptionally well behaved. They show great respect for one another and willingly share and take turns. They spontaneously use good manners and listen carefully to instructions from staff.

The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and leaders and staff took highly effective steps to support those children attending and those who stayed at home. They focused on minimising the impact on children's learning. They continued to deliver the full curriculum, and used an online system to upload activities for children to do at home. Leaders and staff promoted an app for parents with lots of information about how to support children's communication and social skills. Leaders worked closely with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable children received the best possible care and education during this challenging time.

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

• Leaders and staff have an excellent understanding of the curriculum and implement it exceptionally well. They use highly effective teaching methods to build on what children already know and can do, to help them make the best possible progress in their individual learning journeys. For example, staff place great value on what children do and say, and give them time to think and respond to questions. Staff introduce lots of new vocabulary and explain what new words, like 'solidified' mean.
• Staff know children exceptionally well and use what they know to tailor the provision for each child, including those with SEND or those who speak English as an additional language. There is a strong emphasis on acknowledging the unique nature of each child. Staff are skilled at adapting their practice and working very closely with other agencies where necessary, to meet children's individual needs. For example, they work with children's centres, Portage, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and the local authority. Children who do not speak English at home have numerous opportunities to see print in their home languages at the nursery.
• Children relish exploring the stimulating and interesting environment, which is thoughtfully planned to take account of their interests and to spark their curiosity. Children of all ages are very motivated to learn and explore. For example, they show great interest as they handle real vegetables, herbs and flowers. Younger children eagerly explore sand of different colours. Older children crowd round to see what will happen when they add vinegar to baking powder during an exciting volcano activity. They discuss volcanos knowledgeably, showing that this rich experience builds on their previous learning. They show amazement as the 'lava' bubbles up.
• Children of all ages develop many independent skills and great confidence. They help themselves to drinks and tissues at the 'independence stations' in each room and confidently approach visitors to chat and proudly show off their work. Staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's unique characters ready for their future learning.
• Leaders have a very ambitious and clear vision for the provision and ensure that this is shared with the staff. They make highly effective use of self-evaluation and consultation with staff, parents, and children to identify areas for development and are proactive about making improvements. Staff have excellent opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and to make progress in their childcare careers. Leaders manage staff exceptionally well and focus on their well-being as well as their continuing professional development.