Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Glenalmond

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages enjoy the time they spend in this friendly nursery. They engage deeply in numerous learning opportunities in an extensive, stimulating environment. For example, children enhance their knowledge of nature by exploring the woodland trails in the vast outdoor area. They regularly spend time creating sculptures and paintings in the well-equipped art area.

Children of all ages show high levels of independence. Staff support this by encouraging children to complete age-appropriate tasks. For example, babies learn to feed themselves at mealtimes. Toddlers learn to complete essential hygiene routines, such as wiping their noses, with little support from adults. Pre-school children lay the table and pour their own drinks at mealtimes. They clear away their own plates and cups once finished. These tasks prepare them well for the routines of school.

Children across the nursery are confident. They engage well with visitors, chatting to them enthusiastically and welcoming them into their play. For example, pre-school children are keen to discuss their favourite activities and resources at the nursery. Staff support children's self-esteem well. They encourage children to write down their accomplishments and hang these on their 'positivity tree' for everyone to see and celebrate.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported. They develop close relationships with their key staff, who demonstrate excellent knowledge of children's circumstances. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to meet children's specific needs. For example, staff visit other settings that their key children attend. This enables them to plan activities that complement children's learning.
• Staff support children's curiosity well. They plan exciting learning opportunities, which children engage in well. For example, young children create rainbows in a science experiment. Staff support children's knowledge by giving children plenty of time to respond to their thought-provoking questions. Older children construct their own marble run out of garden equipment. Staff encourage them to explore how they can adapt their structure to change the route the balls take.
• Children of all ages are kind to one another and demonstrate good manners. Staff supervise activities well, supporting children's understanding of acceptable behaviour. For example, staff sit with children during mealtimes. They interact well with them, encouraging children to develop appropriate table manners. Staff are good role models. They are polite and respectful towards children and other adults.
• Parents speak highly of staff and the care they provide. They comment on the high-quality communication they receive about children's learning and development. Parents of children with SEND are particularly complimentary about the manager and their children's key staff. They greatly appreciate the additional training staff complete, and acknowledge how this supports their children to make good progress.
• The manager places sharp focus on supporting the well-being and development of all staff. For example, she has recently established a peaceful 'snug' area for staff to reflect and relax in. The manager conducts regular appraisals of all staff to identify areas for development. Staff have access to a variety of online and face-to-face training opportunities to enhance their knowledge.
• The nursery provides many wonderful opportunities to support children's literacy and language development. All children enjoy daily visits to the nursery library. Young children investigate story sacks and delight at the puppet shows staff perform of their favourite stories. Pre-school children look forward to selecting books to take home and share with their families. Toddlers engage deeply with staff during well-planned activities. However, staff frequently ask questions that children cannot answer. This inhibits children's emerging language skills.
• Leaders continually evaluate the care they provide to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of all children. For example, the manager has recently made some well-considered changes to the structure of the pre-school room. However, staff do not yet fully support children in adapting to their new routine.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's knowledge of how to support toddlers' emerging language skills
• ensure that staff in the pre-school room are fully supported to deliver consistent development opportunities that enable all children to engage well in routines and activities.