Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stevenage Great Ashby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Management and staff warmly welcome children on their arrival. Settling-in procedures are effective. This supports all children to develop a sense of belonging and enables them to quickly establish relationships with their designated key person. Staff are responsive to the children's care needs and actively support their development. For example, staff working with the younger children show them how to prepare 'food' at the pretend cooker. Children copy, become engaged in their play and eagerly proceed to prepare and serve food for their friends. Staff provide a good range of opportunities for children to practise their small muscle and coordination skills in readiness for early writing. For example, during string painting activities, staff show younger children how to use their pincer grip to hold the string before dipping it into the paint.

Staff offer children daily opportunities to implement and practise the skills and knowledge they have been learning. For example, older children draw around their feet and count the number of feet, comparing this to the number of children in the room. Additionally, children further demonstrate their knowledge of size by finding smaller and larger objects. Staff support children to be active in the fresh air, making obstacle courses, which enhances children's physical skills. Younger children practise their developing climbing skills as they learn to climb the steps of the wooden bridge. They are praised for their achievements, which encourages them to persist.

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

• Since the last inspection, the management team has worked hard to improve staff deployment across the nursery. A revised 'Bee Curious' curriculum has also been introduced and staff have been supported by the management team to improve their teaching skills. This is having a positive impact on the learning experiences provided for the children, including the development of their speech and language skills.
• Staff know the children well and ensure daily routines reflect their needs. They complete ongoing observations of the children to monitor their progress and well-being. This assists staff to understand each child's personality, interests and learning needs. Staff support the children in their chosen activities. However, on occasions, they do not give children sufficient time to think, problem solve and respond to the questions they are asked.
• Children enjoy using the outdoor play areas, for example, to play organised group games. However, staff do not always ensure there are additional resources and play opportunities for children who do not want to join in the organised activities. This means that children who prefer to play and learn in an outdoor environment sometimes have limited opportunities.
• Staff use their knowledge of the children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to inform the use of additional funding. They offer additional resources and activities that meet children's needs and help extend their development.
• Staff introduce new language to babies and younger children during games, such as 'What's in the bag?'. They encourage children to make associated animals and vehicle sounds as they play. For example, children enthusiastically 'hiss' like a snake when they reveal a hidden snake within a story book and make 'choo, choo' sounds as they move trains around the train track.
• Staff use ongoing discussions and specific activities to support children to manage their feelings and emotions. For example, older children enjoy associating colours with the different emotions. They talk competently about these, using their good language skills to describe what makes them feel sad, giving perceptive examples of being sad if they do not share and take turns.
• The nursery chefs provide children with healthy, freshly cooked meals and snacks. Children learn good hygiene practice, such as washing their hands before eating. They are encouraged from a young age to feed themselves with cutlery, helping to develop their independence.
• Staff recognise the importance of story telling and singing songs to promote children's language and recall skills. Staff regularly read familiar stories to the children and plan a range of activities connected to the story. This supports children to use that developing language to talk about the sequence of the story, including the illustrations within the story.
• Parents praise the nursery and note the good progress their children make, for example, in developing their speech and communication skills. They report that staff communicate well with them, enabling them to understand what their children have been learning and continue to build on this at home. Parents highlight how well staff help to prepare children for school and feel that the nursery is 'safe and welcoming'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently use their interactions with the children to promote the children's development to the highest level
• offer a wider range of play and learning opportunities in the outdoor environment to support children who prefer to learn outdoors.