Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stowmarket

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by friendly staff, as they arrive at nursery. Children are well supervised and cared for in a clean, safe, and very welcoming environment. Staff know children well. Staff carefully structure routines for the day. This helps children to feel safe and secure as they know what to expect and what is going to happen next. Babies' individual needs are well met and their care routines from home are acknowledged and followed. Staff offer babies and toddlers reassuring cuddles as they become tired. Staff gently sooth the children, as they safely settle for a nap.

Staff plan an interesting, varied curriculum, which encourages all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to be curious about the world in which they live. The learning environment is rich. Learning is appropriately sequenced, building on what children already know and can do. Planned activities take account of children's interests and preferred learning styles. As a result, children show a thirst for learning and show high levels of engagement.

Children know and understand how to behave because staff act as good role models. Staff use a consistent approach with behaviour, talking about emotions and encouraging the children to talk about how they are feeling. Expectations regarding how to behave are clear. Children are learning to be respectful and kind to each other and some firm friendships are evolving.

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

• There have been significant improvements since the last inspection. Improvements to the planning and delivery of the curriculum and changes to sleep routines are enhancing children's learning experiences across the whole nursery. There have been several staff changes, particularly in recent months. As a result, the management team continues to focus on building and developing the new team.
• There is an ambitious vision for the children's learning, along with a focus on staff well-being. The nursery is well led. Good use is made of training and development opportunities. Staff receive effective supervision and peer to peer support. They use new knowledge gained to further improve their practice.
• Children, benefit from a language rich environment. All staff provide commentary about what they are doing. They hold interesting conversations, pose questions to extend learning and give children time to think and respond. Staff use positional language and new words, such as 'moderation', carefully explaining the meaning.
• All children are supported to be as independent as they can be. Children are confident to express their own ideas and needs. They learn, and have lots of opportunities to practise, the key skills needed to be ready for their transitions to the next nursery room or on to school. They learn to use the toilet, to put their coats on and to tidy toys away.
• Children are gaining a love of literature. All children learn how to handle books and have lots of opportunities to listen to stories, which staff tell with animation. Children can choose a favourite book or story sack, from the nursery library, to continue with their learning at home. Older children learn to use books, which are displayed alongside activities, to find out more information.
• Children enjoy varied and nutritious meals and snacks, which are freshly prepared by the nursery chef and assistant. Clear procedures are implemented to ensure the safety of those children who have additional dietary requirements. Mealtimes are a sociable time. Children help to lay the table and pour their own drinks. The youngest children learn to handle a spoon, while older children learn how to use a knife and fork and drink from open cups.
• Overall staff demonstrate effective teaching techniques. They focus on children's listening and attention skills; delivering clear instructions, which children can follow. Staff use recall effectively to embed previous learning. They explore number, shape, pattern and colour and the different senses with the children. Staff use familiar songs and rhymes as they talk about the days of the week and discuss what the weather is like. However, at times, routine group times are not so well delivered, to ensure children receive consistently rich learning opportunities.
• Parents receive regular updates via an online application and daily opportunities for a verbal catch up. They have access to a wealth of information within the nursery, which includes support with weaning, toilet training and extending learning at home. Parents have opportunities to discuss their children's learning and progress at parents' evenings. The management team has identified that they could enhance communication and involve parents more in their children's learning and development, but has yet to fully implemented this.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further build on the principals of planning and to fully embed routines, so that all children receive consistently rich learning opportunities
• implement plans to enhance communication with parents and involve them in their children's learning and development even more.