Busy Bees Day Nursery at Wakefield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. They develop strong and affectionate bonds with staff who know them well. Children show that they feel happy and safe as they eagerly engage with staff during play and turn to them for comfort and reassurance. Staff work in partnership with parents from the beginning to ensure that they complement children's interests and backgrounds.

The environment is stimulating and well resourced, which motivates children to explore and to lead their own learning. Babies show high levels of curiosity as they investigate the resources and enjoy sensory experiences. Pre-school children write for a purpose. For example, they ask each other what they have had for breakfast and record this on their clipboard. Some children confidently write their own name and sound out the letters of the inspector's name so it can be added to the list.

Children understand the behaviour that is expected of them. They kindly pass resources to each other. For instance, children wait their turn to fill cups and share trowels when planting seeds. They behave well and enjoy the positive praise that staff provide them for their achievements, such as good sharing.

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

• The management team and staff have taken positive steps to address the recommendations raised at the last inspection. Staff working in the baby room build strong attachments to the children. They fully understand their role as key persons and make sure babies and young children are well cared for and have the attention and support they need. For example, babies who are new to the setting are offered lots of one-to-one time, reassuring cuddles and nurturing care.
• The manager has devised a curriculum that is ambitious and supports all areas of children's learning. Staff have an overall aim for each activity and in general teaching is good. For instance, staff consistently promote children's independence and communication and language skills. However, at times, they do not build further on the information that children already know to help them learn as much as possible from their experiences.
• Staff promote children's communication and language skills well. They talk to children during play. They initiate conversations and listen to children when they respond. Children are confident to talk to visitors and share their experiences. They sing songs and rhymes and enjoy listening to stories. Children who speak English as an additional language are closely monitored, and staff ensure that their language skills are well supported.
• Children who need additional support make good progress. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide them with the best possible outcomes. They share information with parents and hold regular review meetings. Staff work with the local authority's special needs coordinator to create support plans that set challenging targets for each child. Therefore, children make good progress.
• Mathematics is embedded and woven throughout children's play activities. Children learn to count and problem-solve because staff have a confident understanding of how to teach mathematics. For example, pre-school children work out how many knives and forks they need as they set the table for lunch. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as, 'I can see how you are estimating how much spaghetti you would like.' As toddlers prepare to plant seeds, they count how many carrots and potatoes are already hiding in the compost.
• Staff take part in regular supervision meetings and managers give them valuable feedback. Supervisions are used to identify training needs and, therefore, staff receive the correct training to develop their skills and knowledge further. Staff well-being is important to the manager. She takes steps to support team morale. This helps to ensure good teamwork and a positive learning environment for all children.
• Partnership with parents is a key strength of the nursery. Strong, trusting and informative relationships are built with parents. Parents say that their children love attending the nursery and are making good progress. Staff keep parents well informed about what their children are learning and how they can continue this at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's ability to extend children's learning, particularly for toddlers and the most able children.