Busy Bees Day Nursery at Weymouth

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have created a welcoming nursery where children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families feel valued. Staff work closely with parents from the start, which helps them understand each child's needs and identify factors that could affect their learning or wellbeing. As a result, staff provide the right support from an early stage, ensuring children who need additional help are supported promptly.

Leaders work with other professionals to plan and review individual support, ensuring it adapts to children's changing needs. Staff understand children's individual needs and make appropriate adaptations to support their participation in learning. For example, children are supported to work towards targets in their individual support plans through small-group activities with adults and peers. As a result, children are appropriately supported, develop confidence and make progress from their starting points.

Leaders and staff use additional funding effectively to meet each child's individual needs. For example, children in receipt of early years pupil premium access tailored activities and experiences that support significant transitions, such as welcoming a new baby into the family, while also helping to close gaps in their learning and development.

Leaders generally take positive steps to support families facing disadvantage. For example, they provide a 'Take What You Can, Give What You Need' station for families experiencing hardship. Leaders also help parents access external support and courses and provide resources through lending libraries and home-link bags to help families meet their children's individual needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on carefully planning and sequencing the curriculum. As a result, they have typically developed an ambitious and inclusive curriculum across all 7 areas of learning. Leaders have provided support and training for staff and recognise that further guidance is required to embed the curriculum consistently. For example, staff use a repeat-and-retrieve approach to revisit new and previously learned experiences, helping to strengthen children's understanding and ensure learning is embedded before they move on to new concepts.

The curriculum is typically taught well. Staff support children to learn about different artists and introduce a range of creative experiences to develop their understanding. For example, staff plan activities linked to the 'Artist of the Month', encouraging children to explore mark making using natural flowers and experiment with mixing paints. Staff use appropriate questioning to encourage children to think critically, make predictions and share their ideas. Staff provide positive praise and encouragement for children's contributions, which helps to build confidence, develop communication skills and engagement in learning.

Staff generally promote early physical development through planned opportunities for babies to develop their strength and coordination. They also support early communication by introducing and modelling language during sensory play. For example, staff use words such as 'pat' and 'dig', alongside actions during sand play. This helps babies to make connections between words and actions and supports their language development.

Staff typically introduce early mathematical concepts through familiar rhymes and purposeful modelling of vocabulary, such as 'big' and 'little.' For example, staff in the Toddler room use imaginative, repetitive rhymes to help children recognise which dinosaur is big and little.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically make good progress from their individual starting points across the areas of learning and development. This is supported by an inclusive curriculum that is tailored to children's interests, developmental needs and next steps in learning. As a result, children, including those who attend part time, access a broad range of learning opportunities and achieve well. Children explore activities with confidence and remain engaged for extended periods of time. For example, they enthusiastically create potions, discussing which natural materials they will add while sharing their ideas with others.

Children are curious learners, who independently access resources and make choices about their play. They interact positively with others, playing cooperatively alongside their peers and develop their social skills. Children typically build on their existing knowledge and experiences as they explore, investigate and solve problems together. For example, they collaborate to build towers and then adapt their play, working together to create a train track, demonstrating teamwork, perseverance and a sense of achievement.

Most children are suitably prepared for transitions within the setting and their move on to school. Staff encourage children to develop their independence through daily routines, such as using the toilet, washing their hands and pouring their own drinks. These opportunities help children to develop the self-help skills needed for their next stage of learning. However, support for children's understanding of hygiene practises, particularly the importance of wiping their noses independently, is not always consistent.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance. They monitor attendance patterns and work closely with families to address barriers through regular check ins and discussions. This helps children to attend regularly, establish positive learning habits and benefit fully from the experiences and opportunities on offer.

Leaders typically take an inclusive approach to behaviour management and establishing routines. Staff consider children's individual needs and stages of development, when supporting behaviour. For example, parents can access age-appropriate books through the setting's lending library to help promote positive behaviour, both at home and in the setting.

Staff build warm and supportive relationships with children through an established key-person system. They know children well and use this knowledge to help them settle, feel secure and develop confidence within the setting. As a result, children confidently seek reassurance from familiar adults, when needed, and engage positively in daily routines and learning experiences. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and interact well with their peers. For example, during a shape puzzle activity, children cooperate effectively, sharing resources and taking turns so that everyone can participate. This helps children to develop important social skills and respect for others.

Staff use a calm and nurturing approach to help babies and the younger children settle. Children seek staff for cuddles when they get upset. Through these sensitive interactions, all children build warm, trusting attachments. This supports them to feel secure and have a sense of belonging.

Children generally behave well. Staff typically set clear expectations and provide reminders, such as 'walking feet' and 'kind hands', to help children understand boundaries. They model positive behaviour and use appropriate strategies to support children's understanding of what is expected. However, these approaches are not always applied consistently, which occasionally results in some children displaying unwanted behaviour.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders establish policies and practices that support children's welfare, mental health and wellbeing. These are generally understood by staff and parents and are implemented across the setting.

Leaders create a safe and welcoming environment, where children enjoy learning, play and social experiences. Staff make good use of the outdoor environment to extend children's learning and promote their physical development. For example, babies access the garden several times throughout the day, providing regular opportunities to explore and be active outdoors.

Staff support older children to build on prior learning by linking indoor and outdoor experiences. For instance, children apply their knowledge of plants during outdoor play as they explore the garden and mud kitchen. As a result, children benefit from a broad range of meaningful experiences that support their learning, wellbeing and development.

Leaders and staff promote healthy eating and use mealtimes as valuable opportunities to develop children's social skills, conversation and understanding of good manners. Staff implement safe sleeping and eating practises and adapt arrangements to suit each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing other barriers to their wellbeing. Staff supervise babies carefully during mealtimes and support their growing independence by encouraging them to feed themselves during small-group experiences. Older children are generally encouraged to develop their independence by pouring their own drinks, using cutlery appropriately and taking responsibility for clearing away after meals, such as scraping leftover food into the food waste bin.

Staff typically support children to carry out personal care routines independently, including handwashing and nose wiping. However, practice is not always consistent, particularly in promoting the importance of nose wiping, which means children's good health and hygiene are not always promoted effectively

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have worked hard to maintain standards of care and learning. They have planned effectively to drive improvements and address identified weaknesses. Leaders recognise that, while progress has been made, some areas still require further development. For example, leaders have identified the need to further embed the curriculum and teaching approaches across the setting, particularly among newer members of staff

Leaders work closely with families and other professionals to support children's wellbeing, learning and development. They know how to access specialist advice to meet the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to learning or who are currently, or have previously been, known to social care. Parents report that they are well informed about their children's experiences and progress and value the positive relationships they and their children have with staff.

Leaders implement effective procedures to ensure staff are suitable for their roles. This includes providing ongoing supervision and support. Staff are typically encouraged to continue their professional development through training that enhances their knowledge of the curriculum and improves teaching practice. Staff generally value the support they receive during their induction and report that they feel valued in their roles and that their workloads are manageable.

Leaders and staff place emphasis on partnership working with parents and carers. Regular exchanges of information at drop off and collection times, alongside the use of an online communication system, help to ensure that information is shared effectively between home and nursery. Settling-in sessions are tailored to children's individual needs and help staff establish positive relationships from the outset. Staff adapt care routines appropriately, taking account of children's interests, stages of development, allergies, dietary requirements and individual care plans.