Busy Bees Day Nursery at Wigan Marylebone

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by nurturing staff as they arrive. They happily settle into their learning. Children enjoy a gorgeous array of learning experiences that spark their curiosity. Staff regularly refresh the activities so that there is always something new and exciting to explore. Children are supported in their learning by knowledgeable and experienced staff. They make good progress in their learning. Children respond well to the high expectations of staff and behave beautifully. They take care of their environment and look out for each other. Staff act as role models as they talk to children with care and respect. For example, they ask, 'Would you like to wear an apron?' and 'Can I help you?' as toddlers get ready to explore paint.

Children are learning to take turns and share their resources. Children are confident and enjoy sharing their ideas and successes with adults. Every day, the older children reflect on the things that they have enjoyed and achieved during the session. They can talk about their friends and what makes each of them unique. Children have made a friendship book to show how special their friends are. Staff have identified that some children had limited opportunities to socialise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff focus on developing communication and language skills for children of all ages. This is helping to bridge some of the gaps in learning created when children had fewer people to chat with during restrictions.

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

• Books are everywhere, and children enjoy sharing books with adults throughout the provision. They become enthralled as staff tell stories with expression and joy. This means that children are developing a love of books. Staff use creative ideas to develop children's literacy skills. For example, they have created an alphabet from the characters and logos that children know and love. This helps children to recognise words and remember letter sounds.
• Children are developing their physical skills through a range of activities. They beam with delight as they succeed in using tweezers to pick up small objects. Outdoors, they tackle climbing and balancing challenges as well as moving around on bicycles. This is improving their muscle tone, strength and coordination.
• Staff chat effortlessly with children. They provide imaginative learning experiences that provide opportunities to use new words. Staff comment on what children are doing and ask questions to extend their thinking as they play. This develops children's vocabulary and is helping them to become confident communicators.
• Parents and carers say that they cannot praise the staff highly enough. They report that their children have strong bonds with staff who know them extremely well. Parents say that the nursery staff are 'like a second family'. Staff regularly update parents on their child's progress. They talk with children about the things that they have done at home. This sharing of information helps parents to understand how their children are learning.
• Staff tune in to the interests of children effectively. They use these to plan innovative and challenging activity ideas. However, some activities are too ambitious and do not accurately match children's stage of development. As a result, children sometimes lose interest and become less engaged in their learning.
• Staff promote children's independence effectively in a range of ways. They provide water in small jugs with lids so that toddlers can pour their own drinks successfully. In each room there is an 'independence station', where children can access all they need to take care of themselves. This builds their skills and confidence as they move from room to room.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff are skilled in identifying children's needs early and put effective plans in place to offer additional support when needed. They work effectively with parents and other professionals to ensure that children make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders are passionate about the quality of service that they provide to children and families. They use systematic and robust processes to reflect on practice and strive for improvement. Leaders use regular supervisions to identify staff training and development needs. They consider staff well-being, and staff report that they feel well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• reflect on the way in which the experiences offered to children consistently build on their prior knowledge and maximise learning.