Busy Bees Ledbury

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting happy and eager to begin their play. They confidently say goodbye to their parents or carers and greet the familiar and friendly staff team. Children independently hang up their coat and shoes on their named peg. They display a strong sense of belonging and swiftly take their lunch box from the cloakroom to place it on the shelf in the dining area.

Children show a good understanding of the daily routine. They split into age-related groups and collect individual mats to sit on at circle time. Children enjoy singing songs together and discuss their plans for the day. For example, they state that when circle time is finished, it will be snack time, and after snack time, it will be time to play outside in the garden.

Children display kind behaviour and play cooperatively together. They learn about the concept of fairness and to respect and consider their friends' opinions. Children take part in a daily vote to make decisions about what the group will eat at snack time. They learn that fruit receives the most votes so will be served for morning snack. This activity helps children's decision-making skills and introduces the principles of democracy.

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

• The setting's curriculum is carefully designed to support children to make progress in all areas of learning. The manager and staff recognise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development. Therefore they have worked hard to strengthen these areas of the curriculum across the setting.
• Staff introduce 'words of the week' to support children's growing vocabulary. They help children to learn the true meaning of words that they frequently use during their time at pre-school. Children and staff discuss what the words 'friend' and 'help' mean to them. For example, they share their ideas of how to be a good friend and how to help others.
• Older children take part in group activities to support their literacy skills. They make links between letters and sounds and learn rhymes to help them remember the formation of letters. Children hold their index finger up in the air and recall the rhyme they have been taught by staff as they model how the letter 'a' is written.
• Staff support children's independence at mealtimes. They encourage children to open their lunch box themselves and to remove food items from the packaging. Staff share ideas with parents about healthy options for their children's lunch boxes. They remind children to eat their sandwich or savoury food before sweeter items. However, on occasions, staff miss opportunities to teach children about the importance of making healthy choices and how this benefits their body.
• Staff promote the importance of good oral health. They provide children with opportunities during the day to brush their teeth. Staff encourage children to use a two-minute timer and demonstrate how to brush their teeth and gums effectively. They introduce new vocabulary, such as 'molar', and explain that these teeth are at the back of their mouth.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff share information with parents in several ways, for example through verbal discussions and an online learning journal. Parents feel thoroughly informed about their children's learning and appreciate staff's regular feedback. They state that staff are 'reassuring, kind and patient', and they comment on children's access to 'fantastic activities and resources'.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding make good progress in their learning. Staff use their detailed knowledge of children's developmental needs to provide purposeful activities to support children's learning. They recently purchased a swing to support children's physical development and strengthen children's core muscles needed for balance.
• The manager is committed to providing high-quality care and education for all children and their families. She is reflective and evaluates the setting, prioritising areas for further development. The manager supports staff through supervision meetings and observations of their practice. However, she is yet to establish an effective programme for professional development, to help staff develop further skills and knowledge to enhance the support for individual children's learning, such as those who speak English as an additional language.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on ways to extend children's understanding of healthy choices and the effects that food has on their bodies, to further support their good health
• review the programme for professional development, to enhance the support for individual children's learning, including those who speak English as an additional language.