Busy Bees Pre-School and Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excited to learn in this safe and welcoming environment created by staff. They build close relationships with staff and happily seek a reassuring cuddle when they need one. Children settle quickly and feel secure enough to explore the wide range of experiences staff provide, both indoors and in the large outdoor area. They build close friendships with children of all ages. Children spend time running and giggling with one another. They learn to explain how they feel and are encouraged to use the words staff have taught them to negotiate when they want to play with the same resources as their friends.

Children know what the staff expect of them and learn to behave well while demonstrating their growing confidence. The staff's enthusiastic and encouraging manner supports children to listen carefully and develop high levels of focus. Children learn from a young age to choose appropriate outdoor clothing and independently put on these, depending on the weather, before they line up patiently. Children look in amazement as a visitor brings new-born lambs into the garden, organised by staff as part of the 'spring' theme. Staff adapt their conversations and questions as they support children to share their thoughts and ideas about the lambs and teach them how to approach them gently. They help children practise using their developing grip as they hold bottles of milk to feed the lambs. Staff encourage younger children to practise different animal sounds and to describe what stroking the lamb feels like. Older children are encouraged to discuss similarities and differences between animals to extend their knowledge.

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

• Staff are ambitious in what they want children to learn, including children who need additional support. They work alongside parents and carers to identify what children already know and can do and potential gaps in children's learning and experiences.
• Staff observe children to monitor their progress during their independent play activities. They plan activities and provide resources based on children's interests to help them develop their skills and knowledge. Staff model how to use resources outside, such as when building a sandcastle. They encourage children to imitate their positive behaviour, including sharing different spades and equipment. However, some staff do not recognise when to support children with direct teaching. Therefore, children do not always benefit from consistently high levels of support.
• Staff complete a variety of daily activities with older children to help them prepare for school, such as recognising letters and sounds. They help children recall what they have previously learned and encourage them to draw letters in the air using their fingers. Staff teach children new letters and encourage them to identify objects that begin with that letter. They support children as they learn to take turns and develop their concentration skills.
• Overall, staff interact well with children to develop their communication and social skills. They ask children questions that encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas. Staff teach older children new vocabulary, such as 'extinct', while they play imaginatively with dinosaurs. Staff support children to learn new songs and join in with the words and actions of familiar stories. However, some staff use words that do not help younger children increase their vocabulary. For example, they use words such as 'ta' when passing objects and 'nana' when discussing a banana.
• Staff teach children to be independent from a very young age. They show patience and understanding towards children who find it difficult to put their shoes on the right feet, explaining which foot the shoe goes on and why. Staff explain expectations in an age-appropriate way to help children understand how to keep themselves safe, including when around the outdoor firepit.
• Leaders are passionate about their new curriculum and the use of outdoor learning. They continuously evaluate staff practice and what it is like for children at the nursery. Leaders promote staff working as a team and involve them when adapting the environment and improving procedures to meet children's needs.
• Parents explain the nursery feels like a large, extended family. They say children flourish due to the care and educational support staff provide. Parents describe the staff's extensive communication. They receive information about their child's development and feel their feedback is valued and always fully considered.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to direct their teaching and support where it is most needed during children's chosen play
• develop staff interactions with younger children to help further enhance speech and vocabulary.