Busy Bees Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's behaviour is exceptional. They engage in activities for an extended length of time, sharing their experiences and knowledge with peers. Children take part in mindfulness sessions, which focus on breathing techniques. Staff teach children fun ways to control their breathing by blowing bubbles and smelling flowers. Children use these techniques when they feel overwhelmed during the day.

Children demonstrate excellent conversational skills. When building an obstacle course, they talk to each other and share ideas. Children ask their peers to help them by carrying the other end when trying to move long objects. They work together and children's language skills develop rapidly. Children have consistently high levels of respect for each other and the natural world around them. When walking to forest school, the children stop to admire the daffodils growing in the grass. They carefully pull their trolleys around the flowers. They demonstrate care for living creatures and carefully pick up worms from the path and place them in the grass. Children continuously show respect for both staff and peers. They listen carefully to ideas and respond, demonstrating high levels of confidence in a range of social situations.

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

• Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. It focuses highly on building children's resilience, confidence and emotional awareness. Staff confidently deliver the curriculum through inspirational teaching. Children learn to understand their emotions and demonstrate, through excellent behaviours, the positive impact this has.
• Children are provided with wonderful experiences where staff build on their 'awe and wonder of the world'. When they see a worm curl up into the shape of the letter 'e', staff use this opportunity to extend children's knowledge of letters and sounds. Staff encourage children to think for themselves and to find out more. For example, they encourage children to explore with paint when they do not recognise a colour. Children experiment and observe the changes, developing their understanding and learning.
• There is a robust key person system in place. Staff know the children very well and can talk about their needs, interests and development in detail. They plan meaningful activities for children that extend their learning and practise skills that have been previously learned. Children recall past experiences. When they find a worm, they talk about the different parts and name them using the words 'segments' and 'saddle'.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They teach children about different emotions and provide them with the necessary tools to help children self-regulate. When children become upset, staff talk to them about how they are feeling. They give children comfort and reassurance. Children choose to use a range of resources, such as a spinning platform or swing, to calm themselves and regulate their own emotions. When children are feeling ready, they continue with their play. Children are taught about the impact different behaviours have on others.
• Staff provide outstanding care and support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They offer support and guidance for parents through the referral process, and ensure that children receive one-to-one support when needed. Children make exceptional progress. Staff work alongside other professionals to put in place meaningful targets and monitor children's progress closely. Therefore, children with SEND achieve the best possible outcomes.
• The manager is extremely passionate about the setting and thrives to provide the best care for children and families. Staff work closely with parents to develop relationships, trust and support. The manager regularly invites parents to online information events, where staff give information to them about different topics. Many parents attended an event about school transitions. They say that it has helped them to understand what their children need to learn and how they can support this at home, to help to prepare children for starting school.
• The manager engages extremely well with staff and provides them with exceptional support. Staff receive regular supervisions to enhance their practice, and the training they receive reflects this. Staff report on the high level of support and guidance in place, giving them confidence in their abilities. The manager has signed up to a 'staff support scheme', where staff can receive counselling sessions along with other support forums.