Busy Bees Seahouses CIC Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very settled, happy and secure at this extremely welcoming and friendly nursery. Promotion of children's well-being is outstanding. Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating and lifestyles. For example, children grow their own fruit and vegetables in the large, enclosed garden. They count strawberries as they pick them and eat the carrots they pull up later for lunch. Children learn how to look after their environment. Staff encourage children to nurture plants and teach them the importance of sustainability and recycling. Children celebrate events, such as 'World Bee Day', and visit the beach for 'Fresh Air Friday'. These experiences contribute highly to children's emotional, social and physical well-being.

Children's behaviour is excellent. They love coming to the nursery and are enthusiastic, inquisitive and highly motivated to learn. Staff have very high expectations of all the children in their care. There is a very strong focus on friendship and kindness. For example, the children are encouraged to become helpers at lunch times. They serve food to their friends and learn about quantity and taking turns, as well as patience and respect for others. As a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents no longer enter the nursery. However, staff use electronic and verbal methods of communication to help ensure parents are extremely well informed about their child's day.

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

• Staff have superb relationships with the children. They know them exceptionally well. Staff are excellent role models who promote children's growing independence very well. For example, younger children are encouraged to drink from open cups as soon as they are able. Children are confident and not afraid to ask for help. Staff encourage them to express their views and opinions. For example, children are encouraged to help create their own rules for good behaviour. They are invited to vote for which book they prefer at story time.
• There is excellent support for children's growing communication and language skills. Staff introduce new vocabulary, for example words such as 'concertina' and 'flamenco' as children learn about different styles of dance. They ask children questions that encourage detailed replies. This helps extend their thinking and vocabulary still further.
• Children benefit greatly from a range of highly exciting, stimulating and challenging activities and experiences. For example, they explore using binoculars and magnifying glasses at the nature table. They learn rhythm and beats with musical instruments. Children make tunnels for toy cars. They learn about speed, movement and motion as they experiment to see how fast the cars go.
• Children learn to be resilient and keep trying. For example, they try again and again as they focus on fitting the correct shapes into jigsaw puzzles. Staff encourage their efforts and praise them highly when they succeed. This helps raise children's confidence and self-esteem. The pace of activities is relaxed and matched to children's individual interests and needs. For example, the children observe the life cycle of caterpillars before releasing the newly formed butterflies into the garden.
• Children benefit from excellent opportunities to explore nature and access fresh air and exercise daily. They develop balance and coordination as they climb and slide on outdoor equipment. Children exercise their smaller muscles as they enjoy digging and planting onions in the vegetable garden. They take bulbs away to grow at home with their families so they too can be involved in the learning.
• The highly skilled, well-qualified and experienced staff work together exceptionally well as a team. They are confident, dedicated and passionate about their work. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is very good. The nursery works extremely well in partnership with the local school and partner professionals. This helps to provide an extremely consistent approach to support for children's learning.
• Parents speak very highly of staff and the quality of education and care they provide. Parents feel fully informed and involved in their children's learning. Many appreciate the emphasis on nature and instilling a love of outdoors. Parents speak of the practical and emotional support they have received from the nursery, not just for their children but as a whole family.
• The manager and staff are highly ambitious and have a strong vision for the nursery. The manager has very high standards and supports staff well. Staff keep themselves up to date with training to support themselves in their work with children. Staff reflect deeply on the experiences of children and the views of parents to provide the highest quality learning and care. For example, staff have evaluated the need to move the lending library for parents outdoors, as a result of the pandemic. This means parents will still be able to access books to share with their children at home.