Honey Bees Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a commitment to ensure the environment and practice is inclusive and staff are responsive to children's unique needs. Leaders and staff maintain a welcoming and fun environment and work closely with parents to ensure children's individual needs and routines are securely supported. This includes establishing effective professional partnerships with external agencies to ensure children who may face barriers to learning, or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the support they need. Leaders acknowledge the importance of close partnership working with parents and now provide many opportunities to work collaboratively. As a result, children make positive progress from their starting points and any gaps in their development are highlighted early and quickly addressed. Leaders typically monitor the impact for children through observing and monitoring children's progress.

Planned adult-led activities help embed learning. For example, children develop their language, listening and attention skills through participation in well-sequenced, planned activities. They also gain confidence with their peers as they enthusiastically join in group learning. This helps to prepare them for the next stage in their education, such as school. While leaders promote staff training opportunities, these could be targeted more effectively in this area, to further strengthen staff's knowledge and improve outcomes for children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to make changes that were required and improve the quality of care and education provided. Leaders are clear what they want children to learn. They follow children's interests and build on what they already know and can do. While the curriculum covers all areas of learning, leaders prioritise supporting personal, social and emotional development and speech and language. The broad curriculum provides opportunities through everyday routines for children to learn the skills to be independent learners. For example, children consistently practise self-care skills such as accessing the bathroom, washing their hands and putting coats on independently before they go outside. These skills help children prepare for transition to their next stage of learning, including school.

Leaders and staff support children's developing mathematical knowledge throughout all activities. For example, during registration children proficiently count how many children are present and they recognise the corresponding number. They enthusiastically join in counting songs and complete simple subtraction. Children relish their time outdoors in the fresh air and enjoy the variety of opportunities to develop large physical skills, such as proficiently riding tricycles and scooters, or showing perseverance as they master the skill of using stilts.

Leaders and staff use assessments well to identify children's different starting points and tailor their next steps in teaching. Leaders recognise that if children are happy and emotionally secure they learn well. Teaching and activities are adapted to ensure children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face barriers to learning, make continuous progress. Overall, leaders have effective oversight of the quality of experiences that they provide for all children. This generally enables them to identify strengths and areas for development. For example, plans for improvement are already in place to enhance and strengthen learning in the garden environment, to raise the quality for those who prefer to learn outdoors. However, the organisation of some routines unnecessarily impacts on children's play. For example, children concentrate and work well together as they negotiate how to make models using construction materials. They are engrossed in their play but have to return toys in preparation for snack time.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress and are generally developing the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of the curriculum. Children achieve their individual next steps planned for them by staff. This includes developing their language and communication skills. Children are confident communicators and use a wide range of mathematical language in their independent play and during adult-led sessions. Children speak confidently as they ask questions and answer the register during their morning 'welcome session'. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to learning, achieve and are ready for the next stage of learning. For example, children who lacked confidence and required support with communication now form longer sentences and fully participate in conversations, and interactive group activities with confidence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and have secure procedures in place to monitor this. Staff have high expectations for the children and their behaviour and have implemented several positive new strategies since the last inspection. These are discussed at the 'welcome meeting' each morning and children talk about the rules of the nursery. There is a calm and harmonious atmosphere throughout. Staff are attentive, kind and nurturing role models. Children have established positive and trusting bonds with their key person. They seek help and reassurance when needed and respond well and enjoy the consistent praise they receive for their efforts and achievements.

Children learn to work collaboratively with their friends and with staff as they concentrate on large floor puzzles or join in group board games. They show respect towards each other as they listen to their friend's instructions. On occasions, children's positive attitude to learning is not fully supported as play is interrupted to accommodate the nursery routine. For example, children are asked to clear away their work, so that snack can take place even though there is ample room and space for this elsewhere.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have warm, kind and caring relationships with the children. They ensure effective care practices meet children's individual needs. Staff speak kindly and with respect to children as they discreetly remind them to use the bathroom or if they may change their nappy. Children learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle through daily routines and activities. For example, some discussions take place at mealtimes regarding healthy food choices. Children engage in board games that educate them in a fun way about the importance of a healthy diet. Children are encouraged to access their drinking water and some conversations take place about oral health and the importance of brushing teeth.

Generally staff support children as they learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. For example, children self-register as they arrive at nursery. They place their photograph on an visual prompt that describes how they are feeling. This prompts a conversation as to why they may feel sad or angry and helps them develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Staff typically encourage children to move in a range of ways to develop their physical skills. For example, they use soft play, slides and steps indoors and larger movement such as running outdoors. Organised outings to the local park provide children with opportunities to learn to take risks and challenge themselves,, for example, climbing larger apparatus safely.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There have been recent changes to leadership, with a new manager and deputy manager now leading the day-to-day running of the nursery. They receive support from senior leaders and the local authority advisors. Committed leaders have worked hard to make the required changes since the last inspection. A plan to develop practice further is in place and leaders acknowledge change is still being embedded. Leaders have high expectations for the children and the staff. Support for staff wellbeing is considered through daily checks, supervision and positively encouraging professional development opportunities. However, there is a need for a more targeted approach to strengthen staff's knowledge and skills, to ensure the highest quality teaching. Staff comment they enjoy their role, feel valued and supported, and that their welfare is considered.

Leaders work with families and external services to help children who need additional support. They act swiftly to access specialist support for families. This ensures that children's needs are met quickly. Tailored settling-in sessions are organised and managed effectively to ensure attendance, and meet all the needs of the children and families. When in receipt of extra funding this is used wisely to support disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive.