Honeybear Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff create a welcoming environment, where everyone is fully included. Children's unique personalities are celebrated and any barriers to learning are quickly and accurately understood by staff. Staff speak with confidence about children's different needs and abilities. Typically, they use this information to put specific support in place for those who need it.

Generally, children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from 'individualised accessibility plans'. Detailed support plans enable staff and leaders to provide personalised care for children, ensuring their needs are met through carefully adapted practice.

Staff value support and guidance from wider professionals to extend and improve their practice. For instance, they seek advice from physiotherapists and incorporate their recommendations into children's care and learning experiences. This positive attitude towards working with other professionals means that children's needs are well met.

Staff have recently refreshed their knowledge on supporting children with SEND. This means that staff have the knowledge and skills to support children who are facing barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The delivery of the curriculum is variable. Staff do not always have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn during activities. This means that teaching often lacks focus and precision. Activity planning centres on occupying and entertaining children, as opposed to extending their learning and development where needed. Staff do not give enough thought to children's language development. Frequently, staff do not leave sufficient time for children to process questions and respond. This prevents children from contributing to discussions and practising their conversational skills. Children enjoy adult-led story sessions, developing their literacy and reading skills. However, all books are stored out of reach on a high windowsill. Therefore, children do not have independent access to handle and explore books during their self-chosen play. This impacts on their literacy and language development.

Leaders have reviewed and updated the curriculum since the last inspection. This now clearly sets out what children will learn and when. Children make some progress in their communication development. Staff narrate during play and they introduce new descriptive words to extend children's vocabulary. Teaching to extend children's physical skills is effective. Staff support children to take safe and supervised risks when playing outdoors. Children navigate sloped grassed areas, when the weather is appropriate. This helps children to extend and master their balance and impressive coordination skills. Children explore equipment indoors that extends their gross motor skills. They climb through tunnels and dance to singing sessions. Children of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well in their physical development.

Achievement: Needs attention

Over time, children do not achieve as well as they should in their learning and development. They are not routinely provided with opportunities to engage in two-way conversations. This hinders their language development. Books are stored out of reach, so children are unable to independently explore and handle books during self-chosen play to extend their love of literacy and reading. Weaknesses in teaching and planning procedures mean that children are not as well prepared for the next stage in their learning as they should be.

Despite this, children remain continually occupied and enjoy their play. Children develop their expressive art and design skills as they create pictures using mixed media, including crayons and tissue. They show impressive dexterity as they spread glue and make intended marks with crayons. This contributes to their emerging hand-eye coordination. Children enjoy this creative activity, as they concentrate and try their best. Children benefit from a well-equipped sensory room, providing opportunities for babies and younger children to develop imagination and exploratory skills through sensory play.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally progress well from their starting points because they receive well-considered support to meet their unique and individual needs.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children are happy in this welcoming nursery. They benefit enormously from the positive and warm interactions they receive from friendly and kind staff. Staff know children well and foster positive relationships with them in this home-from-home environment. This contributes significantly to children's happiness and their readiness to learn.

Typically, children cooperate with each other, and generally they behave well. Occasionally, children get excited and they become a little over-enthusiastic. For instance, when singing and dancing, children accidently bump into each other. Staff manage this well and help children to regain composure and continue with their learning. Children are happy and enjoy their time spent in this nursery, This contributes to their positive attitude to learning.

Children are reassured by familiar and consistent routines. These embedded routines help children to know what to expect and how to behave. When necessary, routines are flexible to meet children's changing needs.

Children's attendance is consistently high. Leaders and staff have clear systems in place to respond to children's unexpected absences. They encourage punctuality, and parents understand the importance of regular attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Coaching and support for staff are not precise enough to address weaknesses in staff practice. Leaders have identified policies and procedures to promote children's welfare. However, these are not always consistently implemented by all staff. For instance, sometimes, staff close doors that leaders intend to be kept open to support children's wellbeing. The variable implementation of some procedures does not fully promote children's welfare and wellbeing.

Staff are aware of their responsibilities to keep children safe when they are sleeping, and their practice is in line with safety guidance. For instance, each child has their own cot, and sleep spaces are sufficiently ventilated. Staff place sleeping babies with their feet to the foot of the cot and bedding is light to prevent children from overheating. Staff sit with babies and check them often, in turn promoting children's welfare.

Relationships shared between children and staff are warm and nurturing, meaning that children are happy and emotionally secure. Staff treat the children in their care as if they were caring for their own children. They lavish them with plenty of appropriate affection, to help children feel safe and reassured. In turn, children demonstrate a deep sense of belonging. They are regularly heard giggling and laughing, demonstrating their emotional wellbeing and contentment.

Staff adapt their practice at mealtimes to meet children's different needs. For instance, young babies are securely seated in high chairs, while older children eat at low-level tables. This means that children of all ages are provided a safe environment to eat. Staff remain close to children who are eating and remind them to remain seated, chew and eat slowly. These subtle and timely prompts help children to learn how to keep themselves safe at mealtimes.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders do not always prioritise their attention on the right areas. Therefore, the action plan and priorities for improvement lack precision. Staff have significant gaps in their knowledge and skills, which have not been quickly identified or addressed by leaders. The coaching, training and supervision of staff need attention. Partnership working with parents is not fully effective. Staff do not share information with parents about their children's learning and development to ensure that learning is also supported at home. However, staff share regular updates with parents about children's daily experiences, including feedback on children's sleep and play. This helps to keep parents up to date and promotes consistency for children in care routines between home and the setting. There has been an increased focus on professional development over recent months. All staff have now completed mandatory training, including safeguarding, first-aid and food hygiene courses. This has contributed to their improved practice and confidence in these areas. Leaders intend to continue to invest in staff training, which is required to raise standards.

Leaders have worked with pace and dedication to make necessary improvements since the last inspection. Their commitment and drive have had a positive impact on the quality of practice. Improvements so far have largely been focused on raising standards in relation to safeguarding and children's welfare. However, there remain some weaknesses which require leaders' attention. Overall, leaders understand what is working well and what needs to improve.