Honeybees Nursery, Pre-School and Willand Copse Forest School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have established systems to identify children who may need additional support and to monitor their development. Staff work closely with parents and carers to gather information about children's needs. They use this information to help shape support and learning experiences. Where concerns are identified, leaders work effectively with other professionals, including children's social care, to access advice and support for children and their families.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to access the curriculum and participate alongside their peers. For example, leaders ensure planning is flexible enough to accommodate children's individual interests and fascinations, which supports engagement and learning. However, at times, staff are overly reliant on asking children questions and do not always give them enough time to respond. This limits how well some children can develop and practise their spoken language.

Leaders work with families and external agencies to help reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. Support is reviewed regularly and adapted when needed. As a result, children are included in the life of the nursery and are typically supported to make progress from their individual starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall, leaders have designed and implemented a broad and well-sequenced curriculum that builds progressively on what children already know and identifies what they need to learn next. They focus on securing children's knowledge, understanding and skills across key areas of learning, recognising that these are important for future academic success.

Communication and language are prioritised throughout the nursery. Staff use stories, songs, conversations and visual resources to support children's language development and introduce new vocabulary. Children develop early mathematical knowledge through activities and everyday experiences. Personal, social and emotional development is prioritised, helping children to develop confidence, positive relationships and increasing independence. Children's physical development is promoted and secured through access to extensive well-planned and well-resourced outdoor areas.

Staff know children well and tailor activities to meet each child's next steps in learning. For example, in the pre-school room, older children practise making marks on luggage labels and recognising letters in their name, while younger children cut labels with scissors, supporting their coordination and control.

Leaders generally have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and have identified priorities for further improvement. They adapt the curriculum for children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Overall, teaching is effective, and children engage well in activities. However, at times, staff do not consistently use high-quality interactions to extend children's thinking.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, show that they feel safe and quickly build secure bonds with staff at this nursery. They generally make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. Babies explore resources with curiosity and begin to develop their physical skills. For example, they pull themselves up to stand at the water tray in the beach-themed outdoor area. Toddlers share books together and complete simple jigsaw puzzles, which help to develop both mathematical concepts and physical skills. Pre-school children make up games and play imaginatively together.

Across the nursery, children demonstrate high levels of engagement and curiosity. They benefit from a stimulating learning environment, indoors and outdoors, where they explore, investigate and develop their creativity and problem-solving. As they move through the nursery, children become increasingly independent. They treat one another and staff with kindness and respect. These secure foundations ensure they are ready to flourish when they move on to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

The nursery provides a happy environment where warm, respectful relationships help children feel secure. Children demonstrate kindness and respect for others, showing the impact of leaders' focus on nurturing positive relationships and building self-confidence. Staff frequently praise children for both their effort and achievement. This helps children to be resilient and motivated to learn. Staff help children to understand routines and develop increasing independence throughout the day. This typically helps children to participate confidently in routines and activities alongside their peers.

Expectations for behaviour are high for all children. Leaders and staff work with parents and carers to develop continuity in approaches between home and the setting. Pre-school children and toddlers move around the indoor and outdoor spaces safely and confidently. They demonstrate that they know and understand the rules of the setting. Staff model positive interactions and encourage turn-taking and cooperative play. They remind pre-school children of how to overcome minor disputes with their friends. As a result, children learn how to manage their feelings and regulate their behaviour.

Leaders and staff work closely with parents to promote regular, punctual attendance. They take time to understand each family's context and put tailored plans in place to remove barriers. This proactive approach ensures children typically benefit fully from the curriculum and daily routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their work. Staff work closely with families from the outset to gather detailed information about children's needs, routines and circumstances. Settling-in arrangements are tailored to individual children and families, helping them to feel secure and develop a sense of belonging from the start.

Children form trusting relationships with staff, who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Staff typically provide tailored care and reassurance throughout the day. Children confidently seek support from familiar adults and are comforted quickly when needed. As a result, children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure.

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to support children's wellbeing. Parents speak highly of the care and support they receive, particularly during periods when additional help is needed. Staff adapt their approaches to meet children's individual needs. For example, they tailor settling-in arrangements, provide children with opportunities to develop independence during daily routines such as mealtimes and support children to develop self-care skills appropriate to their stage of development. This helps reduce barriers to children's wellbeing and ensures that all children typically participate fully in nursery life and receive the support they need to develop.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders generally have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They regularly review practice and identify priorities that support children's learning, development and wellbeing. Room leaders play an active role in monitoring practice and supporting their teams. Action taken since the last inspection has continued to strengthen staff's understanding and implementation of policies and practice that ensure children are kept safe from harm. Moving forward, leaders will focus on strengthening the quality of staff interactions as a key area for development.

Leaders support staff's professional development through training, coaching and guidance. Staff access a range of professional development opportunities, including training to support children's additional needs and wellbeing. This helps staff to identify children's emerging needs, adapt their practice and seek additional support for children and families when required. Staff speak positively about working at the nursery and describe leaders as approachable and supportive. Leaders promote staff's wellbeing through regular supervision meetings, an open-door culture and opportunities for staff to discuss concerns or seek advice.

Leaders are ambitious for the children who attend and work collaboratively with all professionals and families. They endeavour to meet the needs of all children and work towards ensuring they are ready for their next stage of learning. Leaders build partnerships with parents and carers and other professionals. Their communication systems ensure children's learning is celebrated both at home and in the nursery. Parents comment warmly on the setting, reflecting the positive relationships that support smooth transitions and a secure sense of belonging.