Little Bee's Day Nursery & Pre-School Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of their community. They know the families and children at the nursery well, including the challenges they face. Staff work hard to provide an environment that is inclusive for all children. Leaders and staff quickly identify the most vulnerable children, helping to ensure that all children thrive.

The nursery makes a clear and demonstrable difference for all children, including those known to children's social care. These children make progress well and receive the best possible start. Leaders form effective working relationships with a range of professionals, including social workers. This enables them to access timely support for children and families.

Staff complete regular, detailed assessments, which help to identify children who need extra support. Additional funding is used effectively to support the children it is intended for. For example, funding is used to provide activities from external professionals to support children's physical development. Leaders carefully monitor the impact of this funding to ensure it has the desired effect.

Equipment is carefully sourced for children who need it. For example, staff recognise that some children self-regulate through spinning and have purchased spinning chairs. Staff with responsibility for special educational needs and/or disabilities receive specialist training to enable them to fulfil their role effectively.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive curriculum. It builds on what children already know as they progress through the nursery. Leaders have identified key skills that they want children to master in each room to help prepare them for moving on to the next room. Staff complete a range of observations and assessments to identify gaps in children's learning. They use these to plan a range of engaging activities. Mathematical concepts are embedded within play. For example, staff support children to count the eyes that they add to their pictures.

Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively through day-to-day interactions and activities. For example, staff model a range of descriptive words as children play with play dough. Activities are planned to be engaging and provide children with a range of experiences. These are not always planned with individual children's next steps in mind.

Staff place a strong focus on children's physical development. There is a dedicated soft-play room, and children have daily access to outdoor spaces. Children enjoy navigating the space on balance bikes and receive encouragement from staff. Children also enjoy walking across balance beams. Staff encourage children to keep trying and to attempt this independently after initially being supported.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make typical progress across all areas of learning. Their communication and language skills are developing well. Older children are confident and able to ask for help when needed.

Children who face barriers to learning continue to make consistent progress despite these challenges. This includes children who are known or were previously known to children's social care. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities also make progress in relation to their individual starting points. This progress is monitored by staff and leaders.

Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. They learn a range of skills to prepare them for the next room in the nursery. Older children are well prepared for school. They learn a variety of practical skills, such as opening food packets and managing their own personal care needs.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff and leaders have high yet realistic expectations for children's behaviour. These expectations take into account the children's age and stage of development. Any incidents of negative behaviour are dealt with consistently and effectively. Routines throughout the day are well planned and help teach children good habits. For example, following lunch, all children brush their teeth with staff support.

Staff provide children with strategies to support their listening and attention skills. For example, staff enthusiastically encourage children to use their 'listening ears'. This helps children to focus on the activity taking place.

Children and staff have formed warm and positive relationships with one another. The key-person approach supports these relationships across the nursery effectively. Staff are positive role models and ensure their actions reflect the nursery's values. Staff teach children to be respectful and to use polite language, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff encourage children to tidy away toys once they have finished playing, joining in themselves and offering praise and encouragement.

Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and monitor it closely. They follow up absences with parents and carers in line with nursery policies and procedures.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff are aware of guidance about safer eating. For example, staff ensure they are sitting with children during mealtimes and that they consistently supervise them. However, food is not consistently prepared in a way that reduces the risk of choking incidents. Snacks in the baby room are not always cut appropriately, and lunch boxes are not checked to ensure they contain no high-risk choking items, such as whole grapes. Leaders support staff to understand these risks through training and coaching in the moment. However, these procedures are not yet fully embedded.

The key-person system is effective as children move through the nursery. Staff ensure they are kept up to date with any changes to routines at home, such as changes in sleep patterns. Children have formed close attachments to their key person. Babies enjoy cuddles with their key person before they go down for a nap. Staff know babies well and understand their routines.

Hygiene practices are well supported, particularly for older children who wash their hands independently. They are also taught to attend to some personal care needs. For example, they use a mirror to wipe their mouths after lunch. Although younger babies' hands are cleaned before meals, this is done using hand sanitiser. This does not teach the youngest children to do this independently.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about providing the best possible outcomes for children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning, such as those who are known or have previously been known to children's social care. They understand the setting's strengths and the areas in which they need to develop. Leaders have a clear plan in place to continually enhance their provision. They identify and implement improvements to develop the quality of teaching effectively.

Leaders recognise weaknesses in practice. For example, they acknowledge that, at times, procedures have not always been followed to ensure children's welfare and wellbeing. Leaders ensure additional mentoring and training are provided to address these weaknesses.

Staff report high levels of wellbeing and feel happy and well supported in their roles. They have regular opportunities for development and training. Leaders seek out additional training opportunities to enable staff to fulfil their roles. For example, leaders have identified training opportunities to support staff to further enhance children's communication and language skills.