Mr Bee's Springwood

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are enthusiastic about their time in the setting. They particularly enjoy role-play activities together with their friends or with the caring staff. Children are keen to share in group activities. They express their views and ideas as they make their own choices about what they would like to do. Outdoors, children gather together to make 'tiger food' by digging for the mud and mixing it with water. Staff are on hand to supervise and join in with their play. Many children choose to spend a long time playing actively in the outdoor area. This contributes to their well-being and physical fitness.

Children's positive behaviour shows that they feel safe. They develop close bonds with their key persons, which helps them to be comfortable to talk to staff about their feelings and what is happening in their own lives. Children develop good independence skills. They join in with serving food, change their own shoes and help with tidying up. This helps children to develop skills that they need for life and the next stages of their learning.

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

• The setting has made good progress since the previous inspection. It has used help and support from the local authority to put in place plans to raise the quality of provision. The curriculum is now well planned to provide depth and breadth across all areas of learning.
• The setting has clear and appropriate plans in place to achieve continuous improvements. Overall, staff's professional development and training have a positive impact on the education that the setting offers children. Managers join in with additional local support initiatives, such as those around dental hygiene, or helping families to access additional support during times of financial challenge. This helps to improve children's health and well-being.
• Leaders place a strong focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. Children enjoy looking at books and sharing stories with staff. They confidently recall the songs and rhymes that they know. Those children who speak English as a second or additional language make good progress in acquiring English.
• Leaders and managers identify where children have gaps in their learning and put in place specific plans to help them to make better progress. Each day, staff lead purposeful small-group activities to help children to catch up with their peers in any areas in which they are identified as needing extra support. Children relish these experiences; they bounce with excitement when they are told it is time for them to have their group time.
• Parents report good relationships with their child's key persons. Staff offer parents support, advice and guidance to help them know how they can aid their children's learning at home. Staff work with parents to help children prepare for their transitions to school, sharing relevant information to help parents to understand what key skills children need.
• Staff support children to understand the key routines of their day. They prepare children when there is going to be a change in activity. For example, they use a large sand timer and clearly explain what will be happening next. This helps children who are not keen to move from an activity they enjoy to be more at ease, and paves the way for them being ready to learn from the variety of experiences on offer.
• While adults are alongside children while they play, at times, less-confident children hover on the outskirts of play activities. The adults do not always notice this or use their skills to encourage children to participate more.
• Staff report good support for their individual well-being. The manager observes and monitors their practice. He gives staff support and guidance and, together, they identify goals to work on. Despite this, staff do not always consistently carry out new or improved initiatives, designed to support children's learning, during their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to continue to develop their understanding, and delivery, of the challenging curriculum to the highest standards, to raise the achievements of children higher
• find ways to support less-confident children to join in more actively during free-play times.