Queen Bee's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The management and their team provide children with a clean, bright and welcoming environment. Children are greeted with genuine warmth and kindness by staff, who are happy to see them. They are supported as they register their attendance. Children demonstrate that they are eager to learn as they leave their parents with ease, settling quickly as they become engrossed in activities offered. Staff plan a varied curriculum around the children's interests and developing needs. They also introduce seasonal topics, such as learning about the weather, acknowledgement of the world around them, and a focus on science. Planned activities around the solar system and planets capture children's interest and curiosity. They happily engage in large group activities such as painting rockets. Staff engage them in conversations. Children recall information previously learned as they name planets, and tell staff that the sun is a star.

Children are aware of the expectations and rules of the nursery. They positively respond to the requests of staff, for example, when it is time to put things away in preparation for dinner. They listen with intent to instructions, and staff speak respectfully to children. Staff are nurturing, calm and positive role models, and children's behaviour is good. An effective key-person system ensures that the staff know children well. Babies individual routines are followed to ensure they feel safe and secure. They are offered comforters from home and are soothed as they receive cuddles and reassurance when they become tired or upset.

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

• Quality of teaching is good. Children are offered an interesting and varied curriculum. Overall, staff plan according to children's interests and what they need to learn next, promoting the skills they need to be independent learners. However, staff plan a curriculum that does not always challenge the most able children to build on what they already know or extend their knowledge to the highest level.
• Children's speech and language development is good. They demonstrate that they are confident speakers and engage visitors to the nursery in their games and conversations. They also have opportunities to learn an additional language as they happily engage in weekly French lessons.
• Children's participate in organised, interactive singing sessions weekly. They play instruments and use props as they excitedly sing familiar songs. They listen intently and follow instruction.
• Parents speak highly of all aspects of the nursery. They comment on the professional and committed management and feel they are fully supported and listened too. Parents say their children make good progress as a result of attending the nursery.
• The management team are passionate about their role and are committed to improving outcomes for children. They understand the importance of promoting professional development opportunities for the team. Staff speak positively about their roles and say they feel valued and fully supported through the provision of training, supervisions and staff meetings.
• Children learn the skills they need that promotes their early writing. For example, they use tweezers with skill in activities as they carefully pick up paper stars from trays. Children can access writing materials to use in their play and have opportunities to make marks as they use large chalks in the garden, drawing patterns on the wall.
• Children's learn the importance of staying safe and healthy through daily routines. For example, they are frequently reminded to have a drink and they confidently tell visitors the importance of staying hydrated. They learn about oral hygiene and the importance of cleaning teeth through conversations and activities. Children have opportunities to use a soft play room. They develop physical skills as they, run and jump negotiating space so as not to bump into their friends. They use parachutes, and obstacle courses to strengthen balance.
• The session runs smoothly throughout the morning, and children are busy in their play. However, the organisation at transition times for younger children, such as nappy changing and mealtimes, means staff are sometimes busy with other tasks and children are not engaged. In addition, there is a lack of comfortable, cosy spaces for babies to sit and relax if needed and organisation of the environment means they cannot easily help themselves to some of the resources.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide support and training opportunities for staff to ensure they plan a curriculum that offers sufficient challenge for the most able children
• improve the organisation of transition times to provide all children with consistent opportunities to be fully engaged in their learning
• review the space for babies so that they have a cosy area to relax in and can help themselves to resources to explore and develop their own play and ideas.