St Peters Busy Bee's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish and thrive at this exceptional setting. They run in, beaming with smiles, to see their friends and favourite adults. Children settle immediately to engage in exploring the wide range of rich experiences and opportunities that adults have purposely planned for them. They delight in digging for bugs outside and checking them off their lists when they have found them. They remain intently focused and highly motivated. Adults have high expectations for children. They provide thought-provoking questions and challenges for children. For example, children excitedly discuss with staff how they can make their flower tower models even taller than them.

Adults' interactions with children are excellent. They support children to develop high levels of independence. Before going outside, children complete checks to ensure that it is safe for their friends to play. Adults expand on every opportunity to support children's communication and language. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exemplary. Those who did not talk when they started at the pre-school are now confident communicators. Children are extremely happy and safe. They display very high levels of respect for each other. Older children help younger children to use the equipment outside, showing kindness and care towards them.

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

• Adults plan a highly ambitious curriculum for children. They provide a range of additional opportunities, such as a cooking and gardening club. Children proudly share that they grew cucumbers and ate them for their snack. This enhances children's understanding of the natural world and expands their knowledge and skills even further.
• Children benefit from high-quality practice and provision. They remain deeply engrossed in creating their own models from recycled materials. Children concentrate for long periods. Adults celebrate children's achievements. They continually praise children for persevering. Children spend a long time talking and thinking, for example, while working out how they can extend the tracks for their trains and trucks.
• Adults provide an incredibly language-rich environment. Books and stories are plentiful. Children delight in singing favourite rhymes and songs. They help their friends to join in with the actions. Exciting opportunities to engage with books and stories are embedded throughout the setting. Every space is enriched and enhanced to support children's interest and imagination.
• Children with SEND are exceptionally well supported. Funding is used effectively to provide one-to-one support and care. Adults are well trained and seek out all opportunities to develop their own understanding and knowledge. Adults learn sign language to help children to communicate. Children make excellent progress.
• Children's independence is supported incredibly well. Every opportunity is thought out to support children's learning and development. Children write their own names on clipboards when they want a go on the bikes. Adults are excellent role models. Children talk animatedly with adults about going to Australia and where it is in the hemisphere.
• Children have incredibly strong bonds with adults and each other. Adults provide spontaneous cuddles and comfort. Children demonstrate high levels of emotional well-being, self-esteem and confidence. Children immediately help their friends, for example, by taking one end of a tape so that they can pull it along. They thank their friends for their help.
• Leaders and managers are highly reflective and responsive. They have excellent partnerships with external agencies, the local authority and the committee. They are completely committed to ensuring that adults are very well supported. They focus on well-being incredibly well, and ensure that there is an open and inclusive culture where everyone is valued and included. Adults say that they very much enjoy working at the pre-school.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the progress that their children have made. They say that the setting is 'magical', and staff go 'above and beyond'. They particularly reference the amount of support that they get to help their children at home. They say that the pre-school is like a family. They say that the adults 'love' the children and talk of the exceptional relationships that they have.