The Annex (Busy Bees)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thrive in this stimulating and calm environment. Staff are friendly and caring. They form secure attachments with children, resulting in children feeling safe and valued. Children settle in well and develop confidence to explore the many interesting activities and resources the setting has to offer.

Children behave very well. Staff are positive and have high expectations of children's behaviour. They show respect and listen to what children say. They provide gentle reminders and explanations to help children learn about rules and boundaries. Children show respect for others, encouraging their friends to join in and take turns.

Children are enthusiastic and active learners. They enjoy the exciting activities staff plan for them. They confidently use the climbing frame, push wheelbarrows and learn to pedal on bicycles. They experiment by mixing flour, water and oil together to make play dough. Children comment on how it changes from 'dry to sticky'. They use jugs, cups and spoons to measure, pour and fill water. This supports all children to make good progress in their development.

Staff interact warmly during care routines, such as snack time and washing hands. Children look forward to and enjoy the healthy meals and snacks. This is a sociable occasion when children and staff talk, and staff teach children about healthy eating.

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

• Partnerships with parents are positive. All the children recently transitioned from a linked setting. Parents comment that this move was smooth; they received good communication and their children's emotional well-being was well supported. Parents like the daily verbal feedback they receive. However, they discuss that they would like more opportunities to contribute to their children's learning.
• Children confidently develop their independence and self-care skills. They independently select toys they want to play with and take the lead in this. Staff teach children how to use cutlery safely at mealtimes and explain why it is important to cover our mouths when coughing. Children wash their hands independently and discuss why this is important to keep the germs away.
• Staff observe and track children's progress. They provide exciting activities based on children's interests, what they know and what they need to learn next. The manager has a well-thought-out curriculum. The curriculum is challenging and staff sequence children's learning, quickly identifying any potential gaps and putting in place appropriate support.
• Staff are sensitive to children's needs and help children to manage their emotions by talking to them and encouraging them to think about their feelings for others. They use books, stories and photos to settle and help children feel secure. Children say they feel happy at nursery but get sad and angry when their friends do not play with them. Staff reassure children that it is acceptable to be happy, sad or angry and that it is important to talk about how they are feeling.
• Children are motivated and curious to learn. They take opportunities to develop and extend their own play. They enjoy role play and being doctors. They use the stethoscope to check each other's heartbeat and the thermometer to read temperatures. They use and develop their knowledge of numbers to tell their friends if they are too hot or too cold.
• The manager and staff have high expectations of children and work hard to achieve the best outcomes for the children they care for. They work with parents to address any concerns with children's learning and development. All children, including those with special educational needs and or/disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Staff talk positively about the manager and the support they receive. Leaders work closely with staff to support their learning through training and development. Good induction and supervision opportunities enable staff to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnerships with parents so that they can further contribute to their children's learning.