The Bees Knees Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting keen and eager to learn and settle well into the familiar routines. They are motivated, independent learners who persevere well on tasks and relish a challenge. Staff provide good levels of support and generally encourage children's communication and language well by asking well-timed questions and getting children to talk about what they are doing.

The curriculum is ambitious, and staff are skilled at providing good levels of challenge for all children. Staff know the children well and have a good grasp of how best to support them and build on their knowledge. They provide targeted support to encourage children to make those next steps in their learning journey. They recognise the importance of allowing children time to practise and hone their skills and apply their learning in different ways. This helps children to grow in confidence and ensures knowledge is embedded.

Children enjoy a range of sensory activities. As they play with cooked spaghetti, they enjoy comparing the different lengths and use scissors to cut and make them 'shorter'. They enjoy spending time outdoors, and a covered outdoor area allows them to get out in all weathers. This is particularly helpful for children who learn better outdoors.

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

• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Careful consideration is given to the environment to ensure that children are exposed to a range of challenging experiences. However, opportunities for children to learn more about information and communication technology are less well planned for.
• Staff engage in lots of dialogue with children and introduce them to new words and their meaning. 'Bernadette Bee' is used at circle times to encourage children to share their news with her and become more confident at speaking in groups. However, staff are not always mindful of allowing children sufficient time to process their thoughts and respond to questions. Some children identify the initial letter sound in their name but staff are not always consistent in their approach to using pure sounds and instead add additional sounds. For example, they say 'su' instead of 'ssss'.
• Children are physically very able and enjoy a challenge. They show good control as they skilfully balance and walk on bucket stilts and manoeuvre bicycles around obstacles. Staff support children in their progression from sit-and-ride toys to tricycles and balance bicycles. Children show great skill and concentration as they hold lengths of spaghetti between two fingers of one hand and cut with another. Children use a range of tools safely during baking activities, which all helps to develop strength in their hands and their control and coordination.
• Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to count during everyday activities. Staff keep the numbers small to ensure that children have a secure knowledge before progressing to larger numbers. Children talk about how many spoonfuls it takes to fill a bowl, and during games they calculate how many more spaces they need to fill to win.
• Children enjoy sensory activities and enjoy exploring the different textures of a range of materials. They talk about what they are doing and what is happening. For example, one child said, 'It's sticking on my hands. It feels like play dough and looks like a jelly fish!'
• Staff support children to gain an understanding of other's feelings and how their behaviour impacts on others. They learn about responsibility as they help to clear up after themselves and complete self-care tasks. This helps to prepare them for their transitions to school.
• Partnerships with parents are very effective, and this collaborative approach helps to build on children's knowledge and skills. Parents report how they can see the rapid progress their children are making. They value the regular feedback they receive on their child's progress and how they can best support them at home.
• Staff work effectively together and continually reflect on their practice. Leaders have a good oversight of the curriculum to ensure it continues to challenge children. Staff have regular opportunities to attend training and widen their knowledge, which helps to improve outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the opportunities for children to learn more about information and communication technology
• ensure practice is consistent when supporting children's communication and language, particularly when introducing children to letter sounds.