The Honey Bee Day Care

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that expectations for inclusive practice are implemented consistently across the nursery. Although they have identified children's needs and staff understand the support that many children require, this is not embedded in day-to-day practice. Staff do not consistently adapt their approach to enable all children, including those who are nonverbal, to express their needs, make choices and participate fully in learning. As a result, some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not consistently supported to communicate effectively or engage meaningfully in activities.

Leaders do, however, work constructively with parents and carers and external professionals to secure appropriate advice and support. This helps to ensure that children's needs are understood in the context of their families and that appropriate external support is sought when required. Leaders use early years pupil premium and additional funding to reduce barriers to children's learning. This includes the provision of additional resources and coaching that broaden children's experiences and support their physical skills overall.

Staff meet children's additional health needs well. Effective arrangements ensure they are not disadvantaged and can participate safely and confidently in daily routines. However, the quality of support for children's learning is variable and barriers are not reduced quickly enough.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently through high-quality teaching across the nursery. This results in variability in children's learning experiences. Some staff demonstrate effective knowledge and interact effectively with children. They support children's learning through warm and responsive interactions. However, the support for older children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is variable. Staff do not fully support all children to build on what they know and can do. This means gaps in children's learning do not close quickly enough.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that broadly sets out what they want children to learn across the nursery. This includes a focus on children's communication and language, physical development and early personal and social skills. Staff in the baby room support early communication effectively. They ensure sensitive responses to children's attempts to communicate. For example, staff encourage early turn-taking and consistently acknowledge children's voices, helping babies to feel heard and understood. This ensures a foundation for children's learning. Toddlers benefit equally from well-planned song time routines. Children participate enthusiastically, shaking instruments in time with the music, showing enjoyment in the activity. Staff provide clear guidance, including signals for when to start and stop. Children respond well to these instructions, demonstrating their ability to listen and follow routines.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement is inconsistent across the nursery. Older children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not make the progress of which they are capable. Some children do not develop sufficient independence or learn to sustain their attention. They find it difficult to follow familiar routines, participate in group activities or manage changes throughout the day. As a result, some children do not consistently develop learning behaviours they need to participate confidently in school life.

In contrast, babies and younger children make secure progress, particularly in their communication and language development. These children confidently express their needs, join in conversations and respond enthusiastically to stories, songs and rhymes. They understand and respond well to familiar routines and group expectations, taking turns and following simple instructions. Babies and younger children achieve well and develop a secure foundation of knowledge, skills and behaviours for their future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that expectations for behaviour and routines are consistently clear or effectively implemented across the nursery. The lack of consistency means the older children do not understand or follow daily routines well. Transitions between activities are at times disorganised and children are required to wait for extended periods of time. Children struggle to manage this waiting time. This has a negative impact on their behaviour and ability to regulate their emotions overall.

Predictable routines are well established for younger children. Staff ensure expectations are clear and consistently reinforced, which helps younger children to feel safe, settled and confident. Children respond well to routines. They line up to go outside when asked, readily take turns and enjoy the company of their friends. They develop positive attitudes to learning and show a keenness to try new things. Leaders ensure they monitor children's attendance and work with families to address any patterns in absence.

Across the nursery, staff are kind and nurturing in their interactions with children. Despite weaknesses in the consistency of practice, particularly for older children, relationships remain positive and caring. Children seek support from familiar adults who place a suitable focus on their emotional wellbeing overall. However, some children find setbacks challenging and do not receive support to develop the resilience needed to persevere or find solutions when difficulties arise. This impacts on their confidence and ability to engage positively in learning when they encounter difficulties.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders ensure a commitment to promoting children's health and welfare. A key strength in the nursery is the warm and nurturing relationships that staff establish with babies and young children. Staff know children well and provide sensitive and responsive care. They take account of individual routines from home, including stages of weaning. This ensures consistency and comfort for babies and young children. When staff identify children's additional health needs, they respond promptly. They ensure a healthcare plan is put in place without delay and staff are briefed quickly so that appropriate support is implemented. As a result, children's health is assured.

Leaders prioritise healthy eating. They provide a wide selection of healthy and balanced meal options that are reflective of children's dietary requirements. Staff make sure that children are offered drinks frequently throughout the day to support their continued positive health. All children relish the opportunity to be outside and be physically active. Staff use planned outings into the local environment to support older children's understanding of how to stay safe beyond the nursery. For example, during a walk in the park, children learn to follow instructions, remain close to adults and consider their own safety when moving through public places.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have a clear understanding of the difficulties faced by some children and recognise that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have experienced delays in their learning and development. They are committed to improving outcomes for all children and work effectively with parents and carers, external agencies and the local authority to secure appropriate advice and guidance to support children's needs. While this is having some impact, it is too soon to see any sustained improvement in outcomes for children with SEND, as a result of leaders' recent action to date.

Leaders, including those in key roles, demonstrate knowledge and confidence, which has a positive impact overall on children's experiences. They ensure an ongoing programme of training that supports staff's knowledge of safeguarding and ensures qualifications such as first aid remain in date. However, overall, leaders do not ensure that a programme of professional development is targeted to address identified variations in staff knowledge and practice. As a result, they do not secure consistent improvement in the quality of practice across the nursery. Staff workload is managed well and regard is given to their wellbeing.