Bees Knees Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children of all abilities are settled, confident and happy during their time at the welcoming and friendly setting.

Staff encourage children to be independent. As a result, children are confident to complete their own tasks and make their own choices. All staff have a good understanding of the interesting and challenging curriculum.

They plan activities they know children will enjoy. When children have an interest in the ocean, staff set up a game to encourage them to 'save' the ocean creatures from litter as they introduce the concept of pollution. They read books about the ocean and bake biscuits in the shape of star...fish.

Staff teach children about how to respect each other's choices. For instance, each morning, children vote for which book they would like to read at story time. Children understand the concept of voting and respect the outcome.

Staff are positive role models. All children behave well and are polite. Staff teach children about the importance of following good hygiene routines to help them remain healthy.

This includes successfully implementing thorough handwashing practices. Staff help children develop good physical skills, and children learn how to move in different ways. This is demonstrated when they confidently and safely build and negotiate obstacles, such as balancing beams.

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

The manager and staff establish secure and trusting relationships with all children. They fully understand children's unique traits and personalities and meet their needs well, including for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have high expectations of all children.

This helps children have a positive attitude towards their learning, and they make good progress.All staff support children who have SEND well. They liaise closely with outside agencies, such as specialist teachers.

Staff implement helpful and consistent strategies that support children to learn. For example, they successfully use picture cards to help children know what is expected of them. This includes helping them understand the routine.

Staff have a good knowledge of all areas of learning. They implement a motivating curriculum that encourages children to experience all areas of learning. For instance, children are encouraged to use mathematical language as they play.

The manager and staff support children to develop good communication skills. Children are confident to share their ideas and thoughts. They thoroughly enjoy stories and singing.

This includes making up their own songs about the ocean and sharing them with their friends. Children giggle together as they sing about how a jellyfish 'wibble wobbles'.Overall, parents are happy and speak very highly of the setting.

Staff share helpful information, such as healthy eating tips. They share photos of group activities on social media and in newsletters. However, the process to share information with parents about their child's learning and the planned next steps is not fully established.

Staff do not use consistent ways to further engage parents in their children's individual learning to enhance outcomes for children.The manager and staff liaise with parents to ensure they know about any information about children who also attend another setting. However, they do not directly communicate with the other settings to form partnerships with them.

Therefore, staff do not yet provide the highest level of consistency to the children's shared care and learning experiences.The manager closely monitors the quality of care and teaching staff provide. Staff evaluate together as a team.

They reflect daily on what went well and what they will do differently next time. Staff complete regular training. This includes learning about how to fully meet children's individual needs and abilities.

As a result, staff have implemented new activities to engage children who require additional support to develop their speaking and listening skills.Staff support children to gain a good understanding of other people's backgrounds and cultures outside of their own experiences. This includes talking about different communities and their traditions.

The manager and staff use additional funding to support the individual needs of children effectively. For example, they have purchased resources to support children to develop their physical skills and build on their interest in outdoor play. This has helped to build children's confidence and close any gaps in their development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build more effective partnerships with staff at other settings that children also attend strengthen opportunities to engage parents in children's individual learning to further improve outcomes for children.