Busy Bees Day Nursery at Lightwater

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

There is a clear vision for children's learning and development, established by the Busy Bees company. There are high expectations for all children to make good progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff plan a range of activities that capture children's interest and successfully extend their learning. Children play energetically outdoors. They confidently share their ideas during imaginative play.

They learn to use blocks to build constructions, such as runways to land their toy helicopters. Children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories and looking at books, for exam...ple, while sitting in a 'hobbit house' in the garden. Children behave well.

Staff have a caring and patient approach. They give children lots of cuddles and reassurance, which enables them to feel settled and motivated to explore and learn. Staff include older children in risk assessments to help them understand about their own safety.

Staff support children well to understand the world. Children learn about growth and decay. For instance, they plant seeds and herbs, water them and watch them grow.

Children learn about differences in society. They take part in activities related to World Ocean Day, and learn about pollution as they take animals out of containers of 'seawater' and clean them. Children enjoy using colourful collage materials to make flags to celebrate Pride events.

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

The skilled and knowledgeable manager creates a positive environment for children and their families. She works closely with a Busy Bees quality assurance manager, who models good practice and inspires staff to make continuous improvements to outcomes for children. For instance, staff have introduced songs that help children understand what is going to happen next and to understand and cooperate with routines.

Staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum and an inviting learning environment that motivates them to learn and make the best possible progress. All staff have recently completed curriculum training that has helped them to focus more strongly on identifying activities that support children's next steps for learning.The premises have recently been refurbished.

Staff have reorganised the play areas to provide children with a welcoming and exciting learning environment. For instance, they have created plenty of space in the pre-school room for children to take part in regular yoga activities.Staff support children well to develop the skills they need for their future learning.

They provide activities that develop babies' concentration and help them develop strength in their hands, ready for learning to write. For instance, staff encourage babies to unwrap zoo animals and other items wrapped in tissue paper and turn the pages in books.Staff often read to children, both indoors and outdoors.

They use children's favourite books to develop their communication skills and build their vocabulary, including children who speak English as an additional language. For instance, they successfully inspire children to act out and retell stories, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Staff caring for babies have improved how they encourage babies to listen and talk.

Staff are positive role models for children. They patiently and confidently help children learn how to share and take turns, and support them to develop independence. Children form close friendships and often include others in their play.

The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, has a good understanding of her role and responsibilities. She works closely with staff, parents and other agencies to provide early support for children with SEND to reduce any gaps in their development.Partnership with parents is good.

Managers provide parents with lots of online information they can access to support children's learning and development at home. For instance, they supply ideas for potty training, and information on what to expect when children start school.Managers work closely with staff to continually improve their practice.

However, the deployment of staff while babies are sleeping occasionally impacts how staff organise activities for those who are awake, including having access to outdoor play alongside their friends. Additionally, managers do not monitor staff deployment at mealtimes well enough to ensure that children who become upset are supported by a member of staff they know and feel secure with.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers have a good knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare. They ensure that all staff understand safeguarding procedures, including those relating to social media, the use of mobile phones and whistle-blowing. All staff complete child protection training and know what to do if they are concerned about a child's safety.

Staff have improved risk assessment processes and have started to include older children in carrying out risk assessments. This develops children's understanding of potential hazards and how to prevent any accidents.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review and improve staff deployment so that the good supervision of sleeping babies does not impact on how staff organise activities for those who are awake, such as allowing them to access outdoor play coach and support staff to improve the organisation of mealtimes so that all children are supported by someone they know and feel secure with when they become upset.