Busy Bees Day Nursery at Maidstone Allington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children display high levels of enjoyment as they play and learn. They are confident and secure exploring the environment, both indoors and outdoors. Children have the freedom to make their own choices and follow their interests.

They take advantage of the large outdoor space to engage in exciting physical activities. For example, children enjoy climbing on the equipment and in trees, crawling under bridges and jumping over tyres. Children behave well and demonstrate good social skills.

They happily play with one another, but are also content playing independently. Children understand how to share, and know to take tur...ns. They respond positively to staff and can follow the routine.

For example, children take pleasure in helping set the table for lunchtime. Children make good progress in their learning and have secure relationships with their key person. Older children engage in interesting conversations with staff, sharing their ideas and feelings.

Younger children are given comfort and reassurance to ensure they feel settled.

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child's individuals needs as well as their specific interests. For example, there are facilities available to support babies' sleep routines.

This ensures the children's needs are being met. The variety of real resources allow children to develop their interests, such as role playing in the home corner.Staff know the children extremely well, and can identify specific areas they have made progress in.

For example, staff identify that children have made significant progress with their social skills and interacting with others. All staff interact positively with children. However, at times, activities are not as well planned to engage all children and offer them new and exciting challenges, and some staff lack confidence in extending children's learning.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. For example, children listen intently to staff and display positive attitudes towards learning. They enjoy taking part in group games in the garden, laughing, making jokes and listening to stories.

This shows that children are happy and feel safe and secure.Children's health is promoted well. They have the opportunity to try different types of healthy food, developing positive attitudes towards eating.

Children also engage in routine hygiene practice, such as handwashing before mealtimes.Partnerships with parents are very effective. Parents are positive about their children's progress and the support they receive from the staff.

This reflects the strong communication systems they have in place.The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a detailed understanding of how to support all children's development, including children who may have additional needs and/or disabilities. The SENCo has effective procedures in place to ensure children make progress in their development, and can confidently seek support from external agencies if required.

The manager has an ambitious vision for the setting and strives to make continuous improvements. She can identify areas within the team that require further development, while reflecting on the progress they have already made. Staff feel well supported by the manager, and have a strong relationship as a team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Safer recruitment procedures are extremely robust and the manager ensures that suitability checks are completed before staff can work with children. The manager also carries out additional checks regularly to confirm staff's suitability.

Effective safeguarding procedures are in place for reporting concerns about children and staff, and staff and the manager understand their responsibilities to safeguard children. The manager and staff are aware of the possible signs of abuse and exposure to extremist views.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen staff's knowledge and confidence in planning and providing a wide variety of stimulating and exciting activities that offer children new challenges across all areas of their learning.

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