Busy Bees Day Nursery at Meopham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and settle well in this friendly and welcoming nursery. Staff are extremely caring, and children form secure relationships with their key person. Children show they feel safe and secure.

They move confidently, and freely access activities and resources available to them. Children's emotional well-being is very well supported. An effective settling-in process supports children's transition within the nursery successfully.

For example, staff take time to get to know the children's personal care routines and learning needs. They then use this information to help children settle into the new environme...nt. Children behave well and show a positive attitude to learning.

They listen, follow instructions and are encouraged to take turns. Staff give regular praise and encouragement in everything children do. This helps to develop children's confidence and self-esteem.

Children have opportunities to voice their thoughts and ideas, which are highly valued by staff. For example, children take part in a daily vote to request a story or particular activity. The revised approach to encourage children to spontaneously access learning opportunities outdoors has been successful.

For example, children enjoy taking activities outdoors to investigate further. Older children enjoy learning about different insects and where they live. They collect magnifiers to take outside to find insects in the garden.

Children relish in their findings and are eager to look closely at the difference between an 'ant' and a 'worm'. Furthermore, children have the space to practise their physical skills. They have space to run, climb and balance.

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

Leaders have made significant improvements and show a commitment to continue improving standards, since the last inspection. The manager implements effective strategies, such as, peer observations and regular one-to-one meetings. This helps to evaluate staff practice, identify development opportunities and promote their well-being.

Staff comment they feel supported and valued in their work. Staff attend regular training and receive valuable support from leaders to help enhance their knowledge and build confidence in planning activities. For example, supporting children's social interaction through art.

Ambitious leaders provide staff with a clear curriculum that helps children build on what they know and can do. Staff implement the curriculum well, following children's lead in play and building on their emerging interests. There is a clear focus on creativity for all ages.

For example, children are encouraged to explore the various materials on offer in the art studio. They choose their own methods to create adaptations of work by famous artists, such as Picasso. Children learn to be inspired by art and use it to enhance their own imaginations, from a very young age.

The manager and staff have high expectations for every child in their care. Staff plan and provide interesting play activities that develop babies' curiosity. Young babies explore sensory objects that include a variety of materials and textures.

When children are playing, staff talk to them about what they are experiencing. For example, as babies touch the different resources, staff say 'smooth' or 'spiky'. This helps babies and young children to hear language in context, which supports their early understanding and language development.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported well. Staff work closely with parents to provide targeted support in children's learning, to help them to make good progress. However, staff have not fully established partnership working with other settings that children attend to promote continuity in their care and learning.

Parents are happy with the feedback they receive about their children's progress. They say that staff are very approachable and friendly, and put children first. Staff find out about individual care needs and preferences.

For example, information about food and products that may cause children to have allergies. Parents say that although this is a sensitive issue, they know that children are safe as a result.Children are confident communicators.

They approach staff to talk about their own experiences and models they have made. However, at times, staff do not give children age-appropriate explanations or use language to help support children's understanding even further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of safeguarding practices and how to keep children safe in their care. They are knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk from harm. Staff confidently discuss local safeguarding procedures and the steps to take should concern for a child's well-being arise.

Staff have worked hard to improve the procedures necessary for safe recruitment. For example, there is an extremely robust procedure in place to ensure appropriate checks are completed to determine an employee's suitability.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen partnerships with other settings that children attend, to promote continuity in their learning and development continue to support staff's interactions with children to enable them to more consistently develop children's understanding and learning even further.

Also at this postcode