Busy Bees Day Nursery at Mill Hill

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff are consistently kind and responsive to children.

They create a safe and nurturing space where children feel valued and secure. Staff understand the importance of strong partnerships with parents and this is central to their practice. This helps staff to provide consistent experiences between home and nursery for children.

For instance, staff in the baby room organise the day around babies' individual sleep routines, so that they are well rested and ready to learn. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and overall promote this effectively. They encourage children to use good manners and model how ...to take turns during games and activities.

Children develop positive relationships with others and generally behave well.Staff implement an ambitious curriculum to help prepare children for their next stages in learning. For example, as children progress through the nursery, staff support them to become increasingly independent with their personal care.

Therefore, older children confidently manage tasks, such as putting on their coats, which will be useful when they start school. Staff foster children's learning through their interests and the things that they enjoy, which ignites children's eagerness to learn. For instance, staff provide dough and clay for children to explore their ideas about hedgehogs.

As children play, staff introduce new information and words, to extend children's knowledge. They support children's curiosity further, helping them to create a 'hedgehog house' in the nursery garden.

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

Staff monitor children's progress across all areas of their learning.

They provide targeted support, to help close any identified gaps in children's development. This includes working with parents and with other professionals where needed, to promote continuity in children's experiences. Theis effective partnership working helps all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress from their starting points.

There is consistent support for children's language and communication skills. Staff incorporate opportunities for children to hear new words and to practise speaking and listening throughout the activities. This includes lots of singing, stories and lively conversations.

Staff have also introduced 'story sacks' for parents to borrow, with books and props to promote children's language and early literacy skills at home. Children become confident communicators and express themselves effectively.Staff use shared strategies to promote children's positive behaviour.

For instance, they remind them about 'golden rules', such as using their 'walking feet' indoors. However, staff do not consistently teach children about the consequences of unwanted behaviour. Therefore, children do not always build on their understanding of rules and boundaries, to help them to regulate their actions independently.

Staff help children to enjoy active and healthy lifestyles. They provide nutritious meals, daily outdoor play and activities to promote good oral hygiene. Children demonstrate a growing awareness of healthy eating during their conversations and imaginative play.

For example, as they pretend to ride their tricycles to the shops, children discuss whether apples or sweets are the healthiest option to buy.Staff value children's individuality and help them to explore what makes them unique. This includes celebrating events which are special to children's families and communities.

Staff provide thoughtful activities, such as creating self-portraits, which support children to appreciate their similarities and differences. Children speak positively about how their eyes, skin and hair are different to their friends', but just as nice.Leaders actively seek parents', staff's and children's views.

They have good oversight of the provision and constantly reflect on what they can do even better. Leaders speak with passion and enthusiasm about the positive changes they have made, such as developing the daily routines to further enhance children's independence and well-being.Staff describe an open and supportive environment with lots of opportunities for training and professional development.

They have regular supervision sessions with leaders. This helps them to feel valued and to work towards professional goals, such as gaining a childcare qualification or learning more about supporting children with SEND.Parents are eager to share their positive views of the nursery.

They say their children are happy and settled, because of their affectionate bonds with staff. Parents value staff's advice and support, which helps them to continue children's learning at home. They describe children's progress since joining the nursery, including how their confidence and speech have improved.

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: help staff to support children's understanding of behavioural boundaries, to further promote their self-regulation.