Busy Bees Day Nursery at Plymouth

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle well and demonstrate warm relationships with staff. On arrival, children beam with pleasure as they are greeted by a familiar adult.

Staff ask parents about children's experiences at home. This makes children feel special and safe. As a result, they start the day confident and keen to learn.

Children receive good support from staff who understand their learning needs well. For example, before children draw self-portraits, staff encourage them to look at themselves in the mirror. Staff introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to remember language they have previously learned.

They talk ab...out the colours of their eyes and other features that make them unique. Children communicate with confidence. Younger children join in with songs and rhymes.

All children show a keen interest in books, and are quick to notice written words used throughout the nursery, such as the menu boards on the lunch table. Children are confident to experiment. Young children explore new textures as they use their hands to make patterns with paint.

They learn to listen well and follow instructions, gaining important skills for their future learning. For example, they move their bodies in a particular way when participating in a yoga session. Staff encourage children to feel how their muscles stretch.

This helps children understand the importance of looking after their own health and well-being. Managers and staff work well together to ensure that children receive a broad curriculum, which builds on children's skills and knowledge and reflects their interests. They are ambitious in what they want children to achieve, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been a clear emphasis from leaders on providing support and training for managers and staff. As a result, staff demonstrate a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe and of how to support their learning. Managers use successful strategies to guide and monitor.

Staff say they receive good support, feel valued and are committed to doing their best for children.Staff working with children with SEND are proactive in seeking advice and guidance to ensure their specific needs are met. They work closely with parents and other professionals to understand and implement targeted interventions when needed.

Staff adapt activities to ensure that children feel valued and included. For example, staff use picture cards and record parents using children's home languages to assist children in ensuring their needs are known to staff. Occasionally, staff do not give enough consideration to the organisation of activities and routines for younger children to maximise learning opportunities.

For example, children have to wait for an extended period before going outside, as staff take time helping other children to put on outdoor clothing.Parents report positively about the good relationships they have with staff and managers at the nursery. They receive frequent information about children's achievements and progress.

This is through their daily discussions with the key person and access to online systems where they can see photographs and read about children's progress. Parents are actively encouraged to support children's learning at home. For example, staff send home dough and gloop along with ideas of how this can be used to extend children's learning.

Children benefit from a good range of innovative activities that support their learning well. Staff make sure that they reflect children's interests in the activities on offer. This means that children are motivated.

However sometimes staff do not think about how they can challenge the older and most-able children to extend their learning as much as possible. For example, opportunities to count and solve mathematical problems are missed when children remove their shoes to take part in an activity.Children learn how to behave well, as staff gently remind them of boundaries and expectations.

Staff offer lots of praise to show children that they appreciate their good work, kindness and good behaviour. Children are polite, helpful and caring towards their friends.At mealtimes, children often request a second helping.

This shows how much they enjoy the nutritious meals that are freshly prepared on site according to children's individual dietary needs. Children learn good social skills as they sit with their friends to eat. They develop physical skills so they can use tools like tongs and spoons to dish out their own food, and have a go at feeding themselves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Safeguarding is a priority throughout the nursery. Increased levels of training, and frequent discussions in staff meetings, help to ensure that all those working with children fully understand their responsibilities to keep children safe from harm.

Managers establish good links with other agencies to remain aware of local safeguarding issues. They follow clear procedures to ensure that any concerns are quickly identified and escalated effectively. Robust recruitment procedures help to assure the suitability of adults working with children.

Effective risk assessments are in place. Staff are vigilant to ensure that they supervise children well, and that spaces used by children continue to be safe, secure and suitable throughout the day.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: further improve the curriculum for older children to ensure they receive good levels of challenge throughout all their activities, to help them make even better progress review the organisation of activities and routines for younger children, so that they have as much time as possible to play and learn.