Busy Bees Day Nursery at Shenley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children like coming to nursery.

They settle happily with staff who respond to their needs. Children make good friendships with each other and their key persons. Those who will soon move on to school are well prepared for this significant step.

Children who speak English as an additional language make good progress. Staff focus on their language development throughout the day. They help children to talk about things they do, for example putting coats on and washing their hands.

All children eagerly talk about their feelings, thoughts and ideas. Older children become very excited when looking at butterflies the...y have hatched from eggs. They have lively discussions with each other about the changes they can see.

They are curious, for example noticing when a butterfly wing has not fully developed. Staff have a real sense of fun and enthusiasm. They encourage children to join in spontaneous activities, such as catching rain in buckets during a downpour.

Children fill their buckets with rain and giggle as they splash in the water and try to catch the raindrops. Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors and show good control as they run, climb and explore.

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

Staff are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about children's development.

They are working hard, particularly during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to support children's emotional stability and well-being. Staff know their individual children well. They talk about them with great affection and interest.

They plan and provide experiences that help children develop the skills they will need to move to the next stage in their learning. They help children to become independent, for example by following photographic instructions to wash their hands, and to help get their own beds ready for sleep time.The management team has made significant improvements since the last inspection.

Managers support staff to feel safe and secure at work and to achieve good outcomes for children. Managers involve staff in making changes. They encourage them to take responsibility for their rooms and activities.

Staff feel involved in the running of the nursery. They take part in a wide programme of training that helps them to improve their knowledge and practice.Parents are very well informed about their children's development.

They praise the efforts that staff have made, such as using a book about home learning, to help settle children back into the nursery. Parents comment on the improvements they have seen in the nursery in the last year. They recognise that their children make good progress and are becoming ready to move on to school.

They appreciate that staff offer activities and ideas to help them encourage children's learning at home.At times staff do not link children's learning needs to the activities that they plan and provide. This means that some staff-led activities are too simple or too complex for the children taking part.

Some staff do not give children enough time to answer questions to help children to work out ideas for themselves.Staff work hard to understand the different experiences that children may have had before they come to nursery, and how these might affect children's emotional development. They use stories and imaginative games to help children explain their feelings and how to manage friendships.

For example, staff help children to talk about their emotions to solve disagreements with their friends. Children are able to listen to one another and work out how to share toys in a fair way. They play games that help them work as a team, for example helping to fit small magnetic shapes together to build one big shape.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Whistleblowing procedures are well understood by all staff. Even the newest staff are knowledgeable about signs of potential concern and are clear about avenues to report concerns about staff or children.

Managers know when to intervene to protect children and how to take action to tackle any developing issues in staff practice. Staff have a good understanding of issues that may affect children's safety, including the potential dangers of using the internet and other technology.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to make a clear link between the intent and delivery of planned activities to enable them to shape those activities successfully to the learning needs of children develop staff understanding of how to help children to develop their critical thinking skills.