Busy Bees Day Nursery at Southport

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive in good spirits, happy and excited to start their day at this bright and welcoming nursery.

They immediately engage in play with other children, showing they feel safe and secure. Children form close attachments to the kind and caring staff, who have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff provide consistent support and gentle reminders of rules and boundaries.

Children respond well to staff's guidance and they behave well.Staff place a strong focus on promoting children's independence and developing their communication and language skills. For example, older children practise wearing school u...niforms and self-serve at mealtimes.

Younger children learn how to pour drinks by themselves and wash their hands on their own. All children become confident and independent learners. They are curious and inquisitive, choosing what and where they want to play.

Babies take their favourite books to their key person to read to them. They point at pictures in the story books and copy as staff make animal sounds. Younger children who speak English as an additional language progress well.

Staff use words from their home language to help children to communicate their needs and feel secure. Older children listen intently as staff read stories and introduce new words, such as 'antelope' and 'ostrich'. This helps to expand their growing vocabulary.

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

The manager shares her ambitious vision for children's learning with her staff team, who skilfully put the curriculum intent into action. There is a strong focus on supporting children's independence, communication and language, which is well established throughout the nursery.The manager and long-standing staff team have a positive approach to providing the best outcomes for children.

They welcome advice and guidance from the Busy Bee's group as well as the local authority and other agencies. Staff say they feel well supported in their roles. Overall, the enthusiastic manager provides a good programme of support and training for the staff team.

However, this support does not focus precisely on staff's individual development needs, to ensure teaching is of the highest calibre.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well and they receive good levels of care. Staff make timely referrals and work closely with various other professionals and agencies.

Babies are developing a sense of identity and belonging. For instance, staff encourage them to look at their reflection in mirrors. They use words to describe babies' features, such as eyes, ears and nose.

Babies laugh and point to their ears as they look in the mirrors, attempting to copy words that staff use. This helps to support babies with their early speaking skills.Staff working with the younger children skilfully bring stories to life.

They use interesting resources to enhance children's participation in activities. For instance, children enjoy making potions and magic spells. They paint natural resources, such as pine cones and twigs to make a broomstick.

Children exclaim 'I am a scary dragon' as they pretend their colourful creature is flying through the air. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.Older children enjoy investigating what happens when they mix sand and water together.

Staff are nearby to remind them to be careful not to spill water on the floor. They explain that the children could slip and hurt themselves. This encourages children to develop a sense of responsibility for the resources they use and to care for their environment.

The manager and staff create strong partnerships with parents. Parents comment that they receive regular information about their child's day through the online app. The manager is currently rolling out a new system to strengthen this partnership with parents further.

For instance, she has begun to invite parents to come into nursery to speak to their child's key person about their child's learning and progress.Occasionally, the organisation of routines means that children miss chances to participate in high-quality interactions with staff and other children. For example, after mealtimes, some staff are busy cleaning the environment ready for the next activity.

As a result, they do not notice when younger children would benefit from receiving extra emotional support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure understanding of how to keep children safe.

They know the signs and symptoms of abuse and what to do if they have concerns about a child. Staff are aware of the process they should follow if they were to have concerns about another member of staff. They know the roles of the relevant local safeguarding partners and how to contact them.

Staff receive regular training in paediatric first aid. They are very aware of children's dietary requirements and these are strictly adhered to. Staff use a coloured-plate system at mealtimes.

This ensures that the risk of allergic reactions is minimised. The manager reviews accident and incident logs to inform the nursery's risk assessments.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus more precisely on staff's individual development needs to help raise the good quality of teaching to the highest levels review the organisation of routines to enhance the quality of children's social interactions.