Busy Bees Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children actively take part in a wide range of activities, that follow their interests, at this welcoming pre-school. For example, they shout 'yay, play dough!' as they run over to the table to explore it. Children excitedly take part in a planned music session.

They enthusiastically sing along and join in actions to familiar songs and rhymes. This strengthens their love of singing and their communication and language development. Children develop their physical skills in the garden as they use spades to find hidden objects in mud.

Staff extend children's vocabulary by introducing words, such as 'delicate' and 'breakab...le' as children find a pretend egg. Staff teach them to be careful as they dig, so as not to get mud in their eyes.Children behave well, and have strong relationships with staff.

They say 'will miss you' to staff, as they discuss their leaving to go to school. Staff are good role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children react positively to staff as they remind them of the rules of a game they play, and to take turns.

They are polite and kind to their friends and visitors. For example, they confidently bound over to visitors to ask, 'what's your name?', and engage them in conversation. Children are learning to be independent as they pour their own drinks at snack time.

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

Staff know their key children well. They gather information from parents, asking what their children's interests are. Staff thread these interests into their activity planning, along with their own observations of children's development.

Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They engage well in planned activities, and those which they choose for themselves.Staff support children who have additional needs well.

They work closely with other professionals, helping children to reach targets set on individual learning plans. The pre-school spends additional funding appropriately, for example, by assisting children's transitions to school. This enables all children to make good progress, and helps prepare them for their next stage of learning.

Staff widen children's knowledge as they play. For example, staff explain what a magnet is as children investigate magnetic numbers. They encourage children to find out which numbers stick on a board and which ones do not.

Children say 'magnets stick' as they make the link that numbers with magnets on the back stay on the board. Children remember previous learning, as they spontaneously discuss how caterpillars make cocoons, while they investigate toy bugs.Staff provide numerous opportunities for children to develop their mathematical understanding.

For example, staff show children numbers on the bottom of wellingtons. Children compare the sizes of the wellingtons saying, '10 is bigger than eight', as they hold them next to each other. Children independently count to 20 as they play.

As they reach 20 and stop, staff encourage them to think what number comes next, introducing 21 and 22.Staff teach children about different feelings and emotions. Children take part in small group activities where staff encourage them to talk about how they feel in different situations.

Children understand it is their time to talk when they are given the 'talking stick' to hold, knowing they should listen to others when they do not have it. Staff constantly praise children for their efforts, raising their self-esteem. When children have minor disagreements, staff react quickly to help them resolve conflicts.

Staff teach children about the importance of making healthy food choices by offering them a choice of fruit, yoghurt and drinks at snack time. Staff encourage children to wash their hands before meals, promoting a positive hygiene routine.Parents report their children have made 'magnificent improvement' since being at the pre-school.

Staff give daily feedback to parents on how their children have been. However, some parents report they would like more information on what their children's next steps in learning are, to enable them to continue this at home.The pre-school team work well together.

The deputy manager works well with the committee chair; both demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement. Together they have started to evaluate the pre-school provision, and staff's professional development needs. However, although some processes have been started for the monitoring of staff practice, and their ongoing supervision, these are not yet fully or consistently embedded.

This means, staff do not have frequent enough feedback in order to further improve their already good practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The deputy manager has a good understanding of her role as designated safeguarding lead, and who she needs to report concerns to.

Staff take part in safeguarding training. They are confident in knowing different signs to look for that may signal a child is at risk of harm, including if they may be drawn into extremism. Staff have a good understanding of how they report any concerns regarding children or adults, including the importance of recording this information.

This knowledge enables staff to keep children safe from potential harm or abuse. The deputy manager and the committee chair are aware of their responsibilities to make sure staff are suitable to work with children, by carrying out relevant suitability checks.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove information sharing with parents so they are clear what their children's next steps in learning are, to enable them to continue learning at home build processes for staff monitoring and supervision, ensuring they happen more frequently and that staff receive feedback to improve their already good practice further.