Busy Bees at Solihull Stratford Court

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are settled. They have secure relationships with staff, and their key persons know them exceptionally well. Children who are going to school show their drawings they have made of their new school badge and discuss how this makes them feel.

They learn about their feelings and emotions through stories and props. Children enjoy group activities, such as yoga. They are encouraged by staff to join in with some of the movements, such as reaching up to 'touch the sky'.

Staff use what they know about the children to get them interested to join in. For example, children pretend to be lions by bending their knees down t...o the floor, or they pretend to be frogs by jumping up and down.Children learn about the world around them and the different celebrations and festivals their peers and others celebrate.

They learn about the different countries and sports in the commonwealth games. Children are active in the garden as they explore these games further and cooperatively play together. Children use their manners well and thank their friends and staff if they help them.

They are encouraged and praised by staff as younger children develop their physical skills, such as taking steps or pulling themselves up. Babies laugh with pure delight as they play and explore in their environment.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and designed carefully to ensure that children make good progress in their learning from their starting points.

Staff regularly gather feedback from parents about children's interests. They use this information to plan a range of purposeful, stimulating activities that build on what children already know and can do. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery and eagerly engage with the range of activities on offer.

For instance, when children find spiders at home, they explore activities that look at insects in more detail.Leaders are committed to working closely with parents. They have identified a range of strategies to engage parents in their child's learning.

For example, staff share learning outcomes for activities they send home. They also give advice for how parents can carry out these activities. These approaches enable parents to successfully extend their child's learning.

Consequently, parents speak extremely highly about the nursery.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities who have been identified as falling behind in their development receive the support they need to make good progress. Staff work with families to ensure that children who speak English as an additional language have support in place to enable them to understand key words in their own language as they learn English.

Transition arrangements are thorough and have been carefully thought about to support children's emotional well-being. For example, settling-in sessions are tailored to meet the needs of each child as they move from room to room. In addition, staff share key information with staff at other settings, including children's, parents' and their own views.

This ensures that any support and/or care children require can be fully considered before they start at their new setting.Children learn about keeping themselves healthy. For example, they learn about a potato who is a superhero.

They learn how foods can be good for them and keep them healthy. Staff follow robust allergy management procedures. There are clear systems in place to ensure that children are kept safe during mealtimes.

Leaders use peer observations and supervision sessions to monitor staff practice. At times, they also consider any individual training that staff would benefit from. However, there is scope to strengthen the support staff receive to further develop the consistency of their teaching practice.

Leaders are proactive in their approach to ensure that staff's well-being is supported. Staff comment that their workload is manageable and that managers support them well. They can confidently share any concerns they have about the children they care for.

Generally, children behave well. Most of the time, they can overcome conflict. However, there are times where staff are not consistent in their approach to managing children's individual behaviour.

Consequently, this means that they are unable to manage their own behaviour as effectively as others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The designated safeguarding leads and staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

They recognise signs and symptoms a child may be at risk of harm. They know the policy on reporting any allegations made against a person in a position of trust. Staff carry out robust risk assessment procedures when moving from the nursery to the garden to ensure that children are kept safe.

For example, children are head counted into the building and at each level of the premises. Staff deploy themselves effectively to ensure that children are appropriately supervised during play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: refine the strategies in place for managing children's individual behaviour to ensure that there is consistency in the approach strengthen the support staff receive, to enhance the delivery of their teaching and to ensure that children's learning is maximised.