Busy Bees Day Nursery at Ashford Trinity Road

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children behave well and show that they feel safe in the staff's care.

Young children know who to go to for support, and staff give this willingly, with great care and empathy. When asked who their friends at nursery are, older children take great delight in replying 'everyone!'. Staff meet children's individual care and well-being needs.

They plan the curriculum successfully and understand the intentions for each activity and how they will benefit their key children's learning. However, when key persons are acting as a 'buddy' for another member of staff, they are not as confident in their knowledge of the detail of w...hat each child needs to learn next. Younger children become engrossed in pretend play, such as when they fill their shopping baskets with food items.

Staff encourage their speaking skills and introduce new words to build on their vocabulary. Children ride around the outdoor area, manoeuvring with care, which enhances their physical skills. However, the outdoor areas for younger children are not as inviting as for the older ones.

Older children have a very good knowledge of letters and letter sounds. They become absorbed in games, taking turns with minimal support and linking letter sounds to words they know with ease. Sometimes, staff do not always use their good teaching skills to make the best of each interaction they have with children.

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

Children develop secure relationships with staff, as well as each other. They show great concern for one another and offer genuine support when someone else is struggling with a task. For example, they ask if they would like some help to zip up their coats when getting ready for outdoor play.

This shows great team working and awareness of the needs of others.The leadership team is highly effective in accurately assessing the quality of the provision and identifying areas for improvement. It is ambitious in its vision for the future success of the provision and how to achieve its goals.

This helps to ensure that children continue to achieve good learning outcomes.Children explore and investigate a wide range of real-life resources. Young children become immersed in working out which lid fits which metal saucepan or tea pot.

Older children demonstrate their very good knowledge of their pet giant snail, such as the foods that they can feed to it. However, occasionally, staff are less confident in using their effective teaching knowledge to enable all children to gain the most from each interaction they have with staff.Staff confidently observe children as they play and learn, and use this information to successfully assess their development.

Staff have a strong knowledge of their key children, which helps them to develop the skills children need for their future success and as they move on to school.Staff forge good working relationships with parents and others involved in children's learning. They provide parents with regular information about their child's progress and ideas on how they can support this further at home.

This means that children receive consistency across all areas of learning.Children have many opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas about the activities, resources and environment. Older children take great pride in being a member of the pre-school council, where staff seek their views.

Children then see their wishes become reality, such as the introduction of more books. Staff also take into account parents' opinions. For example, following feedback, staff worked with children to make improvements to the construction area in the older children's outdoor garden.

The outdoor areas for the younger children are less appealing. This means that staff do not entice children to explore and learn in even more challenging activities outdoors.Staff receive effective levels of support from the leadership team to ensure that their workloads are manageable.

They access a wide range of training opportunities, such as courses in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enhances staff's understanding of the different ways children learn and how to adapt the activities they plan. It also helps to ensure that each child accesses a planned and purposeful curriculum and that they are cared for by a well-qualified staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a strong knowledge of child protection procedures. They are confident in how to refer concerns they may have about a child.

Staff are fully aware of the wider aspects of safeguarding. This includes county lines drug trafficking and how to identify concerns that a child or family member may be being drawn into extreme views or behaviours. The leadership team uses effective systems to recruit staff and to ensure their ongoing suitability.

It works with staff and professionals to make sure that they identify children and families that may benefit from extra support. It seeks any additional funding that children may be entitled to, which enables it to assist all children to make the best possible start in life.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance the organisation of the outdoor areas to provide more challenge and interest for younger children build on staff's confidence in using the skills they have to make the most of each interaction with children and ensure that all activities are of high quality strengthen the use of the 'buddy' key-person system to make sure that staff are confident in their knowledge of what each child needs to learn next.