Busy Bees at Addlestone

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happily and are warmly welcomed by staff. Older children greet their friends at the door with staff and help them to find their peg to hang their coats up.

Children have designated rooms depending on their age, and staff support them to settle into activities they have organised. For example, babies explore coloured dough and sand, and older children enjoy painting. Staff supervise children as they explore the different activities and ask children questions about what they are doing.

However, inconsistencies in teaching and in staff's understanding of how children learn have an impact on the progress child...ren make. Children enjoy playing outside. Staff engage in imaginative play with older children and remind them to take turns.

For example, children take turns to stop the bicycles they are riding to ask the pretend shopkeeper for different food items. Staff remind children how to ride their bicycles safely. Older children engage in activities and demonstrate curiosity.

For example, they place shells to their ears and listen to the sound they make. They tell other children they can hear the beach and offer the shells for them to listen. Children are learning to share.

Staff support children to wait their turn for resources and explain to children whose turn it is next.

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

The manager ensures that staff receive supervision sessions to discuss children's progress and any training they wish to attend. There have been some recent staff changes, and newly recruited staff meet with the manager regularly to check they are settling in and understand the policies and procedures.

Staff have recently reviewed mealtime procedures, including baby weaning processes. They have also revisited the reporting procedures to ensure they understand the importance of reporting incidents to managers in a timely way.During the inspection, it was found that Ofsted had not been notified about a significant incident.

This is a breach of the early years statutory framework requirements. However, through discussion, managers now understand what they need to notify to Ofsted. Consequently, no further action is needed.

Although adult-to-child ratios are maintained, staff are not deployed effectively. For example, qualification requirements are not consistently considered, and staffing arrangements do not always meet children's care and learning needs across the setting.The manager is ambitious and recognises there are still areas of staff practice that need to be embedded.

For example, staff understand the skills they are focusing on supporting children to achieve. However, this is not reflected in their practice. Staff do not precisely target children's intended learning well enough, particularly younger children.

This means children are not making as much progress as they could.Staff find out about other languages children speak at home when children start at the setting. Parents share key words to help staff communicate with their children.

This helps staff to understand the needs of new children and support them to settle in.Parents are happy with the care their children receive. They feel they are updated regularly on the progress their children are making.

Parents know who their child's key person is and have the opportunity to discuss their progress with staff at parents' evenings throughout the year. They are regularly asked for feedback. Parents have access to a lending library and can borrow books to read with their children at home.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with outside agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported. The SENCo reviews individual support plans with staff to help children's learning and development. Plans are shared with parents, and children with SEND are making progress.

Children understand the routines. For example, young children independently sit at the table when they see the chef bring snack into the room. Staff support children to wipe their hands before they eat their snack.

Children are supervised well at mealtimes.Staff understand that singing to children and asking children questions can help to support their early language development. However, they do not interact effectively with children to help develop these skills.

For example, they do not always give children enough time to answer questions they have asked. In addition, staff ask questions that are not always age-appropriate for the children they are looking after.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure staff are deployed effectively, and appropriate qualification requirements are considered, to meet children's care and learning needs.15/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed staff practice to ensure they fully understand the curriculum intent and how to precisely target children's next steps strengthen staff understanding of how to support children's communication and language development effectively.