Following a recent Ofsted inspection, the Busy Bees Day Nursery has been given a ‘good’ rating. The nursery is based at Ferndene in Bradley Stoke.
The examiner, Rachael Williams, noted: “Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They engage in a wealth of experiences across the curriculum, which build on their interests, knowledge and what they need to learn next successfully. Children gain good independence skills. Older children serve their meals and pour their own drinks, while younger children confidently remove socks and shoes when it is time for them to have a sleep.
“Children have a positive attitude to learning. They engage well in self-chosen activities. For example, toddlers persevere to fix the road track together. They show good coordination as they push vehicles along the road, between the lines. Staff celebrate children’s achievements with them, such as new words spoken. They constantly praise children, supporting them to gain high levels of self-esteem.”
Levels of staff morale were deemed to be high at Busy Bees and it was felt that staff were well supported in their roles. It was noted that the children had good manners, shared nicely and were well behaved. In addition, there is a ‘school council’ where staff listen to the children’s ideas for how to improve their experiences at Busy Bees. Safeguarding methods were felt to be well maintained.
In terms of areas for improvement, the examiner suggested that the manager could provide staff with clear guidance to continue to raise the quality of teaching and interactions, and that staff could better prepare small-group times in order to maintain the children’s attention to ensure they are fully engaged with their learning.