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Early years · Early years inspection (EIF)

Bee Curious Childcare

Inspected 28 May 2025 · published 26 Jun 2025 · URN 2771677

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Summary

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection date verified

    28 May 2025

  • Inspectors verified

    Sarah Gower-Jones

  • Behaviour and attitudes verified

    Outstanding

  • Leadership and management verified

    Outstanding

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Outstanding

  • Personal development verified

    Outstanding

  • Quality of education verified

    Outstanding

  • Postcode verified

    CW12 4RQ

  • Name on report verified

    Bee Curious Childcare

  • URN verified

    2771677

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • OverallOutstanding
  • Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
  • Leadership and managementOutstanding
  • Personal developmentOutstanding
  • Quality of educationOutstanding

11% of comparable inspections in the last three years were graded Outstanding (17,905 inspections).

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+96Very positivemore positive than 84% of reports of this type graded Outstanding
OutstandingGoodRIInadequate

In line with other reports of this type graded Outstanding.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseenjoyextremelyinspirationalsuperbconsistentlyexcellentconfidentpositive

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspection positive critical
  • Findings811w+96
  • Safeguarding20w+50

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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No next steps set out.

What the report dwells on

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Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
6
Words of findings
800
about usual (typical 818)
Reading level
Fairly hard
Flesch 51, typical 49
Average sentence
15 words
Next steps
0
typical 0
Hedged sentences
6%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 62%Safeguarding 2%About the inspection 37%

Full report text

Inspection of Bee Curious Childcare Glebe Farm, Astbury, Congleton CW12 4RQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

p.1

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy and settled at this highly nurturing and caring nursery. The inspirational leaders and staff are dedicated to their roles. They work tirelessly to provide the very best care and education for children. Leaders and staff are passionate about their whole nursery community. They aim to do the very best they can for all children, families and staff.

p.2

The provision is outstanding

Children are highly engaged with their play, which is underpinned by a carefully sequenced and ambitious curriculum. Leaders and staff meticulously plan the curriculum and the superb environment to inspire children's curiosity and promote child-led learning. Staff support children expertly to identify and solve problems and to explore and develop their own ideas. They listen to children and value their views. This supports all children to quickly become confident and resilient learners.

p.2

The provision is outstanding

There are consistently highly positive and warm relationships between staff and children. Staff and children clearly enjoy their time together, and there is lots of shared laughter throughout the day. Staff are wonderful role models and treat children with kindness, patience and respect. Children reflect this behaviour in their relationships with each other. Children consistently work cooperatively with their peers. They are kind, friendly and polite towards others.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff use every possible opportunity to use children's interests and independent play to support their learning. For example, staff have identified that the next steps for some children are to count groups of objects accurately. They support children to play a game hiding dinosaurs under a scarf. Children carefully count the dinosaurs, and then staff cover the dinosaurs and take some away. Children accurately count how many remain. Staff extend children's knowledge by encouraging them to work out how many have been taken away. This highly focused approach ensures that all children make rapid progress. n Leaders and staff are passionate about encouraging children to develop an early love of reading and books. They display books beautifully, along with resources thoughtfully chosen to bring them to life. For example, staff surround a book about a witch with interesting bottles of 'magic potion' and toy bats. They place

p.2

need to do better?

an information book about birds alongside models of different breeds of owls. This enticing display encourages children to pick up and read a book. Babies enjoy touching the textured pages of board books thoughtfully placed at their level. Outside, children cuddle up with staff and enjoy listening to a book about sunflowers near their growing area. This supports children to make the best possible progress with their early reading skills. n Children take part in an amazing array of thoughtfully planned trips, visits and

p.2

need to do better?

28 May 2025 experiences, which staff use to enhance and extend their learning. Staff make the most of the nursery's location on a farm to ensure that children learn first hand about the natural world around them. Children enjoy visiting the animals on the farm and point excitedly as staff teach them the specific names of the animals, such as the highland cattle or alpacas. They splash in puddles on the paths around the farm and enjoy sharing a snack in a shelter watched over by a Shetland pony. n Children learn about celebrations and a variety of cultures. For example, they celebrated World Book Day with a themed tea linked to the story 'The Tiger who Came to Tea' and learned about Diwali by tasting food and trying on special clothes brought into the nursery by parents. Staff arranged a visit from the fire service and a talk from local vicars at Easter. This supports children to appreciate their differences and similarities and prepares them for life in modern Britain.

p.2

need to do better?

n The quality of education provided is of a consistently high standard because professional development for all staff is a priority. Supportive peer-on-peer observations and lots of discussion between the whole staff team help to ensure the frequent sharing of excellent practice. Staff report that they are well supported by leaders and are proud to be part of such a wonderful nursery community. Staff and leaders are highly reflective and always looking for ways to make the nursery even better. For example, they have increased the number of non-fiction books available to children as a result of the focus on reading. This reflection ensures that the nursery continues to raise its already extremely high standards even further. n Staff have excellent relationships with children and their families. They share lots of information on an ongoing basis, which enables them to meet children's individual learning and care needs effectively. Parents and carers are highly

p.3

need to do better?

appreciative of staff and leaders, saying that their children are 'confident, thriving and love going to this very special nursery'.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 2771677 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10397670 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 27 Number of children on roll 46 Name of registered person Akker, Caroline

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 07494717040 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Bee Curious Childcare registered in 2024 is situated in Glebe Farm, Astbury, Cheshire. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery is open all year round, from 7.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except for two weeks at Christmas. It provides government funded childcare.

p.4

Inspection activities

n Nursery leaders joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Children spoke to and communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector and nursery leaders carried out joint observations of group activities. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

p.5

Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

p.5

Inspection activities

28 May 2025 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.5

Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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