Busy Bees Day Nursery at Plymouth

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Plymouth

Unique reference number (URN): EY435253 Address: Seaton Court, 2a William Prance Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5ZD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 26/08/2011 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They develop secure communication and language skills through carefully planned small-group work, targeted support and daily interactions that build vocabulary and understanding. Children develop the skills they need to be proficient and confident in their next stage of learning. They build on skills as they move from room to room. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make sustained progress because adaptations and specialist strategies support their learning consistently.

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Achievement Strong standard

Disadvantaged children benefit from tailored resources that strengthen confidence, social interaction and communication. Children known to children's social care achieve well because staff maintain stability, monitor progress closely and provide sensitive support that helps them stay engaged in learning. Across rooms, children gain the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage, including school, through a curriculum that builds independence, resilience and early foundations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders create a positive environment with clear, consistent expectations for behaviour. Babies experience calm, predictable routines that help them feel secure and ready to engage in learning, including responsive cuddles and reassurance when needed. Staff build warm relationships that support early regulation, such as settling babies through songs and gentle attention during transitions. Young children benefit from activities that promote collaboration, including turn-taking on slides, shared play-dough tasks and joint cooking play, where staff guide sustained back-and-forth interactions. Staff use age-appropriate strategies that match each child's stage of development, helping them follow expectations confidently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children show positive attitudes to learning because routines are embedded and consistent. Across rooms, children focus well and collaborate during group activities, such as role play and shared creative tasks, supported by staff who model cooperation and respectful communication. Leaders promote attendance and punctuality through regular communication with families, which supports stable routines and helps children settle quickly each day. Children who face barriers, including those with emotional needs, receive sensitive support that helps them stay engaged in learning. Children thrive in an environment where behaviour expectations are understood, relationships are trusting and routines help them participate with confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Care practices meet children's individual needs. Babies receive sensitive, respectful care, including explaining when nappy changes are needed and gentle reassurance when they need more time. Staff respond closely to children's cues and maintain calm routines that support emotional security. Sleep procedures are safe, with consistent and regular checks to ensure children's safety during rest. Mealtimes are supervised well. Children eat together and learn key skills, such as using cutlery and trying new foods, supported by nutritious meals cooked on site. Staff promote physical development effectively through outdoor play that supports movement, balance and coordination.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Secure attachments are clear across rooms. Children seek comfort from staff and settle quickly because relationships are warm and responsive. Staff help children recognise and manage emotions through calm interactions and predictable routines. Babies and young children develop early independence, including feeding skills, handwashing and helping with simple tasks. Staff also promote oral health through shared brushing routines and visual resources that support habits at home. Routines for feeding, sleeping and transitions are adapted for individual needs, ensuring all children experience consistency and wellbeing. Children thrive in an environment where their safety, health and emotional development are prioritised.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders understand the quality of the curriculum and teaching and make informed decisions to strengthen practice. The curriculum is well designed and ensures all areas of learning are well taught. Staff plan purposeful, connected activities that build on children's prior knowledge, including mathematical pattern-making with play dough and adult-guided sessions teaching children new vocabulary that helps them understand the different emotions they feel. Practitioners use expert knowledge of child development to shape their interactions. They support communication and vocabulary through stories and discussions and model language across all areas of learning. Staff prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development, as seen in activities that help children explore feelings and learn to manage social situations.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is responsive and adapted well for babies and for younger and older children. Staff in the baby room model language, support sensory exploration and build early communication through songs and shared attention. Young children develop fine motor skills, counting and early writing through adult-led, engaging activities that match their developmental stage. Staff make thoughtful adaptations for disadvantaged children, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to children's social care. These include visual prompts, tailored small-group sessions and adjustments that keep learning accessible and meaningful. Practitioners use ongoing assessment to check what children know and can do so that teaching remains well matched to each child's stage of development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The provider identifies children's individual needs quickly and accurately. Staff recognise emerging concerns from the moment children start. Leaders act quickly when needs first appear and work with families to secure timely support. They reduce barriers through precise adaptations. These include visual language tools, structured small-group sessions and daily targeted learning. This support helps to develop communication, emotional regulation and early interaction skills. Staff apply the provider's approach to inclusion confidently because leaders secure high-quality training, including guidance from speech and language therapists and occupational health professionals. Leaders work closely with families and external professionals, shaping support so that interventions begin quickly and are effective.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders monitor children's progress rigorously. They monitor assessments for quality and accuracy, and they are vigilant in identifying emerging gaps so no child's development is left behind. Disadvantaged children receive targeted support that strengthens their confidence, communication and social skills. Early years pupil premium funding is used well, with resources chosen alongside families to meet individual needs and secure progress for eligible children. Leaders ensure children known, or previously known, to children's social care receive consistent, stable support so they feel safe, included and ready to learn. Inclusive practice is embedded, and all children access learning that matches their stage and need.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths. They use shared observations and regular reviews to check the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They act on priorities, such as refining routines and strengthening leadership in rooms, so that children benefit from consistent practice. Leaders prioritise children's needs in all decision-making, including those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or are known to children's social care. Additional staff have been recruited to support flexibility, deployment and team stability.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders support staff wellbeing through purposeful systems. Staff receive regular supervision, peer observations and access to relevant training. Leaders give staff time to complete training and use recognition system rewards to show appreciation. Professional development is ongoing, with training needs identified and reviewed. Leaders also work closely with partners, including the local authority and health visitors, to strengthen support for children and families. Since the last inspection, they have embedded improvements in their curriculum and enhanced routines so younger children have more time to play and learn. Leadership is strategic, reflective and focused on securing positive outcomes for all children.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children feel safe, settled and valued throughout their day. Babies experience warm, attentive care, such as calm singing during routines and close support after outdoor play, helping them feel secure. Staff respond sensitively to children's cues, which strengthens attachment and helps children regulate their emotions during predictable routines. Children love learning. They explore stories, role play and creative tasks with interest, building confidence, independence and early communication through turn-taking games, mathematical pattern work and small-group discussions about feelings. Children with special

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About this setting

educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from precise adaptations, including visual tools and targeted sessions, so barriers are reduced and progress begins quickly from their starting points. Families feel welcomed and valued. Leaders ensure communication is consistent and relationships with children are secure, building parents' confidence that the setting offers stability and safety for their children.

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About this setting

Children belong because they learn alongside peers and form secure relationships with staff, supported by an inclusive culture that values each child's uniqueness. Staff use personalised emotional support activities, such as adapted discussions about families for children who need help understanding relationships, enabling every child to be included confidently in learning. Children known to children's social care benefit from sensitive and consistent structures that help them feel safe and ready to engage. Attendance is promoted well. Staff work closely with families to support routines, which helps children settle quickly and participate each day. Children thrive because the environment is calm, predictable and designed to meet the community's needs, including many key-worker families who rely on stable, high-quality care. Children belong, achieve and flourish in a nurturing and well- organised environment that prepares them well for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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. Unique reference number (URN): EY435253

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Address:

Seaton Court 2a William Prance Road Plymouth Devon PL6 5ZD

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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