Ofsted awards ‘outstanding’ Northampton nursery with best possible grade, saying children ‘flourish’ there

Children form “exceptionally close bonds” with staff, says Ofsted, in a glowing report about a Northampton nursery they have awarded the best possible grade.

The Busy Bees Day Nursery, in Wootton Fields, has bounced from being graded ‘good’ in 2017 to ‘outstanding’ in all areas, following their latest Ofsted inspection in April earlier this year - the best possible outcome.

Inspector Antonia Campbell - describing the nursery - said: “Children flourish in this friendly nursery. Children of all ages form exceptionally close bonds with staff.

“Babies gaze into the eyes of their key staff, giggling and smiling at their nurturing interactions. Toddlers cuddle up to staff for affection when tired. Older children rush to greet managers when they enter the room, taking them by the hand and engaging them in their play.”

The “highly independent children” at Busy Bees proudly complete tasks such as being ‘lunchtime helpers’ and becoming excited to put on their special uniforms before setting the tables and serving food to their friends.

The inspector added: “They consistently display impeccable manners and are kind and considerate towards one another.”

Ofsted found that the nursery provides a “language-rich” environment, where staff model new vocabulary at every opportunity.

“Passionate” staff extend and adapt activities well to ensure they are suitably challenging for all children and swiftly identify when children need additional help, the Ofsted report states. They use ‘Buzz’ - the nursery’s safety mascot - to help children identify potentially hazardous activities, such as cutting vegetables.

Children enjoy trips to the library and local shops and the nursery holds a weekly play session for families in the community to support children’s social development.

Staff were highly commended for ensuring smooth transitions through the nursery by enabling children to spend time in their new environments before moving there permanently and sharing detailed information about interests and learning needs between staff.

The Ofsted inspector was particularly impressed with each room in the nursery having an “inspiration area” dedicated to exploring the experiences of different children in the nursery. Children proudly share their knowledge with their friends and all children gather a deeper understanding of one another’s cultures and traditions.

Busy Bees Day Nursery managers and parents have come together to establish a support network, which offers impartial advice to families and feedback to the nursery.

Ofsted commended managers for taking every opportunity to engage parents in their children’s learning so they can continue to support them at home.

Managers provide numerous training opportunities to staff and support their wellbeing to enable them offer consistently high quality learning experiences.

As a result, “highly motivated staff” relish taking on additional responsibilities and enthusiastically discuss changes they make to support children’s development.

Busy Bees Day Nursery registered in 2004 and employs 21 members of childcare staff. At the time of inspection, the nursery had 96 children on roll.

Its provider, Busy Bees Day Nurseries Limited, also runs the Busy Bees Day Nursery in Northampton’s Riverside Retail Park. That nursery was graded ‘good’ in all areas in its latest full inspection in 2018.

Read the full Ofsted report here.