Montessori by Busy Bees Alderley Day Nursery

Montessori by Busy Bees Alderley Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2841208
Address: Alderley Day Nursery, Congleton Road, Nether Alderley, Macclesfield, SK10 4TD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 04/04/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 27 March 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and
those who may face barriers to their learning, including those who speak English as an
additional language, make progress from their starting points at the nursery across all areas
of learning.
Children enjoy sharing stories with staff and with their peers. They learn about emotions and
talk these through with staff. Children are kind and caring towards their friends and show
respect to the staff team. They develop strong independence skills, such as making choices,
tidying up and following nursery rules. This helps to prepare them for their transition to
school. All children engage in play opportunities using real-life resources, learning to use the
equipment provided safely.
Children show curiosity while exploring and making gloop from scratch. They follow
instructions and make predictions about what will happen next. Children show a great sense
of pride when they make the green gloop, commenting, 'It's light green.' They then safely
grasp their hands together like a 'hedgehog' to walk to the bathroom to wash their hands.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children behave well and respond positively when staff intervene to manage any negative
behaviour. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure within the setting and show
respect for staff. Children use their manners well. Staff praise children for their efforts and
talk to them about how they are feeling to support their emotional development. Staff
carefully select story books that reinforce this learning and help to extend children's
understanding further.
Leaders and staff promote a welcoming environment for all children. Children follow the
daily routines well and understand expectations and boundaries. They follow rules
consistently, such as not running indoors and walking safely when carrying a drink to the
table. Children are mainly kind to one another, use their manners well and learn to play
cooperatively alongside their peers. On the rare instances of unwanted behaviour, staff
recognise the support children need to help them learn how to regulate themselves and use
more appropriate behaviours.
Leaders and staff monitor children's attendance carefully. They work in partnership with
parents and carers to promote regular attendance, helping to support children's early
education and establish positive habits and routines that prepare them well for school.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff plan the curriculum to meet the needs of all children, including those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to
learning, including children who speak English as an additional language. However, not all

staff have a secure understanding of children's individual abilities. This means they are
unable to plan consistently and effectively for children's next steps across all areas of
learning.
Leaders and staff place a strong focus on developing children's language and
communication skills. Babies happily use babbling and single words during singing
sessions. During these times, they learn to share and take turns, supporting their personal,
social and emotional development. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'centipede,'
'prickly' and 'spiky'. Staff give children time to respond to questions and engage in
conversations, which supports their language and communication skills well.
Staff use baseline assessments to identify next steps for each child and adapt practice for
those with SEND or those who face barriers to learning through the use of targeted
individual plans. Children's early mathematical development is promoted throughout the
nursery. Babies learn to count during singing sessions. Toddlers explore filling and pouring
while making lemon meringue pies, enjoying making them big and small by adding more
mixture. Older children enthusiastically engage in problem-solving.
All children enjoy outdoor play, where their physical development is supported well by staff.
Babies enjoy using the swing and exploring the outdoor spaces. Older children ride around
the bicycle track with increasing control and confidence. Encouraged by staff, older children
practise balancing skills. They use their imagination as they move around the space making
potions and turning staff into 'frogs' and 'butterflies'. Children also enjoy planting and learn
how to care for living things. Looking after the environment and sustainability form part of
the nursery's ethos.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff follow a clear process of early identification and assessment. This
includes assessing all children through language and communication programmes to
identify any gaps in learning at the earliest opportunity. Leaders and staff act swiftly when
concerns are identified. For example, prompt referrals are made to speech and language
therapists where appropriate. This has had a positive impact on children's language and
communication development.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who face barriers to
their learning, benefit from individual support plans that meet their specific needs. This
enables them to make progress from their starting points. Parents report that they feel
included and value the partnership working in place to ensure their children receive the
support needed to make the progress they are capable of.
Leaders use additional funding effectively to support children's needs, including supporting
their emotional wellbeing, which has had a positive impact on children's self-regulation.
Leaders and staff monitor the impact of additional funding carefully to ensure it is being used
beneficially.
Leaders assess training needs to ensure staff have the appropriate skills to follow children's
individual plans. However, when key workers are not available, leaders recognise that

Needs attention
further training is needed to continue strengthening staff's professional development and
ensure consistency of support across the team.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Overall, leaders and staff are committed to promoting children's safety and wellbeing.
However, on occasion, staff deployment during some activities, such as outdoor play and
mealtimes, is not fully effective. At these times, staff supervision of children is not as vigilant
as intended, and this inconsistency does not support leaders in their aims to minimise all
risks to children. Hygiene practices are not consistently followed. For example, younger
children's hands are not routinely washed before eating, and staff do not always wipe
children's noses promptly.
Staff are kind and caring towards children and interact warmly at children's level. Children
seek comfort from staff readily, cuddling into them when needed, demonstrating that they
feel safe and secure in the nursery. Leaders and staff provide children with a range of
opportunities to develop life skills and to understand how to keep themselves safe. For
example, children know to freeze immediately if something breaks so that staff can remove
hazards safely. Children respond well to instructions and work cooperatively alongside their
peers to complete tasks.
Staff follow safe sleep procedures effectively. Children have opportunities to rest when
needed and are monitored closely while sleeping. Leaders work in partnership with parents
and carers effectively around the use of dummies to help promote children's communication
and language development.
The nursery provides children with nutritious, home-cooked meals and healthy snacks,
which help to promote healthy lifestyles and positive eating habits. Children with allergies
are catered for well.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders have identified some weaknesses and are putting in place support for staff to help
ensure that policies and procedures are implemented consistently. However, planned
improvements are not currently embedded well enough to have a notable impact. For
example, there are inconsistencies in the effectiveness of staff deployment and in the
implementation of hygiene policies. Leaders do not always deal with complaints in line with
the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage. This does not help to ensure
positive engagement with all parents.
Leaders oversee the nursery curriculum sufficiently. This helps them to evaluate the quality
of education provided. Staff wellbeing is supported through supervision meetings, where
leaders implement targeted training plans to strengthen daily practice. However, leaders do
not adequately ensure that all staff have a secure understanding of children's individual
abilities so they can consistently plan effectively for children's next steps in learning.

Leaders work well with most parents. For instance, during children's room transitions and
when they are preparing to move on to school, leaders help to ensure continuity in children's
care and learning. Leaders also work in partnership with local schools to support smooth
transitions. Safe recruitment procedures are followed, with leaders ensuring all appropriate
suitability checks are completed before staff begin working at the nursery.
Home-learning ideas are shared with parents to help extend children's learning and embed
skills further at home. The parent committee at the nursery has had a positive impact,
enabling parents to share ideas with leaders and contribute to nursery development. This
strengthens partnerships with families. Leaders also provide advice to parents and carers
about children accessing online platforms at home, helping them understand associated
risks and promote safe online practice.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
The supervision of children is not always effective. This is because staff have not received
the training they need to consistently implement the staff deployment policy. There are times
when children do not have the level of supervision needed to meet their needs and ensure
their safety. For example, although mealtimes are sociable occasions that children enjoy,
staff do not always effectively deploy themselves to directly supervise children as they eat.
This does not adequately protect children from the risk of choking. In addition, at other times
in the day, such as during outdoor play, there are occasions when staff leave children
unattended for short periods of time. Leaders have identified this weakness and have plans
in place to improve staff practice.
Children arrive happy and settle quickly. They are greeted by the friendly staff team
members, who encourage them to engage in play. Leaders and staff plan their curriculum to
meet the needs of all children. This includes those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) and children who may face barriers to their learning, such as those who
speak English as an additional language. There is a strong focus on language and
communication skills. This helps to prepare children to become ready for school. Children
engage in an array of back-and-forth interactions with staff and enjoy opportunities to
promote their independence skills from when they start at the nursery. Babies learn to feed
themselves and drink from open cups, and toddlers pour their own drinks and put on their
own coats. Older children self-serve meals, pour their own drinks and learn to get changed
into their sports kits. This helps children to master skills they will need when they transition
to school.

Children enjoy learning at the nursery. They show high levels of confidence as they get
involved with their friends. For example, younger children enjoy marking marks on small and
large scales in preparation for early writing. Older children are keen to become illustrators
and authors in the mark-making area, inspired by their focus on books. Children learn to be
kind and caring. They respond to instructions and any minor disagreements are resolved
quickly. Children's behaviour is generally positive. They smile when they are praised for their
actions. Children follow the nursery routine and follow the golden rules, such as using
'walking feet indoors'. Leaders and staff provide most parents with regular feedback about
their child's progress through parents' evenings, observations and daily feedback. On
occasion, leaders' engagement with some parents is limited. The nursery has a parent voice
to allow parents to share feedback and ideas. This helps to support the typically positive
partnership between home and nursery.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
ensure that policies are implemented effectively to
maintain staffing arrangements that always meet the
needs of children and ensure their safety
10/06/2026
ensure that all staff follow safer eating procedures
during all mealtimes to ensure children are
appropriately supervised
10/04/2026
provide staff with the training and support they require
to be able to fulfil their jobs roles and continuously
improve the quality of care and education
10/06/2026
manage complaints in line with the requirements of the
statutory framework for the early years foundation
stage.
10/06/2026
About this inspection
The inspection started on 27 March 2026. Inspectors returned on 26 May 2026 to gather
additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and
gathering additional evidence policy.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.

Inspectors:
Lisa Grundy
Lois Hulley
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2841208
Address:
Alderley Day Nursery
Congleton Road, Nether Alderley
Macclesfield
SK10 4TD
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 04/04/2025
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Cheshire East
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 27 March 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during the 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.

0 to 4
Total number of places
96
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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