Busy Bees Preschool Tarring

Flower-petal potions, pipettes and jars give Busy Bees Preschool Tarring a memorable starting point: in June 2023, children experimented with water and wanted to repeat their discoveries. That is a concrete picture of learning through play.

At its 30 June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall. Based at The Old Palace in Worthing, it has capacity for 35 children; the children attending in June 2023 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday routines into their education. In June 2023, activities built on what children already knew, with books and songs supporting language development.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar gave children an opportunity to recall a story and explain its sequence. They described the caterpillar's transformation, practising how to put their knowledge into words. Outdoors, bicycles, scooters and balancing beams offered different ways to develop movement and coordination.

There was also a clear teaching weakness in June 2023. Children explored how changing ramps affected toy vehicles, but the purpose of a subsequent drawing task was unclear to some of them. Their interest faded. More precise planning of what each activity should teach was an improvement priority.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified progress for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, supported by targeted work on needs such as speech and social interaction.

In June 2023, settling arrangements allowed parents to remain with unsettled children and join play sessions. Staff used information about children's preferences and existing knowledge to plan activities. This connected home experience with the preschool day.

Healthy routines included handwashing, discussions about teeth and exercise, and healthy snacks. Independence was less consistent: children chose snacks and tidied toys, but adults sometimes cut food and poured drinks that children could manage themselves. School transition work involved contact with local school staff and individual arrangements, including support for children with SEND.

The address is The Old Palace, Glebe Road, Worthing, BN14 7PF.

In June 2023, opening hours were 8am to 3pm on Monday and Friday, and 8am to midday on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, during term time. These were daytime opening windows rather than named booking packages. At that time, the preschool received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four.

• Purposeful activities. In June 2023, some children lost interest when a drawing task's purpose was unclear. Clear explanations matter when practical exploration moves into another activity.
• Everyday independence. The June 2023 improvement priorities included letting children do more for themselves. Food preparation and pouring drinks were specific opportunities to practise those skills.
• Attendance fit. The June 2023 timetable combined longer Monday and Friday opening with shorter windows on the other weekdays. What attendance arrangements now suit your family's week?

The June 2023 picture suits families who value hands-on exploration, story-based language work and parental involvement in settling. Potions, outdoor movement and individual school-transition arrangements give that picture substance. The balance is clear: purposeful activity planning and everyday independence needed further attention. Families drawn to this preschool should weigh those practical teaching priorities alongside its Good inspection judgement.