Funshine Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery provides a warm and distinctive environment where children thrive. Leaders share an ethos of curiosity, independence and kindness with a stable and committed staff team. This creates consistency and a clear sense of purpose. Families value the welcoming atmosphere and the strong partnerships that staff build with them.

Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being. They know children well and are quick to offer reassurance or encouragement. This helps children to feel secure and confident to try new experiences. Children show patience and respect for routines. For example, they wait their turn to make fruit kebabs, using tools safely and with growing confidence. Children share resources with their peers and play cooperatively, extending their learning through collaboration. In the baby room, even the youngest children engage with reading. They eagerly share their favourite books and listen attentively as staff model story language. Staff plan daily routines and access to outdoor learning to also support children's physical health.

The curriculum is ambitious and built around the principle that every child is unique. It is underpinned by promoting children's communication and language and enriched with stories, songs and rhymes. Staff foster children's love of reading and provide a holistic approach to their learning. This helps all children to access learning at their own level.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children benefit from a stimulating curriculum that supports all areas of learning. Staff plan engaging activities that capture children's curiosity and help them to make strong progress. The introduction of a dedicated mathematics library provides families with resources to extend their children's learning at home. This strengthens children's fluency and confidence with numbers.
• Communication and language are a golden thread through the curriculum. Staff support children to explore a 'word of the week' to enrich their vocabulary and understanding. Pre-school children also benefit from a carefully chosen core story, supporting their comprehension and a love of books. In the baby room, even the youngest children delight in stories. These approaches ensure that all children, including those needing extra support, build strong early literacy skills and a secure foundation for future learning.
• Children's behaviour and attitudes are a strength in this nursery. They show patience and self-control, such as waiting their turn during activities and using tools safely and confidently. Children share resources and play cooperatively, extending one another's ideas to enrich learning. Staff consistently model positive behaviour and language. This helps children to develop respect, resilience and perseverance.
• Staff promote children's personal development exceptionally well. Toddlers and pre-school children have lunch together, using this time to socialise, serve their own food, take turns and learn table manners. This helps them to develop confidence and practical life skills. Staff teach children about oral health and the importance of dental hygiene.
• Children also benefit from enriching experiences that broaden their knowledge and skills. They visit the library, dentist and park, alongside creative activities exploring artists' work and learning about recycling. This supports children's communication, social and emotional development, critical thinking and engagement. It also equips children with the confidence and readiness to access the full curriculum later at school.
• Parents and carers report very positive views. They describe the nursery as welcoming, supportive and personalised. Strong key-person relationships, low staff turnover and long-serving leadership provide consistency. Open and effective communication through an online app, face-to-face meetings and daily informal contact keep families well informed about their child's progress, behaviour and well-being. Parents value the nursery's support. They confirm that their children's language, social skills and readiness for school are promoted exceptionally well.
• Leaders provide clear direction, visible support and a culture of high expectations. They have robust systems for safeguarding, supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), funding and curriculum planning. This helps the stable and well-trained staff team to deliver consistently high-quality teaching.
• Leaders take a proactive and child-centred approach to transitions, family engagement and early identification of children's needs. This ensures that all children, particularly those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds, achieve their potential and are very well prepared for their future learning.
• Staff teach children about festivals and cultural events to provide opportunities for children to learn about different traditions and communities. They use outdoor play and daily routines to support children's physical development, independence and healthy lifestyles. This prepares children well for life in modern Britain.