Sandfield Park Private Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Following a period of substantial change, the provider and newly appointed managers have taken action to create a harmonious environment for children and staff. The leadership team has worked hard to ensure that the new staff team understands its shared vision to provide children with the best start in life.

Children show that they have formed secure relationships with those who care for them. Upon arrival, they receive a warm welcome at this inclusive setting from kind and caring staff, who know them well. As a result, children are supported to leave their parents and carers confidently to find their friends. Leaders and staff create a fun and imaginative learning environment, where children are excited to explore. For example, babies find hidden farm animals as they sing 'What's in the box?', and toddlers recreate bowls of porridge from their story of the week. When pre-school children find a spider outside, they carefully count the legs and leave it safely in its web. Staff set clear expectations for children's behaviour. Consequently, children know and understand what is expected of them. For example, when outside, children instinctively take off their shoes before they access the sandpit. Furthermore, when they bump into each other by accident, they stop and say 'sorry' and check on their friend. Children are kind and caring towards each other and the environment around them.

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

• Leaders have placed great importance on building the new staff team. Staff, parents, and carers talk about the improvements they have seen in the short space of time that the new leadership team has been in place. Leaders have ensured that staff have access to online learning platforms to help them enhance their professional development. All staff say they feel well supported, and staff morale is high.
• Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children in receipt of additional funding, are very well supported. Children enjoy time in the newly developed sensory room with their key person. Through the accurate use of assessment, gaps in children's learning, and any specific needs, are identified early and acted upon quickly. All children are well prepared for their next steps in learning.
• Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Older children ride balance bicycles and skilfully navigate the play space outdoors. Staff provide younger children with hard and soft play dough to help develop the strength in their hands. All children enjoy vigorous music and movement activities, which are full of fun and laughter. Children's physical skills are developing well.
• Staff support children to learn about keeping healthy. They enjoy home-cooked healthy meals and snacks, which are prepared by the nursery chef. Children are taught to wash their hands before mealtimes and after using the toilet. However, staff do not implement procedures consistently to ensure that they always wash their hands after wiping children's noses. This does not show children the importance of handwashing at these times to keep themselves healthy.
• Staff implement robust risk assessments, ensuring that all areas are clean, safe and secure. Parents and carers routinely follow the setting's safeguarding procedures by ensuring that the perimeter gate is fully closed behind them. Children's safety is assured by all who attend this setting.
• Overall, the newly formed staff team is beginning to bond and work together to manage the routines of the day. However, during busy periods, such as lunchtime, some staff do not deploy themselves effectively to meet the children's needs. As such, children are not fully supported in understanding what is happening next in their routine.
• Parents and carers say staff get to know their children quickly. In doing so, staff have assisted in making referrals to other professionals to access early intervention services. Furthermore, parents enjoy the home learning activities they receive, which helps them to become more engaged in their children's day at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of busy times in the setting to ensure that staff are deployed effectively to meet children's care needs
• support staff to understand the importance of consistently implementing the nursery's procedures, to model to children how to keep themselves healthy.