Sandhills Day Nursery, Alvechurch

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at the setting. They enjoy sensory activities, such as sand and water play. For example, they smile and laugh as they fill and empty the different-sized containers. Children also enjoy getting creative as they make their own pictures, using a range of media. Leaders tailor settling-in sessions to meet the needs of each child. This helps children to build lasting bonds with their key person. Children actively seek out staff as needed. Staff show lots of care and attention to babies when they become upset. This works well and helps the babies to settle quickly. Although children generally behave well, they are not always supported by staff to learn what is expected of them.

Children make good progress in their learning from their starting points. Children share that they like to use their imaginations as they play 'hairdressers'. Children enjoy physical exercise outdoors. They have fun making a range of different movements, such as climbing and running. Staff plan a range of activities for all children across the setting, covering all areas of learning. Most children show high levels of engagement as they play. Staff gather and share key information with other settings that children attend. This helps to ensure that children receive the consistency they require in their care and/or learning.

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

• Staff comment positively about how leaders support their well-being. They share that leaders are on hand to help them when it is required. Leaders provide staff with lots of opportunities to attend training. However, they do not yet focus the use of supervisions and monitoring of staff practice to help raise the quality of teaching that children receive to the highest possible level.
• The curriculum is ambitious. It covers all areas of learning and is sequenced to build on what children know and can do in stages. Staff know the children well. However, they do not fully utilise what they know about the children to help plan meaningful and stimulating activities for children to access. Consequently, there are occasions where children lose interest and start to become disengaged.
• Staff read stories with lots of excitement. They ask the children questions about the story they are listening to. Children eagerly share their knowledge as they answer the questions. Children enjoy story time. Younger children make sounds as they look at the pictures in the story. Older children start to give meaning to the pictures and words in the story.
• Staff complete regular observations and assessments on the children. Where staff identify significant concerns about a child's development, they actively speak to parents and make referrals to other professionals. Staff develop plans for these children. This helps to ensure that those children do not fall any further behind in their development.
• Parents comment extremely positively about the setting. They share that they can see the progress their child has made in their development. Parents also explain that their children enter the setting happily. Staff find out key information about the children before they start. This includes information such as their medical and dietary requirements. Staff also find out children's starting points from parents. They keep parents fully informed of their child's learning and ways they can support their child at home.
• Staff remind children of the rules throughout the day. However, some staff lack the knowledge about how they can support children to regulate their own emotions. There are also occasions where some staff do not talk to children about how their behaviours affect others. This does not support all children to start to understand what is expected of them.
• Staff use a range of activities to teach the children about themselves and others. Children enjoy looking in the mirror and talking about their features. Staff talk to children about what makes them unique. Children start to learn about their similarities and their differences. This helps to prepare children well for life in modern Britain.
• Children have lots of opportunities to get physical in their play. Staff provide the children with a range of balanced and healthy meals. They are on hand to support children to keep themselves clean throughout the day, which teaches the children how they can live clean and healthy lifestyles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus the use of supervisions and the monitoring of staff practice on raising the quality of teaching that children receive to the highest possible level
• support children to regulate their own emotions and learn about what is expected of them
• utilise what you know about the children, to help plan meaningful and stimulating activities that support the children to maintain high levels of engagement.