Sandy Bears Nursery + Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome from the caring and attentive staff. All children show that they are settled and happy. Staff build strong relationships with children and show genuine care for them. They sensitively support new babies, who soon settle and enjoy a cuddle with staff. Staff are very attentive to children's care needs, supporting their well-being closely. They are quick to respond when babies show signs of hunger or tiredness and give them reassurance to meet their needs. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure as they confidently follow the daily routine.

Overall, the curriculum is effective in supporting children's progress. Children are curious learners and show an interest in exploration. Babies relish sensory play focused on their interest in animals. Staff plan this carefully to encourage babies to develop their language and communication. Babies excitedly explore different textures, such as yoghurt and dried food items. Toddlers explore, knowing that staff are on hand to give reassurance as needed. They develop confidence and show great interest in the activities that staff plan. For example, children enjoy choosing flowers and dipping them in paint to make colourful marks on their paper, developing their fine motor skills. Pre-school children use readily available pens and paper to practise their early writing skills.

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

• Leaders are good role models for staff, and they guide and support their practice well. They use their evaluation well to identify appropriate areas to improve. Leaders place a high priority on staff's professional development. Recent training around supporting children's emotions has had a strong impact on children's development. Staff report that they feel supported by leaders.
• Staff are committed to nurturing children's learning. They quickly identify children who may need additional support and collaborate effectively with other professionals to address their needs. This means that children receive effective support.
• Staff help children to develop a wide range of skills in preparation for school. However, they do not break the skills that they teach children into smaller steps to help children to consistently build on their existing knowledge. For example, they do not adapt welcome group times to support the different ages and stages of children's development.
• Staff understand the importance of children developing good communication and language skills. They help babies improve their speech with simple songs and rhymes. Toddlers use words and signs to express themselves, and older children are confident and articulate communicators. However, staff do not consistently support children to fully engage and listen intently during some activities. For example, when they bring toddlers together to share a story, background distractions interrupt their learning.
• Staff encourage children to take on self-care tasks, such as washing their hands before meals and holding their own cups. Older children serve their own lunch and competently put on their wellington boots. This approach helps children to build confidence and practise essential independence skills.
• Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. They add fruit to water to encourage children to drink more to stay well hydrated. Mealtimes are a sociable occasion. Children have regular opportunities for fresh air and exercise in the outdoor area. They enjoy catching games, climbing and running around. These activities help children to develop their large muscles, spatial awareness and coordination.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They model positive behaviours effectively in their practice by using manners and encouraging children to share, be kind to one another and play cooperatively. Staff encourage children to respect the toys and equipment in the nursery, and from a young age, children understand about respecting each other.
• Staff incorporate mathematical concepts into children's play and through routines. For example, staff support children as they count pom-poms on a number frame. When children find a worm in the forest garden, staff talk to children about its length using language such as 'long' and 'short'. This supports children to understand number and size.
• Leaders and staff build very strong relationships with parents and carers. They ensure that parents are involved in all aspects of their children's care and education. For example, staff invite parents to the nursery for informal meetings. Parents report how much their children love attending the nursery and comment on the tremendous care and support they receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to be able to maintain focus and listen more intently, such as by considering the impact of background distractions on children's engagement and learning
• strengthen the curriculum by structuring it more precisely for each age group of children.