Sunflowers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are very happy and feel secure at the nursery. Friendly staff chat with children on arrival to help them settle quickly. Children benefit from a variety of experiences that are interesting and capture their attention. For example, babies are fascinated to use paint rollers. They develop their small-muscle skills as they roll the sponge in the paint and then onto paper. They happily repeat their actions and respond with big smiles. Toddlers are curious and show a positive attitude to learning as they explore their environment. They like to play with the tubes, funnels and plastic trays on the water wall in the courtyard. They show good levels of concentration as they pour water from their small cans. Pre-school children show increasing levels of independence and creativity. All children make good progress.

Staff work well together to create a welcoming environment in the large rooms. Staff know what they want children to learn, the activities they will provide and how they can support children's learning. Attentive, caring staff are good role models. They use positive behaviour management strategies and provide clear explanations of their expectations. Children behave very well, play cooperatively and are learning to share.

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

• The dedicated manager and committed owner provide very good support. They consider the well-being of staff and take steps to avoid unnecessary burdens. There is a strong team ethos and a shared vision for continual improvement.
• Children with additional needs receive very good support. The manager and staff are very knowledgeable. They work closely with parents and other professionals to provide targeted interventions to help children to achieve their full potential.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff use an online system of communication well to inform parents about children's care and development. Staff provide parents with ideas to try at home to further extend their children's learning. Parents report they are very happy with the progress their child makes. They are pleased to be attending a 'parents evening' to talk to their child's key person and spend time inside the nursery.
• Management and room leaders are developing the curriculum, and understand what they want children to learn. However, some staff do not fully understand how to put leaders' thinking into practice. As a result, the most-able pre-school children are not challenged enough. For example, some pre-school children spend more time in their own initiated play and are not routinely engaged in quality conversations with staff.
• Generally, children develop a love of books. They thoroughly enjoy listening to stories. Children use the lending library to take books home to share with their parents. However, staff do not routinely provide pre-school children with books to enjoy outside.
• Staff support children to learn about leading a healthy lifestyle. The experienced cook provides nutritious meals. The nursery keenly takes part in a national supervised toothbrushing programme. Children enjoy walks to local parks and around the town.
• Staff encourage children to be expressive and creative. For example, pre-school children delight in embellishing their painted pictures of aliens with sequins. They follow instructions well and show pride in their completed picture.
• Skilled staff build on children's previous learning very well. For example, toddlers excitedly recall their painting of a rocket and are eager to add a picture of Earth to the wall display. One child happily exclaims, 'I live on that one.' They take turns sticking paper on the large circle shape. Staff support children to notice different shades of blue and green. This helps to extend children's vocabulary.
• Staff know children and their families well and have considered the impact of recent pandemic restrictions on children's experiences. There is a clear focus on promoting children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, babies happily respond to staff's affectionate chat and singing. There are lots of happy smiles and laughter as they swirl the colourful scarves around and watch the bubbles float away.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement the curriculum, in particular to provide more challenge for the most-able pre-school children.