Sunflowers Neighbourhood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from the staff's consistently positive interactions with them at nursery. They are confident to share their interests and explore the wide range of quirky resources that are available to them. For example, pre-school children are fascinated by the numbers and hands on an old clock. They say the numbers as they move the hands around the dial, counting to 12 and back down to one. This interest in numbers is extended by staff in the outside area. Children count eagerly how many times the ball bounces when they try to hit it with the bat.

Staff have high expectations of the children about what they can do. For example, two-year-olds are encouraged by staff to extend their small physical skills. These children pull leaves from herb plants to add to the play dough they make. Staff suggest they use scissors to snip the leaves. They supervise children using the scissors to keep them safe. Children persist with support from staff and show their pleasure when they snip the leaves successfully.

Children get to know the staff well and form positive relationships that help children feel safe and happy. Babies smile when staff talk and sing to them. They are comforted when they are upset or tired as they snuggle on staff's laps.

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

• Since the last inspection, the management team have made significant changes to improve practice in the nursery. They have a reflective approach and work closely with the staff to make changes to how they plan for children's learning. Staff identify and follow children's interests and their next steps in learning, when planning effectively. The manager has reduced the number of children that attend the nursery each day. This means that staff have more time to spend playing and interacting with children and, as a result, the quality of education has improved.
• Parents speak highly about the nursery. They say that staff are friendly and supportive to them and their children. Parents say they can see the progress their children make in relation to their speech, their confidence and their social skills. However, parents say the feedback about their child's day, occasionally, does not give them enough information. This means that parents do not always know what their children have been doing to help them speak to their child about their day when they get home.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language have their needs met well. Managers use additional funding effectively to support children who need one-to-one care. Staff work in close partnership with other professionals, who are involved with the children, to ensure they receive a consistent approach. Staff use picture communication cards and Makaton signing effectively. This helps children to communicate with their friends and with staff.
• Children take part in group activities where the staff's focus is on promoting their listening and attention, their social skills and to extend their vocabulary. Staff help children become confident to choose songs for everyone to sing and use the Makaton signs. Staff read stories that extend children's vocabulary by introducing new words that are linked to the pictures in the story. However, some children become distracted because they are not able to see the pictures in the book. The activity becomes less meaningful for these children and they do not benefit as much as the others taking part.
• Staff talk to parents to find out about the experiences children have at home. They use the information to plan activities that help widen children's knowledge and experience. For example, children who have fewer opportunities to experience nature grow plants at nursery. With support from staff, children learn how to dig holes in the soil and how to care for the plants.
• Children learn to be independent. Staff enable all children to make choices about what they do. They tip treasure baskets on their side, so babies can easily choose from the items inside. Staff help pre-school children learn how to resolve minor disagreements on their own. They encourage children to use their words to explain how they feel and to listen to one another. This helps children develop confidence and resilience.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus more precisely on ensuring that all parents are consistently informed about the activities their children have taken part in during the day
• extend staff's awareness of how to ensure that small group activities and stories are meaningful for all children who take part.