Sunhill Early Learning Colchester

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and thoroughly enjoy their time in the setting. They readily leave their parents on arrival and quickly engage in play. Children show that they feel safe, knowing their needs are met. Children, many of whom are learning to speak English as an additional language, develop secure relationships with staff and confidently go to them for support with activities, reassurance and a cuddle.

Children are familiar with the routines of the day. They know what is expected of them and respond well. Staff use sand timers to help children learn to understand when an activity is about to change. Children challenge themselves to quickly tidy away their toys before the sand timer is finished. Children respond positively to staff when they remind them about the expectations for behaviour. As a result, children play well together, sharing resources and toys.

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

• Staff know the children well and confidently talk about where they are in their learning. They gain information from parents regarding their children's starting points. Staff confidently assess children's learning, enabling them to understand what children know and what they need to learn next. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disability, make good progress in their learning.
• Staff focus on children's personal, social and emotional skills. They help develop children's understanding and control of their emotions to support their well-being. For example, they use a story about a coloured monster to help even the youngest children identify their feelings. As a result, children show that they are happy and secure, which helps them to learn with great enthusiasm.
• Parents speak positively of staff and the progress their children have made since starting at the setting. They value that staff join in with the festivals that their family celebrate. This supports children's learning about different festivals that people in their community celebrate, and why. Parents comment on how well staff supported them throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing activities and ideas to support children's learning at home.
• The manager effectively supports her staff team, for example, through peer observations and staff supervision. The manager closely monitors the quality of education and care that staff provide. She regularly observes their teaching and provides them with helpful feedback to support their professional development. As a result, staff report feeling valued and are passionate about their roles in supporting children's learning and development. The manager uses self-evaluation successfully to identify the setting's strengths and areas for development. This further benefits the children.
• Children become increasingly independent in managing their self-care needs. Children readily wipe their own noses and throw their tissues in the bins provided. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and serve their own food. However, occasionally, some staff do not always identify when they need to adapt their teaching in order to help children extend their vocabulary and deepen their understanding during routine activities, such as helping children to understand the importance of washing their hands. Children learn about the importance of being healthy and confidently tell staff where different foods come from. Staff teach children the importance of good oral hygiene and they discuss the consequences of not brushing their teeth.
• Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff support children to achieve their next steps and plan for future learning. For example, they support and extend children's communication and language development. They make eye contact with babies and repeat words to help increase children's vocabulary as they learn new words. Staff read stories throughout the day and children delight in pointing out what they can see in the pictures.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make the most of teachable moments in order to further extend children's learning.