Sunny Meadows

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are remarkably excited and happy when they arrive at the nursery. They are keen to 'have a go' at a broad range of fun activities devised to match their identified needs. Staff give children a warm welcome that helps babies and children to settle quickly into their play. They know the children well and show great affection and a caring approach. Children spontaneously throw their arms around staff with delight to see them. They approach staff for cuddles and reassurance when needed. There is a strong focus from staff on children's emotional well-being. They promote children's understanding of their feelings and those of others. For example, they use special kits, including stories and pictures, to help children recognise a range of emotions. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They are superb role models. Children show kindness, politeness and respect towards each other. They learn to share and take turns willingly.

Staff get to know children extremely well from the start. They gather and update a wealth of information regularly about children's interests at home and what they know and can do. This informs careful planning to motivate and engage individual children to learn. For instance, staff read to children from books that they enjoy at bedtime. They talk to children about what they have done at the weekends, which helps children to feel valued. There is a strong sense of a family environment where children feel that they belong. Children show an extremely positive attitude to their individualised learning, such as through their evident concentration and perseverance.

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

• Leaders and managers are united in a clear, ambitious vision for the nursery. The quality of education provided is of a consistently high standard because professional development for all staff is a priority. Staff proudly share their knowledge with others. They model strategies to enrich interactions with children even further. Peer-on-peer observations help to ensure the frequent sharing of good practice .
• Staff quickly identify if there are gaps in children's learning and development. Managers diligently monitor children's achievements across the areas of learning. They take action promptly to address any areas that could be even stronger. Managers work with staff to find innovative solutions. For example, staff created dens for mark making, to attract children who were not as keen to practise their skills in a stimulating environment. All children make rapid progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Support for children with SEND is a real strength.
• Partnerships with parents are particularly effective. Parents comment that communication from staff is extensive. They feel very involved in their children's achievements. Staff provide detailed guidance in partnership with professional agencies to help parents. This includes safer sleeping advice for families with babies, communication and language development support and tips for reading with children of all ages. Parents highly value the care shown by staff.
• There is a structured and responsive approach to communication and language skills development. For example, staff teach babies signs, such as for 'eat'. They repeat animal sounds for babies to copy after a farm visit. Staff repeat single words clearly for young children to help them pronounce the sounds. They enrich the language of older children during their play. For instance, they name unfamiliar animals while children play in a tray of ice with model creatures that live in a cold climate.
• Children show a deep love of books and songs throughout the nursery. Babies enjoy touching the textured pages of board books. Young children dance to the rhythms of their favourite nursery rhymes. They concentrate throughout as they listen to stories that they know well. Children use props to act out the story and join in with role play as characters from the book.
• Staff support children incredibly well to settle into the nursery. When children are ready to move on to a new room, staff prepare them thoroughly, such as with frequent visits. Parents describe these transitions as 'seamless'. Managers develop impressively strong links with schools that children will progress to. Children acquire a wide range of skills for their future learning, including independence and self-care.
• Children's health and well-being are strongly supported. Staff are proud that the nursery continues to hold an award for healthy eating. Snacks and meals are highly nutritious and attractive to children. Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. They practise their physical skills, such as in running, jumping, balancing, scooting and climbing. Children follow good hygiene procedures, including brushing their teeth.
• Children learn about keeping themselves safe. Every day, four children act as 'safety spies' and take photos of any potential hazards. Staff support them to identify these. Children help to solve the problem with their friends of what to do to keep each other safe from harm.
• Staff ensure that children have plenty of wonderful experiences in their community. Older children deliver food to the local food bank every week and help to distribute items. They enjoy bus rides to the shops to collect ingredients for baking. Children visit the nearby church and other places of interest, such as a farm. They find out about cultural celebrations, such as Eid and Diwali. This helps children to understand more about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.