Sunnydale Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Outdoor play and learning are central to the effective curriculum devised by leaders and staff. Parents and staff embrace and value the learning opportunities the outdoors brings to children. From an early age, children learn about how to take care of themselves when they play. They show concern for their peers if they think they are going to get hurt. Staff teach children how to climb safely on a range of unusual objects, starting with babies negotiating low-level obstacles when they crawl. Older children independently climb up onto tyres and then confidently jump off. All this is achieved through children being trusted by staff to work things out and assess risks for themselves. Children develop high levels of confidence in their own ability, knowing that an adult is on hand to give advice or practical support if they need it.

Staff have a deep knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. They never underestimate what a child can achieve. They have high aspirations for all children. Children are captivated by staff as they fully immerse themselves in children's play. Staff know how to break down tasks for children into manageable activities that eventually will lead to completing a full task, such as dressing themselves. For example, they show babies how to put their toes into their shoes as a first step to putting on their own shoes. Older children can dress themselves fully in splash suits and wellies ready for outdoor play. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have special plans with their learning aims broken down into achievable steps for them to practise and build on over time. This approach has proved highly successful for children with SEND.

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

• Staff use their detailed understanding of how children develop to create a range of different and exciting environments. These entice children to explore and investigate their surroundings. Staff are alert and notice when children are interested in something or are engrossed in play. They carefully observe the children and know just when to interact to extend or enhance the children's learning. They may introduce a new piece of equipment or extra challenge. For example, toddlers cutting up bananas for their snack were then shown how to peel an orange and had a go themselves using a different set of skills. They learned not to squeeze the orange too tightly or dig in too deeply with their fingers.
• Children show high levels of curiosity, even in the smallest of objects, such as flower petals or patterns they find on stones. Staff embrace this and use it with skill to introduce children to new information and new vocabulary. Staff notice that children are investigating blackberries growing on a bramble bush and immediately recognise this an opportunity to extend the learning. They use carefully crafted questions to invite children to think and predict what may happen with the blackberries. They ask children, 'What do you think will happen?', before children squeeze a blackberry. Children share their thoughts and ideas with great enthusiasm and use the language they have just heard the staff member use.
• Children thrive on the freedom they have. Older children nestle in long grass as they play hide and seek with the guidance of staff. With practise, they learn the rules of the game and continue to play with each other without the need of staff help. Babies delight in sitting in a tub of water while fully clothed. Staff encourage them to explore the feel of the cold water and to watch what happens when they splash. The babies are mesmerised by the flowers floating next to them, which staff have placed in the water. Staff repeatedly use single words in line with the curriculum intent for babies so they can copy and develop the sounds they will later use for speaking.
• Throughout the nursery, staff are adept at identifying opportunities to develop children's communication and language. During group times, children listen intently to stories, which staff read with clarity and enthusiasm. Children become engrossed in the stories and are desperate to find out what happens next. Staff are highly skilled storytellers who involve the children in the story they are reading. They ask children meaningful questions that children can relate back to their own experiences. For example, when a greedy rabbit in a story wants to eat all of the chocolate, children talk about getting tummy ache and can describe how that would make them feel.
• Staff and children are all treated with respect and courtesy. Their learning and well-being is top of the manager's priorities. Learning opportunities for staff are carefully selected to meet the needs of the staff member and the nursery. For example, staff have taken on lead roles and are accessing specialised training to support them, including attending special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) training to deepen their knowledge of the role, the responsibilities and legislation governing work with children with SEND.