Sunshine Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited when they arrive at the nursery. They greet the friendly staff and quickly seek out their friends to play with. Babies hold out their arms to warmly embrace the staff who know them very well. Staff make sure that each child is safe and secure so that they can explore their surroundings. Babies are encouraged to pull themselves up and clamber through small spaces to support their muscle development in preparation for walking. Pre-school children expertly use tweezers to select small toy frogs and place them onto a lily pad. They demonstrate their persistence with the tricky task. 'Oh, I have got two of them on the leaf!' they proudly exclaim.

Children behave very well. They are respectful of each other and the resources, and they have good manners. Children's emotional health is very well supported, and they are encouraged to discuss their feelings using resources to help them. For example, children name their feelings as they share the 'Colour Monster' book with an adult. This helps children build an understanding of their emotions and empathy towards others. There is an effective key-person system in place which allows children to develop secure relationships with a trusted adult. Staff ensure that they get to know each child in order to help children feel a strong sense of belonging at the nursery.

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

• The nursery promotes a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy fruit and vegetables and nutritious meals. They have daily and regular access to fresh air and exercise. Children's developing physical skills are promoted well as they crawl, balance and climb in the outside space. Older children squeal and chase each other. They take turns 'driving' a car. 'You can go first and then it's my go', they say with kindness.
• Children's emerging language and communication is very well supported. Babies join in rhymes and attempt to sing 'Incy Wincy Spider'. Older children use words, such as 'fascinate' and 'attachment', as they adjust pipes in order to make their cars go faster. Children contribute to decisions as they stand in front of their friends at group time. They talk about their family members with confidence and good articulation.
• Staff take every opportunity to help children develop independence. Babies use spoons to feed themselves and older children prepare their own snacks and pour their own drinks. Children enjoy being a 'happy helper' for the day. They give out name tags and plates at lunchtime and help the staff with other tasks, such as counting children as they go outside to play.
• Staff provide a balance of child-led and adult-led activities. Groups come together to learn about the weather, days of the week and counting the months of the year. However, the organisation of these groups means that some children become disengaged or lose interest. As a result, some children do not make the same progress as others in their learning.
• Partnership with parents is strong. They mention that the staff team are friendly and warm towards their children and that they look forward to detailed feedback at the end of the session. Staff regularly invite parents to send in information about what their child is doing at home. Parents send in photographs so that staff can make individual 'All about me' books for the children.
• Staff effectively support those children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff make sure that keywords in a child's home language are used regularly. Staff generally plan challenging activities for children. However, there are times when staff do not explain the intent of the activity to children. Consequently, some children do not fully benefit from meaningful learning experiences.
• The special educational needs coordinator is knowledgeable and works closely with families and other agencies to provide the support that children need. This helps to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive. Parents of children with SEND say that the nursery goes to 'great lengths' to support their family and ensure that their child's needs are being met.
• Leaders evaluate their practice to strive for continuous improvement. They use the supervision process to plan meaningful professional development for staff. Staff mention that leaders are approachable and have an 'open door' policy. They feel valued and that their well-being is well supported, and the nursery is a 'lovely' place to work.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt activities more precisely to ensure that all children fully engage and benefit from the highest quality learning opportunities
• improve the way in which staff explain activities to children to ensure every child makes the best possible progress.