Sunshine Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Sunshine Day Nursery is full of energy as children happily explore the resources available. Children feel safe and secure as they snuggle into staff and show them birds outside the window. They engage in their chosen activity and showcase their independence skills. Babies help themselves to their drinking cup. Older children choose jigsaws to complete, and toddlers bring staff nursery rhyme cards to sing. They sing together and use hand actions with the words. Staff place strong focus on building children's independence skills.

Children enjoy playing outside and balancing on the beams. They make potions in the mud kitchen and shout 'cheers' as they fill cups. Staff encourage messy play as they make dough together. Children fully immerse in mixing flour and water with their hands. Children take turns to use the herbs and spices, such as cinnamon. They smell them as they mould them into the dough with their hands. Children's behaviour is very good, and they hand tools to their friends and say 'thank you'.

Staff support children to learn new words, and stories are loved throughout the nursery. Babies snuggle with staff and look at pictures. Pre-school children talk about the 'blurb' and 'illustrator', developing their vocabulary.

Staff focus on the 'family feel' of the setting, using photographs of the children's family in the rooms. They collect the views of parents and families about the nursery to develop children's experiences. Parents feel very well supported and describe the nursery as an extended family.

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

• Leaders are developing a new curriculum that is sequenced and progressive for all children. For example, babies have lidded drinking cups with photos, and pre-school children have cups with written names. The bespoke curriculum includes a focus on developing children's independence, self-care skills and emotions. Staff show children faces of different emotions. They share mirrors with them as they talk about feelings. Children use a mirror to wipe their own noses and wash their hands after.
• There is a strong focus on oral health, with initiatives in place including a toothbrushing club. Staff promote healthy eating by, for example, using real fruit and vegetables in the home corner of every room.
• There are strong links with parents. Parents comment on how fully involved they feel in their children's learning. They love the ideas that staff share for home learning. Parents suggest ideas based on their own skills, including a science experiment with jelly babies in the toddler room.
• Babies and toddlers are confident to negotiate space. However, staff do not plan enough opportunities for the youngest children to develop confidence in taking safe risks as they explore, to further enhance their physical development.
• Through the use of books, a language-rich environment is developing. Staff create a themed week of 'Stick Man'. Pre-school children discuss books and how to read them. This extends their understanding of new words.
• Relationships between children and staff are strong. Children enjoy cuddles with staff and enjoy seeing the leaders talking about the weather. Children are very confident and secure. They interact very well with visitors.
• Children's fine motor skills are developing well. Babies enjoy scooping and pouring cornflakes into cups and spoons. Pre-school children develop gross motor skills well during daily dancing activities.
• Staff are aware of children who speak English as additional language (EAL). However, staff do not plan sufficiently to fully support the language development of this group of children. Children are not supported to make very good progress in both English and their home language.
• Staff's well-being is high, and they are supported well with their professional development. Leaders are knowledgeable about the goals for staff. Discussions with staff are supportive and encouraging. All staff comment on how approachable the leadership team is. Staff are reflective about practice and have high ambitions.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are highly supported. They make strong progress. Staff work very well with professionals to support children. Children with SEND are happy, and they are comfortable with professionals coming to visit. SEND professionals comment on the good progress children make.
• Staff work well with children in receipt of additional funding. Staff use children's next steps and interests to enhance their development. Children experience a variety of activities. They make good progress because of the targeted support staff give.
• Leaders and managers are highly passionate and continually strive for high standards. They are passionate and focused on good outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help the youngest children learn what physical risks they are confident and able to take, to enhance their physical development
• develop strategies to support language development for children who speak EAL.