Sunshine Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they feel safe and secure in the staff's warm and attentive care. They clearly know the high expectations staff have for them, and behave well. For instance, children listen to what staff say and help care for the nursery environment. Staff are positive role models for children, such as by showing children when to use good manners.

Children benefit from being in the care of staff, who know them very well. Staff plan the nursery curriculum to meet children's needs. They have the same high aspirations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, staff place a strong focus on helping all children develop confidence and social skills. Children learn to play cooperatively with each other, and to communicate their needs. They clearly show enjoyment at being with others, and share this excitement in their play and learning with staff. Children learn about daily routines and everyday life skills. For example, they wash up their used plates after snack time. Children learn many skills to support them to move on to the next stage in their education.

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

• Staff promote children's emotional well-being effectively. Children are keen to enter the nursery and swiftly settle to explore, play and learn. They demonstrate their enjoyment at playing actively outdoors, and snuggling into staff as they share books on the comfy sofa. Children are confident and independent as they move around the nursery.
• Staff plan a stimulating nursery environment for children that enables them to make choices and decisions. For instance, children can choose where to play and what to play with. They grow vegetables and help staff with the grocery shopping for their friends' snacks. Children have many opportunities to practise skills and take part in meaningful learning.
• Staff understand how to build on what children already know and can do. For example, for those children who understand full and empty, staff challenge them to fill just half of their container with rice. Staff carefully plan how to sequence children's learning and extend their play to add in new learning.
• Staff generally use teaching opportunities that arise as children play. For example, they swiftly step in to help children understand how to carry scissors safely. Occasionally, however, staff do not deploy themselves effectively to support all children's learning. At these times, children do not have the encouragement they need to take part in activities that support their learning.
• Staff are generally skilled at finely tuning children's learning to meet their specific needs. For instance, children have fun parking their cars next to each other, on top and behind. Staff help children's speech development by drawing them into activities that help their understanding of different words. However, at times, staff ask lots of questions as children play, and they do not always give children the opportunity to think and respond. This distracts children and does not help staff fully promote their language skills.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. For instance, children choose their snacks, find their own lunch boxes and put on their coats. Staff are close by to offer a willing hand as well as plenty of praise, supporting children's self-esteem well. Children show they feel proud of their achievements.
• Staff encourage children to develop a love of reading and sharing books. For instance, they ask children to choose their favourite story each day to share with their friends. Staff help all children to have their voices heard. All children are valued for their contributions to nursery life.
• The new senior staff has a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery. She has clearly identified where and how to build on the already good-quality setting. For example, she encourages staff to take part in training to learn new skills to meet children's individual needs. This helps staff to support children to make good progress in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff deployment to help children to more fully engage in activities
• provide staff with the support they need to enhance their interactions with children to extend their learning as fully as possible.