Sunshine Pre-School and Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled. They have strong relationships with their key person. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children seek out their key person for reassurance and cuddles as and when needed. Children take part in activities based on their interests. For example, they make postcards to send to their family after recently going on their holidays. Staff have high expectations of children and their behaviour. Children behave well and make good progress in their learning and development. They are kind and caring towards one another. For example, they spontaneously invite others to join their play.

All children are free to express themselves as they choose. For example, they have equal opportunities to dress up in 'fairy outfits' for a trip to 'fairy world'. Children's physical skills are challenged regularly. For example, they learn how to climb up and over the climbing frames. Children develop a love of books. They enjoy being read to and looking at books independently.

Children plant their own vegetables and enjoy tending to them. They eagerly take part in planting more seeds. Children remember that plants need water to grow. They use displays showing them watering the seeds as prompts to remember to water the seeds regularly.

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

• The manager has a good overview of the curriculum in place. Staff have a good understanding of what children know and can do. They tailor next steps to meet the needs of each child precisely.
• The manager and staff have an excellent knowledge of children and their families. They ensure they tailor their support to meet the needs of each family. Staff communicate regularly with parents and share information on children's development. Parents comment that staff inspire children to 'be who they want to be'.
• Staff support families with home learning through ideas, information and resources. For instance, there are home learning bags available to support parents in a range of topics, such as toilet training.
• The provider and the manager prioritise staff's well-being. They ensure there is an effective open-door policy. Staff comment positively on how the team feels 'like family'. The manager knows her staff and their personal circumstances very well. She makes sure she provides an appropriate level of support for their needs.
• The manager ensures staff take part in regular supervision meetings. This provides support for their professional development. The manager also uses the meetings to share information about recent changes, such as changes to the management team.
• Staff understand the importance of communication and language skills for children's development. However, their approach is not always consistent. For example, some staff do not leave children with enough time to respond when asking questions. Staff do not always fully consider how to model and introduce new vocabulary to children who need support with their language skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress. However, staff's knowledge of how to support and engage with children with SEND is not yet fully secure. This does not support children in making the best possible progress. The manager is aware of this and has begun to implement a plan to develop staff's knowledge and to ensure it is embedded.
• Staff develop children's numeracy skills through play. For example, children eagerly count the number of dinosaurs they have. Staff teach children that 'tri' means three as they demonstrate that a triceratops has three horns. Children listen intently and are inquisitive. They are keen to know more about the different dinosaurs.
• Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about the possible dangers of putting things tightly around their neck. They keenly tell staff that their neck 'helps them to breathe'. Children discuss the consequences of tying things too tight. They remember to be careful when they put on scarves.
• Children who speak English as additional language are made to feel very welcome at the setting. Staff use familiar words in children's first language in their play. This helps children feel included.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's ability to use consistent and effective techniques to develop children's communication and language skills
• develop staff's knowledge further about how to support and engage children with SEND, to help children to make even better progress.