SureStars Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have lots of fun in this setting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents continue to handover and collect their children at the nursery door. Children are welcomed by familiar, warm and caring staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. They settle quickly into the stimulating play environment.

Play resources are arranged at low levels so that all children can see and access them. They independently select the toys they wish to play with. The youngest children thoroughly enjoy sitting with staff and giggling together while they look at books that they choose. Children remember what they have learned and point to familiar pictures in the book. Older children choose to engage in building large scale structures from blocks, drawing with a range of materials and in the sand. They comment they are making a 'mountain'. Children are busy and focus attentively on these chosen tasks.

Overall, children behave well. They learn to be kind to each other and share their favourite toys with their peers. They routinely use good manners and respond well to lots of praise from staff. All children, including those in receipt of additional funding, are developing lots of the skills they need to move on to their next stage in learning and eventual move to school.

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

• The manager has a clear intent for what she wants children to learn in each of the rooms, to help children to move forward in their development. Activities are planned specifically to support children to progress towards their next stages in learning and to develop and strengthen their skills. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive tailor made support from staff to enable them to develop their skills and understanding.
• Children are keen to take part in activities with staff. For example, they select the tools to use in the gift wrapping session. Children listen carefully to the instructions and safety messages given by staff. They learn to use new tools, such as a tape dispenser, and develop their cutting skills with scissors.
• Staff communicate clearly with children and model language well. They consistently introduce new words during play. This helps children to understand their meaning, such as 'squishy' when describing how the play dough feels as they use their hands to squeeze it.
• Staff use specific assessments and work with other agencies, which help them to provide each child with the right support to make progress in their communication skills. As a result, all children, including those with English as an additional language, make progress in this area, from their starting points.
• Children have some opportunities to develop their skills for independence. The youngest children tidy the toys from the floor and feed themselves competently from a young age. Older children manage their self-help skills, for example cutting their food using knives and forks. However, at times, some of the younger children do not routinely have the opportunity to practise their developing independence and self-care skills.
• Children have fun outdoors. They develop their physical skills using a range of equipment, including balancing on various wheeled toys. They enjoy running about freely in the space and digging with a range of tools in the earth.
• The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff understand what is expected of them and feel supported by managers, who meet with them regularly to discuss their practice. They have access to training and are supported to increase their personal effectiveness and develop their teaching skills.
• Children have opportunities to learn about other cultures and families through a range of play resources, their celebration of festivals and they hold discussions and act out some of the stories they read together. This helps them to develop acceptance through a wider understanding of our similarities and differences in our communities.
• Parents speak highly of the support they receive. They say their children enjoy attending. They value the communication they receive about their children's learning. However, there is scope to further build on the relationships between parents and key persons to improve the consistency of information sharing and enhance the provision for children even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the relationships between parents and key persons to improve the consistency of information sharing and enhance the provision for children even further
• increase opportunities for younger children to further develop their independence and self-care skills.