The Sunshine Day Nursery @ Seascape Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being. They respond quickly and sensitively to their needs, offering reassurance and guidance to help them understand and manage their feelings. Children form close bonds with familiar staff in their nursery 'key families' and show a secure sense of belonging in their care. They grow in confidence and are happy in nursery. Leaders actively look for ways to extend support for families beyond the nursery walls. They have introduced projects such as food and clothing sharing schemes to help meet the wider needs of families and reduce barriers to well-being.

The curriculum has a clear impact across all areas of development. It is centred on children's interests and shaped by staff who know them very well. This motivates children and, overall, they are very keen to play and learn. Staff weave new skills and knowledge into play, with purposeful enhancements indoors and out, including sensory spaces and collections of curious objects for children to explore. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress, which is supported well by tailored teaching and partnerships with outside agencies. Speech and language is a particular strength, with focused professional development that contributes to staff's confidence in teaching this area. Staff support learning successfully and celebrate the ongoing progress that all children make.

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

• Leaders are deeply committed. They maintain detailed knowledge of every child's needs, interests and developmental profile. They work directly with children and staff in the nursery, sharing their expertise, modelling high-quality interactions and embedding inclusive strategies. This hands-on approach strengthens staff's skills and confidence. It helps to assure consistently strong practice and contributes to the capacity to sustain and extend the already high standards of care and learning.
• The broad and engaging curriculum helps all children to learn and remember more. For example, children enjoy being 'nature detectives', during which they explore all areas of learning through outdoor investigation. They measure worms, learn new words related to autumn and discover the natural world. This helps to build their curiosity, confidence and communication skills. Mathematics is a particular strength. Staff build on this through play, encouraging children to notice and explore quantities in meaningful ways. Children understand and use number language confidently.
• The quality of education is strong overall, with instances of particularly skilled teaching practice that deepens children's learning. Assessment is accurate and used effectively. Staff know children well and use shared observations to shape the next steps in each child's learning. Staff vary their approach according to children's abilities and needs. This helps to ensure that all children are supported to achieve well across the curriculum.
• The nursery is inclusive and nurturing. Staff tune into children's emotional needs and create a familiar and supportive environment that puts them at ease. Children benefit from warm interactions and responsive care. Staff explain that they give children the 'loudest cheers' to raise their self-esteem and celebrate every small step of progress. Children feel valued and show pride in what they can do.
• Staff recognise the importance of movement and physical activity during play on children's well-being and their learning. Children explore new and interesting ways to move, for example using the stretchy fabric swings that hang from the trees and climbing the willow structure with growing confidence and control. Staff supervise these activities closely and teach children to identify danger and keep themselves safe.
• Children behave well. Staff model respectful behaviour and help children to resolve minor disagreements. However, staff's expectations are not always clear and consistent. For example, children receive mixed responses to climbing on furniture in the garden, or at times when they should stop playing to listen to the staff. This leaves children unsure of boundaries. It limits their ability to feel secure and develop a shared understanding of how they should behave.
• Routines such as mealtimes offer valuable opportunities for children to make choices and develop independence. For example, they wash their hands and select the filling for their wrap. However, staff sometimes step in too quickly to help with tasks children could manage themselves, putting on coats for children or solving simple problems like how to get sequins to stick to paper. This reduces opportunities for children to think things through and build further on their independence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to embed clear and consistent expectations that help children to feel even more secure, confident and ready to learn
• give children plenty of time and opportunities to try things for themselves and build further on their independence and problem-solving skills.