Happy Little Sunbeams Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery is a welcoming and inclusive setting. Staff are good role models and are caring and kind. They enjoy warm relationships with children in their care.

Their interactions with children are respectful. Children are settled and happy. Well-established daily routines help them to feel safe and secure.

Overall, behaviour is good. There is scope, nevertheless, to support children's listening skills and concentration further, particularly during group times. Staff work together well as a team and there is a strong focus on friendship and cooperation.

They encourage the children to be respectful, such as by ...using manners and learning how to take turns. Children benefit from a range of interesting activities. For example, they enjoy singing, painting and playing with water and sand.

However, staff do not provide as many opportunities and stimulating resources for children to find out about for themselves. Children are enthusiastic and eager to learn. They have daily access to fresh air and exercise and a choice of healthy meals and snacks.

Staff promote children's personal, social and emotional development well. They have high expectations and provide praise and encouragement. This helps to promote children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

Individual support for learning is sensitively provided. There is scope, however, to review the structure of group times to enhance children's learning and focus. Support for children with special needs is strong.

The setting has robust relationships with partner professionals such as health visitors. This helps create a consistent approach to children's development. Staff get together to review children's achievements.

They follow agreed strategies to help meet their needs effectively.Staff prioritise encouraging children's growing confidence and independence. Children fetch their coats, pour drinks and decide what they would like to play with next.

Staff help children to make healthy choices at mealtimes and to learn how to clean their teeth. They remind children to wash their hands and to tidy away their toys. There are exciting opportunities for them to explore the wider world, for example through outings to the park, art gallery and museums.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the service it provides. Children are supported well when they join new rooms at the nursery or move on to the next stage in their learning.

Overall, support for children's communication and language development is good. Staff play with children at their height. They comment on the children's play.

Staff repeat back to the children what they have said to show they have been understood. Staff talk to children about the noises that animals make, as they print animal-shaped pictures. They discuss with children what they like to do at home.

Children learn about colour and number through play and general routines throughout the day. For instance, they count the number of children in the circle and the beats of a drum as part of a music activity. Staff discuss with children the colours of building blocks as they build towers on the carpet.

They encourage children to identify paint colours as they make pictures by printing onto paper. Babies develop their physical skills well through joining in with action rhymes. Children benefit from a variety of wider opportunities.

For example, they bake, plant seeds and learn sign language. Children do not have as many experiences of using all of their senses when playing with tactile and adaptable resources and materials.The manager gathers the views of parents and staff and evaluates activities with children.

They use this information to help shape plans for continuous improvement. The manager meets regularly with staff to support their professional development. All staff attend training to keep themselves up to date.

The manager is passionate about her setting and ambitious for the service it provides.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe.

For example, they encourage children to move around the setting appropriately and keep toys tidy, so that they avoid tripping. The manager and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities around safeguarding. They know how to identify any concerns with children or staff, what actions to take and who to contact.

Managers and staff stay up to date with procedures to keep children from harm. The setting is secure and there are robust policies in place to support good welfare practice.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the structure of group times and deployment of staff to help improve children's focus and listening skills nenrich opportunities for children to explore and investigate a range of tactile resources and natural materials independently.