Sunflower Sherards

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy to attend this setting and display a positive attitude to learning. They form very strong relationships with the staff, who, in turn, support children's emotional well-being, self-esteem and resilience.

Children are very familiar with the established routines. Children navigate with interest and ease around the setting, choosing activities that spark their curiosity and excitement. For example, they enjoy pretending to be doctors and patients in the home corner.

Children use their previous experiences to engage in role play with their peers, which helps them to strengthen their social interactions. I...n addition, children confidently demonstrate the 'recovery position' while learning to take turns.Children enjoy carrying out small responsibilities around the setting.

This includes helping the staff set up the tables ready for snack and distributing their peers' drinks. Children wear 'pre-school helpers' badges with pride. This helps to boost their self-esteem and confidence.

Staff support children's literacy skills through exciting activities. For example, when out in the garden, children use chalk to copy and form recognisable letters on the blackboard. Furthermore, children are able to identify the first sound from their name.

Children enjoy exploring play dough to further develop their fine motor skills. They concentrate intently to roll and squash the play dough into preferred shapes.

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

Staff offer a rich environment with plenty of meaningful learning opportunities.

Children make their own choices on what activities they would like to explore next. They learn to share and take turns with ease and confidence. For example, in the garden, children play well together with dinosaurs, giggling and laughing with excitement.

Staff model language well and engage in conversations with the children. They use open-ended questions and introduce new vocabulary, such as 'bandage', 'ambulance' and 'temperature'. However, staff do not use all opportunities to encourage younger children to repeat these words to embed their knowledge.

Children have good opportunities to be active and engage in physical activities. For example, in the garden, children follow staff's instructions to jump and squat, to keep their bodies warm. Furthermore, children enjoy exploring mark-making tools and materials to further develop their fine motor skills.

Staff engage in discussions with the children about the shapes and colours used, to support their mathematical skills.Children have opportunities to explore exciting heavy-duty plastic trays set up with 'winter landscapes' and natural resources. These are supported by relevant stories, such as the story about a stick man.

However, staff do not always encourage the children to explore this further and challenge their learning.Children form strong relationships with the staff, who offer a calm, stable and nurturing environment. They feel secure in their care and readily ask for help when needed.

This supports children's emotional well-being effectively. Staff have good knowledge and understanding of children's learning. They understand what children need to learn next and use information from their observations of children to guide their planning.

However, occasionally, staff do not identify when children need more challenge to extend their learning further.Leaders' vision and ethos for the setting are ambitious. They continuously look for ways to improve the quality of care and education they provide to benefit the children.

This includes working in close partnership with outside professionals. They are inclusive and value their team's well-being and professional growth. Leaders organise regular meetings to nurture and mentor the staff, while including the whole team in developing an effective curriculum for children at the setting.

Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents comment on how inclusive and supportive leaders and staff are. For example, parents praise how well staff support children's emotional well-being and how effective the overall communication is.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff and leaders have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, including wider aspects such as female genital mutilation. They have effective and accurate policies and procedures in place to guide them, which they review regularly and share with parents.

Staff and leaders understand the importance of following the correct procedures to report any concerns to relevant professionals to protect children from harm. Staff and leaders complete regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge current and up to date. Staff take steps to help ensure that the setting and garden are safe.

They carry out regular risk assessments. This helps to assure children's safety and welfare.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: find ways to engage children more effectively in challenging conversations and introduce new vocabulary, particularly to younger children, to develop communication and language to a higher level strengthen the quality of teaching to provide further challenge that extends children's learning.

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