Sunnyside Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly and demonstrate they feel happy at the nursery. They are greeted warmly by their key person and they respond positively to their nurturing attention.

Children enjoy choosing where they want to play and show a positive attitude towards learning. Young children enjoy exploring, for example by crunching cereal with potato mashers. Older children show great determination to succeed at tasks, such as using scissors to carefully cut out pictures.

Children make good progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additiona...l language. Staff make accurate assessments of children's abilities, and this helps them to identify any delay in children's development. Children's behaviour is good and they listen to instructions well.

Children are learning about how to develop healthy lifestyles, for instance the importance of exercise. They have many opportunities for physical activity, such as movement, dancing and using ride-on toys. Staff help children to understand the importance of good teeth brushing routines.

For example, they invite dental professionals to visit the nursery and lead children's activities. Parents and carers report that children explain the process for brushing teeth at home.

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

Staff gain detailed information from parents on children's early experiences and what they can already do when they start to attend.

They quickly identify children's starting points in learning and look for ways to expand their experiences.Children have lots of opportunities to use books. Staff use shared reading activities very well to engage children in storytelling.

Children follow stories in their own copies of the book. They know how to gain information from pictures. Staff use clear questions to help children to anticipate what might happen next.

Managers and staff have evaluated the way they teach mathematics and made effective changes. For example, they have removed the designated mathematics area in the younger children's room. They use role play and activities outdoors to introduce numbers and counting.

Children learn how to recognise numbers, such as those on the fruit for sale in the role-play shop.Staff support children to develop good communication and language skills. One way they do this is by using action pictures.

Children begin to use singular words to describe what they see. Staff talk confidently about how they build on this learning. For example, they model how to use these words in sentences as children run, jump and climb.

The manager has robust recruitment procedures in place. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff receive regular coaching and supervision from the managers.

They access many different training courses and staff talk positively of the impact these have on their practice.Younger children have wonderful opportunities for exploration. For example, they find out how cornflour and water changes when it is mixed together.

Staff encourage them to use their mixtures in different ways, such as by holding them up and letting them drip down. Children describe this well by saying, 'It looks like rain.' Parents and carers speak positively about the nursery and staff.

They have good knowledge of children's development and know how to support children's learning at home. Parents and carers talk about how older children are very well prepared for their move on to school.Staff are very enthusiastic in their interactions with children and they generally support them well.

However, at times, staff's eagerness impacts on children's engagement in learning. For example, staff sometimes suggest that children might want to change activities when they are happily engaged in independent play and learning.The nursery is made up of a diverse group of children and staff.

All are made very welcome and their individual needs are met effectively. However, staff do not use the wonderful opportunities they naturally have. For example, they do not routinely support children to reflect on their similarities and differences and to understand what makes them unique.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff regularly complete safeguarding training and understand how to recognise concerns about children. They also know how to swiftly make referrals, both within the setting and to relevant agencies.

The manager places the highest priority on ensuring safeguarding and health and safety procedures are securely embedded in induction procedures for new staff. All staff demonstrate a good understanding of wider safeguarding concerns, such as those around radicalisation and extremist behaviour.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide children with more uninterrupted time to engage freely with the activities they have chosen to use, in order to enhance their learning to the highest possible levels make more effective use of the wonderful diverse opportunities available, to support children to learn to recognise and celebrate their similarities and differences and to work out what makes them unique.