Sutherland Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are supported by kind, caring and thoughtful staff.

They have strong attachments to the staff and enjoy being in their company, for example to sing songs or read stories. Children have access to a range of exciting resources. Babies, for instance, have access to interesting natural resources, sand and suitable climbing equipment.

Children have access to books in all the rooms, and enthusiastic and caring staff read with them regularly. Children are encouraged to develop their independence throughout the nursery. For example, younger children are aware that they need to wash their hands before snack times, and ...older children are able to serve their own meals and put on and take off coats by themselves.

Children take pride in seeing their work on display and are confident to show visitors what they have been learning about and what they have made. Staff are interested in what children have to say, and support them to think through challenges and consider how to tackle them.Children work and play well together, and show care and consideration for each other, most of the time.

They are not as focused during times of transition throughout the day.

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

The support that leaders and managers provide to ensure staff are highly skilled and well supported is exemplary. Managers have a clear vision for the setting, and have developed a learning culture among staff.

As a result, the quality of education is strong and improving.Children are supported to be independent, and develop good self-care skills. For example, when invited to join an activity, a very young child confidently told a member of staff, 'no, need wash hands'.

The child then went and did so before joining the activity. Children are confident to say what they need and know that they will be supported by the staff.Children are provided with a range of activities that interest and challenge them to learn new skills.

They enjoy writing letters, for example, to Santa. In this case, they were able to discuss at length what they needed to do and why.Each room in the nursery is carefully planned to ensure that children can develop skills across all seven areas of learning.

Staff's interactions help children to problem-solve, by asking open questions and introducing new words to broaden their vocabulary.Leaders and managers have a clear understanding of what the children need to learn, and staff are skilled at implementing this. However, observations of children can be descriptive, and do not always identify what children need to learn next.

Staff support children to gain skills for life. For example, they have created an eco-zone where children recycle and reduce items to help them to understand more about the waste they produce and the impact this has on the world.Staff praise and encourage children, which results in them showing good levels of concentration and enjoyment when playing.

However, there are times during the daily routine when children's engagement drops. Staff are not consistent in their approach to supporting children at these times.The role of the key person is effective.

Parents have good relationships with their children's key person, and have ample opportunities to discuss their children's progress. This supports staff to know the children well and develop good relationships with them and their families. This is managed well when children move rooms as they get older.

The setting's assessment process means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. Managers track groups of children to allow them to evaluate their progress, and put in place additional support, if needed. For example, children who speak English as an additional language have been offered smaller group sessions.

These have helped them to make stronger progress.Leaders and managers ensure that any additional funding is used to meet the needs of the children. They attempt to provide early intervention to close the gaps in achievements, especially for children who are disadvantaged.

Staff have high expectations for all children. Leaders and managers review children's progress and support staff to think carefully about how best to support their learning. They work together with parents and other professionals to provide tailor-made interventions to help children develop the skills they need.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children. They know the signs to look for and how to report their concerns.

All staff have a good understanding of whistle-blowing and how to raise concerns externally, if needed. Leaders and managers regularly review their policies and ensure staff are aware of the most up-to-date information. During team meetings, safeguarding is always discussed to extend staff's understanding.

The nursery is safe and secure. There is a rigorous recruitment process and the suitability of staff is checked prior to them starting work, and at regular intervals.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider how to engage children better in routine activities and transition times continue to develop the use of evaluative observations to identify children's next steps in learning accurately.