The Sunshine Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Since the previous inspection, the senior leadership team at the nursery have made significant improvements. As a result, there is a new curriculum intent in place to support children's learning. Staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

However, the nursery has not established effective partnerships with parents and this negatively affects children's all-round experiences at the nursery. At times, staff's delivery of some parts of the curriculum is inconsistent. Despite these weaknesses, children are content, settled and are making steady progress in their development.

Staff show their... commitment to further increasing the quality of care and education for children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Staff take decisive action in supporting children when they await referrals for support and guidance from outside professionals.

Their swift intervention through small group activities, individual support and making good use of the sensory room, contributes towards children with SEND developing well and enjoying their time at the nursery.Staff are respectful, consistent and realistic in their expectations for supporting children's behaviour. As staff know children well, they recognise triggers for unwanted behaviour and use effective tactics, such as distraction, to help divert children's attention.

Staff are patient and explain about feelings, helping children to understand their strong emotions. Together, this creates a calm and productive environment, where children feel safe and secure

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

Staff generally know about what children need to learn. They are beginning to think more about ways they can encourage children's learning.

Consequently, children are starting to use their own initiative, sustain their attention and show interest and eagerness to learn. Staff promote children's communication and language skills effectively. They expand on children's vocabulary through commentating on children's learning and play, prompting children to think more deeply and use new words.

Sometimes, literacy activities are mundane and presented to children as though they are a task to complete. This takes meaning and enjoyment away from the learning and children do not fully benefit from opportunities to refine, develop and extend on their skills.Children are beginning to appreciate and engage with books and stories.

Staff invite children to read with them and all children enjoy warm and welcoming areas, where they can snuggle with staff and listen to the stories that they enjoy.Babies are content and confident in the calm and relaxed baby room. They follow their own routine for sleep and rest.

Staff cuddle them warmly as they drift off to sleep. Staff are alert to safe sleeping practices. They monitor children as they sleep and ensure that they always supervise children closely, especially during mealtimes.

Children form close attachments with staff. However, parents say that they do not get enough time to talk to their children's key person. The handover period between staff and parents is brief and staff share only basic information with parents.

Therefore, the key-person relationship is developing but not yet strong enough to provide children with good consistency in their care.There are effective systems in place for staff to identify vulnerable families and offer support. The senior leadership team work collaboratively with other professionals to provide a joined-up approach to safeguarding.

Through recent audits and evaluations, the senior nursery staff have overhauled their approach to safeguarding. As a result, safeguarding practice is now extremely strong.Parents do not receive enough information to find out about their children's learning.

Although staff share some information with parents via electronic programmes, this information does not help parents to know how well their children are progressing or how to support them at home, especially as children get ready to move on to school.The benefits of good-quality training, support and supervision are becoming evident. Staff are increasing their personal effectiveness and confidence in their roles.

The senior leadership team are knowledgeable and using their wealth of experience to motivate the staff team. There are clear plans in place for the ongoing improvement of the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve relationships between key persons and families, providing parents with greater opportunities to talk about their child and exchange information between home and nursery 23/07/2024 share information with parents that enable them to know what their children are learning and how well they are progressing to enable them to support children's development at home.23/07/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nexpand on opportunities for children to explore their developing interest in literacy and early writing in meaningful ways.