The Sunshine Day Nursery @ Seascape Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Home visits prepare children and their parents exceptionally well for their important first visits to the nursery.

This helps staff get to know and understand each child and make strong connections with parents and families. Children form strong relationships with staff and these help them to feel safe. They arrive full of excitement, anticipation and eagerness.

In each room, there is a positive buzz as children focus on their learning, playing happily with their peers. Staff interact very well with children, for instance, to help them recall discussions about previous activities they have enjoyed. This provides... excellent opportunities for all children, including the less confident, to share their thoughts and to listen to the opinions of others.

Children behave extremely well as there is always something captivating for them to do. They are increasingly confident in offering ideas during group sessions and they quickly learn how to focus their attention when listening to their friends and staff. Through activities, such as making sounds with percussion instruments, they learn to discriminate between different sounds.

This provides a very good base for their listening and communication skills. Older children are given time to pursue and develop their learning without interruption. They explore with great relish the changes that occur when they mix different-coloured paint together.

Children show resilience and an ability to concentrate. They become exceedingly independent from an early age, serving their own meals and accessing resources they want to use.

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

The manager and staff aspire for the best and provide exceptional levels of learning and care.

All staff are adept at observing children's behaviours, comments, abilities and achievements to amend their input and plan future learning. The exciting curriculum is extended by an array of inspiring initiatives that provide rich, powerful experiences for children. For example, they experience equine therapy where children learn to ride horses and use tools, such as wheelbarrows and shovels.

They muck out stables, fill hay nets and build slides using hay bales. This has a tremendous impact on children's physical and emotional well-being. Equally, their communication, attention and listening skills and their learning about the world around them are greatly enhanced.

Staff are totally committed to ensuring the very best for every child. Interactions and conversations are always of the very highest quality. Staff challenge children's thinking very effectively, encouraging them to reflect on their ideas and consider many possibilities.

As a result, children learn to make decisions, choose appropriate resources for the tasks they are given and discuss the results of their efforts.Staff grasp every opportunity to help children learn. They promote children's early mathematical skills extremely well.

For example, activities at snack times and lunchtimes help children to understand early mathematical concepts, such as counting and sharing. Children learn to have a genuine love of books. Through the home lending library, parents develop a secure understanding of the importance of books in their children's learning.

Funding is used especially well for children who need additional help with their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve exceptionally well from their starting points. Staff work closely with other professionals and target teaching where it is most needed.

As a result, all children make the best possible progress and move on to the next stage in learning confident and ready to learn more.Children's social skills are developed extremely well because staff take time to explain and reinforce high expectations. Children behave exceptionally well.

Relationships in the nursery are superb and the atmosphere is very positive. Children see adults who are polite, courteous and caring towards each other and, therefore, learn to behave in this way themselves. Staff skilfully guide children to show sensitivity to others' needs and feelings and to form positive relationships with adults and other children.

Staff demonstrate an astute understanding of local need. They have developed very strong relationships with other professionals and parents. Highly effective communication systems are in place to share precise information about children's care and learning needs.

Parents are extremely complimentary about the staff and the progress that their children make in their learning. They describe fondly the caring, nurturing and supportive staff team.All staff are dedicated and work tremendously well together to make a difference to children's lives.

Leaders skilfully observe staff practice, which helps to improve performance. They conduct regular supervision meetings which focus on children's learning and the ongoing professional development of staff. All staff work tirelessly to reflect continually on what they offer children and the provision.

They review the provision critically to make sure they constantly provide an outstanding level of practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

The manager and staff share detailed knowledge of each child. They develop strong, positive relationships with the families and work in close partnership with other agencies. They successfully ensure that families get the support they need.

All staff have an extensive and impressive knowledge of how to safeguard children. They are vigilant in noticing any changes in children's welfare and report these immediately if further action is needed. Rigorous recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are suitable for their roles.

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