The Sunshine Nursery

The Sunshine Nursery Dene House Sure Start Children's Centre, Manor Way, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 5RL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/02/2013 12/03/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children take the lead in their play and staff actively and effectively engage with children to extend their thinking and communication skills.  Well-established key person arrangements ensure children are happy and secure within the setting and are confident to seek support when needed.  Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The thorough implementation of robust policies and detailed procedures successfully promotes children's safety and well-being.  Children behave well and play cooperatively in the setting. Staff praise them for sharing and give stickers for good table manners.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further enhance monitoring and evaluation of practice by continuing to build on current good practice, to always ensure that learning opportunities for all children are maximised.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children during a range of indoor and outdoor activities and at mealtimes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records and learning journeys, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working in the setting and a range of other records, policies and procedures.  The inspector held a discussion with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff, children, parents and carers.

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Information about the setting

The Sunshine Nursery was registered in 2003 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Dene House Children's Centre in the Peterlee area of County Durham. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 86 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 build on current good practice by ensuring consistency across the setting to make sure that learning opportunities for all children are maximised.

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who attend

Staff have a secure knowledge of how to promote children's learning and development and know the children in their care very well. Staff gather information from parents so that they can establish children's starting points on entry to the nursery. Planning is mostly securely based on children's individual needs and interests. It is adapted and added to on an ongoing basis to ensure children's next steps in their learning are incorporated. However, this highly effective practice is not always consistent throughout the setting, to ensure that learning opportunities are maximised for all children. Children are keen to participate in activities, have fun and make good progress in their learning and development. Staff observe children to find out about their needs, what they are interested in and what they can do. They then analyse these observations and highlight children's achievements or their need for further support. The learning environment

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who attend

contains resources that are stimulating and accessible to children, which promotes their learning and independence.

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who attend

Staff provide a good range of activities and support children to choose what they want to do, which helps to build their independence. They know when to get involved and when to allow children to carry on playing so that play is not disrupted and children can make their own decisions. Consequently, children are good at initiating play and are able to become deeply involved in activities, such as building obstacle courses from a range of materials, and the youngest children enjoy water play activities. Children's communication and language skills are effectively nurtured. Staff give children time to talk and ask questions to make them think and develop their own ideas. Staff in the baby room recognise the way in which individual children communicate and respond appropriately to this. Children are given ample opportunities to learn about the living world as they go for walks in the local community. Staff encourage children's interest in books through interactive

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who attend

storytelling. Children for whom English is an additional language are well supported. Staff ensure that words in the child's home language are displayed and they are beginning to learn words through discussions with parents. Staff take many steps to help prepare children for their transition into school. They ensure the prime areas of learning are prioritised in planning so that children gain the necessary skills in readiness for school. For example, children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and are learning good social skills, such as sharing, taking turns and good table manners. Positive feedback is received from schools about how quickly children settle and how well prepared they are for this transition.

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who attend

Staff discuss children's progress, activities and achievements with parents on a daily basis and also more formally at 'open weeks'. They listen to what parents tell them about what children have been doing at home and use this information to help with activity planning. This promotes a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise between parents and staff, and has a positive impact on children's learning. Parents are encouraged to take learning journals home to share with other family members and to encourage parents to sit with their children and talk about their activities. Parents speak highly of the activities provided and of the progress their children are making in their development.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are happy and settled in the nursery. An effective key person system is in place, which helps children to become familiar with the nursery and to feel safe and confident within it. Children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted because their needs are met and their feelings are accepted. Children have established very secure relationships with adults and children. They freely seek the support of their key person and other staff. Lots of information is gathered from parents when children first start attending to ensure staff are fully aware of children's care needs, likes and dislikes. This helps to ease the transition between home and nursery. Care is taken to ensure that children are well prepared when they are ready to move to a different room. They go on visits so they become familiar with their new surroundings and the new staff who will be caring for them. This ensures the children's move is as smooth as possible. Children are making

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

friends and they get on with their peers. This helps them to feel positive about themselves and others. Behaviour is good throughout all rooms. Staff encourage children to respect each other and, consequently, children are beginning to learn about the impact of their words and actions on themselves and others. Good provision is made for meals and snacks and children are well nourished. Food is varied and plentiful, cooked freshly and described by parents as being 'fantastic'. Children's physical well-being is effectively promoted. Good standards of cleanliness are maintained throughout all areas to help prevent the spread of infection. Staff follow good hygiene routines and help children to learn about the importance of these. Children in the pre-school room know about hand washing and germs and are quick to alert staff when they think their peers may not have followed the routine before snack. Staff in the baby

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

room follow children's own routines for sleep and rest. Children have daily opportunities to play outdoors and their good health benefits from the fresh air. Staff caring for the two- year-old children are particularly good at promoting outdoor play and take every opportunity to get children outdoors to explore and play in the garden area. Children also enjoy the weekly dance sessions, which further promote their physical development. Children are learning about how to manage risks and ensure their own safety. For example, as they build an obstacle course outside, children comment to each other that they need to make it wider so that they do not fall off.

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provision

Children are well safeguarded as there are effective child protection procedures that staff follow if there are concerns, and staff and management have attended child protection training. Efficient staff recruitment and good ongoing support for all staff ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Staff are encouraged to obtain additional professional qualifications and attend training sessions that enhance their knowledge to improve their skills in teaching and learning. Regular appraisals and an effective induction ensure that staff suitability is maintained and they are clear about their roles and responsibilities within the nursery.

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provision

There is as strong emphasis on good communication between parents and staff so that children enjoy care that is consistent. Parents have access to their children's records and additional documentation that is available throughout the setting. This ensures they are suitably informed about their children's care and development and how the nursery operates. Staff work closely with outside agencies to support the care of individual children. They undertake specific training to support children's medical and social needs and are meticulous in their role of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

Managers and staff ensure that children's learning experiences are enjoyable and cover the depth and breadth of children's educational needs. They assess children's needs through observation and broadly plan for the next steps in their development. Staff are knowledgeable and secure in their understanding of the different areas of learning. Overall, monitoring of practice is generally good. However, there is scope to enhance this to improve the consistency across the nursery so that children's learning opportunities are always maximised. The different needs of children and their families are understood by staff. The nursery management and staff have high aspirations for children's individual achievements and ensure each child receives the support and encouragement needed. All staff within the nursery are encouraged to contribute to the setting's self-evaluation. This identifies the strengths of the setting and sets clear and challenging targets for

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provision

improvement. The opinions of parents, staff, children and outside agencies are used effectively to drive forward the development of the setting, which is demonstrated by the improvements made since the last inspection. This also shows that leaders, managers and staff have the capacity to build on and sustain the quality of the nursery.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY345360 Local authority Durham Inspection number 863087

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 92 Name of provider Katherine Jane Hardman Date of previous inspection 12/03/2012 Telephone number 0191 5181584

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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