Sunflowers Nursery

Sunflowers Nursery Winchester House, Baxter Road, SUNDERLAND, Tyne and Wear, SR5 4LW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/05/2014 03/02/2014

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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

 The quality of teaching is good as staff effectively promote the children's learning and development through a variety of fun and challenging activities. As a result, children make good progress and are engaged and motivated in their play.  An effective key-person system helps children form positive relationships and secure attachments, which promotes their emotional well-being. Therefore, children are happy, settled and comfortable in their surroundings.  Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Robust policies, procedures and risk assessments are implemented which ensures the premises are safe and secure.  The management team have clear development plans in place and show high levels of commitment and enthusiasm to support children's achievements over time and improve the quality of the practice within the setting.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further develop the outdoor area to enhance opportunities for children to investigate and explore.  Opportunities for children to further develop their independence and self-care skills at meal times are not always fully promoted.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas accessed by the children, including the outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning opportunities for the children and spoke to staff members in the nursery rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out an interview with the management team and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Sunflowers Nursery was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register. It is one of two facilities provided by the Sunderland North Community Business Centre. It operates from two rooms within Winchester House, in the Town End Farm area of Sunderland. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff; all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including two staff members with Early Years Professional status. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 50 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special

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

 extend opportunities in the outdoor area for children to further develop their investigation and exploration skills

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

 encourage children to further develop their independence and self-care skills during meal times, by allowing them to pour their own drinks and wipe their own faces.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good as staff demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They successfully promote the children's learning and development through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities across all seven areas of learning. Consequently, all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress overall from their starting points. Staff provide a varied range of fun and challenging learning experiences which are adapted to meet the children's individual needs and interests. For example, some children are interested in mini-beasts, which leads to a staff member planning a bug hunt in the outdoor environment. The children show excitement as they look for spiders, slugs and ladybirds and enjoy drawing pictures of the bugs they find. As a result, children become active and confident learners as they are engaged and motivated in their play.

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who attend

Staff complete regular observations and assessments of the children, which recognise their achievements, identify their next steps in learning and inform future planning. This documentation is also used to track the children's progress in their learning and development and ensures that children who are at risk of falling below their expected levels of development are identified quickly. Children's learning journey records are regularly shared with parents who are actively encouraged to contribute information and make comments about the children's learning and development. These records are also stored at low-level height within the nursery to enable children to access their individual book where they can look at their photographs and examples of their own work. This ensures the children have a sense of belonging and makes them feel valued. Parents are well informed as staff provide them with verbal feedback at the end of each session, and

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who attend

written feedback is given through daily diaries for the younger children. The nursery has effectively implemented the progress check at age two and shares this information with parents. Consequently, parents feel involved in their children's learning and development and their views are respected by staff.

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who attend

Children are comfortable in their environment and are confident to try new experiences as they are cared for in age-appropriate rooms. The environment is well organised and children have access to a good range of stimulating resources, which are easily accessible to enable them to make independent choices within their play. Younger children are provided with a wide selection of natural and sensory materials to promote their curiosity and interest in the world around them. Staff effectively promote the children's communication and language development as they engage in constant discussion and ask relevant questions throughout their play. As a result, children are becoming confident communicators and are able to develop their critical thinking skills. Children are encouraged by staff to problem solve and show perseverance throughout their learning. For example, some children work together with a staff member to build a bridge and

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who attend

walkways using the large construction blocks and other children attempt to remove knots from the laces during a threading activity. There are good opportunities for the children to express their own creativity as they take part in a gluing and sticking activity, make play dough and paint pictures on the art easel. Children sit happily with staff and listen to stories during group time, which supports their developing interest of books and their early reading skills. Staff support the children's mathematical development through daily activities as they fill and empty a selection of containers during a water play activity and recognise numbers, shapes and colours as they play. Older children have access to everyday technology as they begin to learn about computers and programmable toys. For example, children can develop their fine motor skills and coordination as they use the computer mouse and keyboard. Consequently, children are effectively developing the skills

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who attend

required for the next stage in their learning at school. Children's physical development is promoted as they enjoy playing on the climbing frame and slide in the outdoor environment and take part in singing and movement activities in the indoor environment. However, there is scope to further develop the outdoor area and resources to enhance opportunities for children to investigate and explore.

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who attend

Staff work effectively with external agencies and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to promote their learning and development. For example, they have established links with speech and language therapists and an educational psychologist to ensure the children's individual needs are met. The nursery has developed good relationships with local primary schools, which ensures they work in partnership and share relevant information to support the children's future transitions.

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

The nursery environment is warm, friendly and welcoming, which results in children feeling happy, settled and contented. The effective key-person system in place enables the children to form secure attachments and develop positive relationships with each other and staff. This promotes their all-round development and emotional well-being. Staff are sensitive and responsive to the individual care needs of the children. For example, they offer cuddles and comfort when children are feeling tired or upset. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection describe the staff as 'brilliant' and 'helpful' and comment that their children always have fun during their time at the nursery. Children are well supported for transitions between the nursery rooms and for their next stage in their learning at school, which ensures they are emotionally prepared for change and feel self- assured.

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

Staff encourage the children to be independent learners through their play activities and daily routines by accessing their own resources, washing their own hands and serving their own food at meal times. However, there is room to improve the opportunities at meal times for children's independence and self-care skills to be further promoted by allowing them to pour their own drinks and wipe their own faces after eating. There are good hygiene practices implemented within the nursery, which ensures the children start to develop an awareness of their own health and well-being. The children are provided with a variety of balanced and nutritious meals and snacks to develop their understanding of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Drinking water is accessible and available for the children at all times throughout the nursery day; this is changed regularly by staff to ensure it is clean and fresh. Children's good health is further promoted as they have daily opportunities for

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

outdoor play, exercise and fresh air to ensure they can be active and develop their physical skills.

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

The children's behaviour is managed effectively by staff as they reinforce appropriate and acceptable behaviour by using a calm and consistent approach. As a result, children listen carefully and respond well to the boundaries and expectations within the nursery. Staff act as positive role models as they promote the use of good manners and remind the children to share and take turns during their play. Children are provided with constant praise and encouragement, which develops their self-esteem and confidence. Consequently, children's behaviour is very good and they learn to be kind, polite and considerate to each other. Staff talk to the children about the importance of safety throughout their activities and encourage them to take appropriate risks. For example, staff remind the children to be careful when using the scissors during a creative activity to ensure they do not hurt themselves. This ensures that children develop their own awareness and understanding of

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provision

The newly appointed management team are committed, passionate and enthusiastic as they strive to provide high quality care and education for the children and their families. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They understand their responsibilities to safeguard the children in their care and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. An effective range of written policies, procedures and risk assessments are implemented successfully within the nursery to ensure the children are well protected. For example, appropriate documentation is in place to record children's accidents, incidents, medication and nappy changes. Children's safety is further promoted as staff complete daily health and safety checks on the premises and equipment to identify any potential hazards and minimise risk. Staff are deployed well within the nursery and ratios are consistently met.

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provision

Children are supervised effectively to maintain their safety and well-being. All staff have attended relevant training in safeguarding and first aid. As a result, children are cared for within a safe and secure environment. There are good systems in place for the recruitment, induction and vetting of staff to ensure that they are suitably trained, experienced and qualified. For example, the management team are aware of the need to notify Ofsted of any relevant and necessary changes.

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provision

The management team have a secure knowledge and good overview of the educational programmes, learning journeys and planning documentation. They use effective monitoring systems to track and support the children in their learning and development. This also ensures that children with identified needs are supported well to meet their individual requirements. The management team are qualified and hold Early Years Professional status, which ensures they have an excellent understanding of how children learn and develop. Performance management within the nursery is effective as staff are involved in regular supervisions and appraisals to support their professional development. The management team share a clear vision for the nursery and have developed detailed action plans to support the self-evaluation process. They strive for continuous improvement to support children's achievements over time and develop the quality of the

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provision

There are good partnerships with parents to support the children in their learning and development. Parents receive daily communication, regular newsletters and have access to good quality displays to keep them informed and involved in the nursery. They make comments, such as 'my child has developed well since attending the nursery' and 'I have never had any concerns or issues with the care that my child receives'. Staff have established strong links with external agencies and other professionals to ensure that children's individual needs are met by receiving appropriate intervention and support. The nursery also works closely with the local authority and local primary schools which supports the children's learning and promotes effective transitions.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY277082 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 972062

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Sunderland North Community Business Centre Committee Date of previous inspection 03/02/2014 Telephone number 0191 537 3231

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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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