The Sunshine Day Nursery

Sunshine Day Nursery O'Neill Drive, Peterlee, SR8 5UD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2014 07/03/2012

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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

 Effective systems are in place to monitor the educational programmes. This ensures that all seven areas of learning are appropriately covered and children are progressing well in their learning and development and have their individual needs met.  Children are well protected as staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The quality of teaching is good as staff effectively promote children's learning and development. They provide children with a wide variety of interesting and challenging experiences to cover all seven areas of learning.  All staff have high expectations of children and can demonstrate that all children, including those with special educational needs, and/or disabilities are progressing well towards the early learning goals over time, given their starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to promote children's independence and growing awareness of healthy lifestyle choices are not always used effectively, particularly at mealtimes.  Children are not always able to make independent choices in their play because the environment is not organised well enough for them to see and choose from the resources available to them.

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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 had discussions with the manager.  The inspector talked with staff and children.  The inspector observed activities indoors and outside.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including assessments, planning, records of suitability and the qualifications of staff working with the children.

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Information about the setting

Sunshine Day Nursery was registered in 2001. The nursery operates from a single-storey purpose-built premises in the centre of Peterlee. It is privately owned and managed by a partnership. The nursery is fully accessible and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education, for two-, three-, and four-year-old children. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is open from 7.15am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 70 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 19 members of staff working directly with the children, 15 of whom hold early years qualifications at level 3 or above. Two members of staff have

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Information about the setting

degrees and the manager is a qualified teacher.

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

 make better use of mealtimes to build further on children's learning, in particular, by developing their independence and their growing awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle choices

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

 review how the environment is organised so that children have more opportunities to make independent choices from available resources as they play.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good as staff effectively promote children's learning and development. They provide children with a wide variety of interesting and challenging experiences to cover all seven areas of learning. Planning is used to ensure the delivery of a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. These are adaptable and staff are responsive to children's individual needs and interests. Children show full engagement and concentration throughout their play, as they are keen and motivated to learn. Children sit happily with staff and listen to stories with attention and recall, which supports their developing interest in books and their early reading skills. They revisit and enact events from their home lives, for example, as they pretend to be at the hairdressers. As a result, children develop confidence in expressing themselves and make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points. Staff have high expectations of

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who attend

children. They complete detailed observations and assessments to recognise children's achievements and identify the next steps in their learning. Alongside these, photographs and examples of children's own work are collated in individual learning journey records. Effective systems are in place for tracking children's progress. This ensures that children who are at risk of falling below their expected levels of development are identified and receive appropriate support and intervention.

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who attend

Children are clearly comfortable and confident in their surroundings. There is a wide range of good quality resources, which enable them to take part in purposeful play. Staff support children's communication and language development well. They engage in discussion, ask open-ended questions and model language throughout the various activities. As a result, children are becoming confident in expressing themselves and communicating. Children show enthusiasm and enjoy taking part in a range of activities. They have good opportunities to explore and experiment with a variety of different materials, such as, ice, water, bubbles, and play dough. They use pencils, crayons and paint, which helps to develop their early writing skills. Staff encourage children to use technology in their play as they begin to learn about computers and programmable toys. For example, children develop good skills as they use the computer mouse and keyboard. There are many

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who attend

opportunities for children to achieve good levels of physical development and social skills through outdoor activities. There is a good selection of open-ended resources for children to use and they go on outings to the park, the woods and the outdoor play area, which enables them to explore, investigate and take appropriate risks. Consequently, children are effectively developing skills for the next stage in their learning, ready for school.

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who attend

Parents are encouraged to book in some play visits before their child starts nursery to provide a smooth process for settling-in. Staff provide verbal and written feedback to parents at the end of each session. Also, they use a number of successful strategies to ensure parents are actively involved in the children's learning and development. For example, staff encourage parents to share information about children's achievements, significant moments, holidays, friends and family, through the use of a home-learning book. This promotes a shared approach to meet the individual needs of the children, both in the setting and at home. Consequently, children benefit from continuity of care and learning and parents feel valued. Staff have implemented the progress check for children between the ages of two- and three-years. This information is shared with parents and gives an effective overview of the children's progress. Staff also complete regular progress

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who attend

reports to keep parents well informed of their child's learning and development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work effectively in partnership with parents, the local authority, other agencies and professionals. They share relevant information to ensure individual requirements are being met. This ensures a consistent and balanced approach to complement all areas of the children's learning and development.

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

The environment is warm, friendly and welcoming, which results in children being happy and settled. A successful key-person system helps children to form secure attachments and develop good relationships. Staff are perceptive and identify the individual needs of children, offering additional support and reassurance when required. They support them well with their move from home into nursery and on to the next stage in their learning. This ensures children feel confident and are emotionally prepared for change and the next stage in their learning. Parents speak highly of the staff and value the support they and their children receive from them. They state that their children have made good progress in their learning and development, highlighting speech and language as an area where children have made particularly good progress.

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

Children are to some extent encouraged to be independent and to develop an understanding of their own personal needs. They initiate their own play, wash their own hands and help with some tasks, such as pouring their own drink during mealtimes. However, the organisation of mealtimes does not always fully support children to be independent. This is because staff set up, serve and clear away the children's meals for them, instead of encouraging children to learn to do these things for themselves. There are good hygiene practices in place and children are well supported in developing an awareness of their own health and well-being. For example, children are encouraged to wash hands before mealtime and after using the toilet. Children are provided with a variety of balanced and nutritious meals and snacks, which develops their understanding of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Children sit well together as a group during mealtimes. Staff

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

engage them in discussion, which enhances their communication and language skills. However, staff do not always use opportunities presented at mealtimes to build further on children's growing awareness of the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. There is a good range of resources available within the nursery that effectively support children's learning. However, the organisation of the environment means that it is not always possible for children to see and make choices for themselves from the toys that are available to them.

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

Staff manage children's behaviour efficiently in a way that is appropriate for their age and stage of development. They have a consistent approach in their expectations of how children should behave and as a result, children's behaviour is good. Children are given clear instructions and praise by staff for their achievements. This develops the children's self-esteem and makes them feel appreciated. Children have a good awareness of safety as staff provide them with guidance on how to keep themselves safe. For example, children are reminded not to run whilst indoors. Therefore, children are developing their understanding of how to keep themselves safe during their play and learning. Staff involve children in regular trips and outings in the local area, such as, visiting the library, shops and woods. This helps children to learn about their community and the wider world around them.

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provision

Children are well protected as management and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have attended relevant training and know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about children in their care. A range of written policies and procedures, which are effectively implemented, further support this process. Health and safety checks are completed daily to ensure the indoor and outdoor environments are free from hazards and minimise the risk of harm. As a result, children are provided with a safe and secure environment. Recruitment and induction procedures are effective and all staff complete relevant checks to help ensure they are safe and suitable to work with children.

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provision

The management team and staff are passionate and committed to providing good quality care and education for the children. Effective systems are in place to monitor the educational programmes. Staff work together and evaluate their daily practice. This ensures that all seven areas of learning are appropriately covered and children are progressing well in their learning and development. Tracking documents are completed so children with identified needs are supported to reach their full potential. Through using a self-evaluation tool, management and staff identify their strengths and areas for future development. The recommendation from the last inspection has been fully addressed, which shows a good commitment to maintain continuous improvement.

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provision

Staff receive regular supervisions, training and attending team meetings. Therefore performance management is effective and staff are supported well. Management actively encourage staff to further their professional development. They access local authority training and online courses to ensure they are improving their professional skills, knowledge, and understanding. Staff have developed good partnerships with parents, as they work together to support the children in their learning and development. Parents are very complimentary about the care their children receive. They make comments, such as, 'I have no worries with this nursery, my child loves coming here, I would recommend it to anyone.' 'The staff are great, and have really helped my child and have given me lots of support.' Staff work well with the local authority and other external agencies to ensure that children receive the appropriate intervention and support needed to meet children's

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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 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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY136884 Local authority Durham Inspection number 869664

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 107 Name of provider Katherine Hardman & Anne Arrowsmith Partnership Date of previous inspection 07/03/2012 Telephone number 0191 586 9222

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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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