Little Sunlights

Little Sunlights The Romsey School, Greatbridge, Romsey, SO51 8ZB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 May 2018 30 May 2017

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Although the provider has addressed weaknesses from the last inspection, other breaches in requirements remain. However, these do not significantly affect the children but demonstrate that self-evaluation and improvement are not strong enough.  Children under two consistently mix and play alongside older children because there is not a separate room or area regularly used by staff. This affects their care, learning and rate of progress, because key staff cannot consistently interact and support them.  The key-person system does not work well, particularly for the youngest children. It is not consistently embedded across the newly formed team.  On occasions, staff are not deployed effectively when children play outdoors.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are well trained to understand child protection procedures. The management team shows good work with vulnerable families. It provides extra support and helps keep children safe from harm.  Partnership with parents is strong. Staff build good relationships with parents, who report positively about staff and the benefits children gain from being at nursery. For example, the Christmas show developed children's confidence and sense of belonging.  Older children are busy learners who enjoy the outdoor space, exploring and investigating with different materials. Staff interact well with the children to engage them in learning activities, and children are well behaved.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure there is a separate baby room/area for children under the age of two, which is used regularly, to enable staff to focus more closely on their learning needs 17/06/2018

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Due Date

 ensure staff fully understand their role as a child's key person and develop the system to ensure it is well embedded across the team, particularly for children under the age of two years 17/06/2018

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Due Date

 ensure staff are deployed effectively, particularly when supervising children playing outdoors. 17/06/2018

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 develop secure methods for self-evaluation and improvement, to successfully identify and address breaches in requirements and to continually improve outcomes for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children, observed the children's play activities indoors, looked at the available resources and read relevant documentation.  The inspector had discussions with the manager and nominated person about leadership and management, including self-evaluation methods.  The inspector spoke to a sample of parents and took account of their views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The nursery has gone through a period of high staff turnover and is in the process of embedding practice across the new team. The leadership team's ability to evaluate what is working and what needs improvement does not currently work well enough. For example, organisational changes have been made to the play environment and routine which make a difference to younger children's outcomes. A development plan is in place and is being worked through. Staff receive coaching support and training to develop practice and gain qualifications. Safeguarding is effective. The directors ensure staff receive child protection training as a priority part of their induction. They follow safer recruitment procedures well. Staff work successfully with other agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Overall, staff engage older children well in stimulating play activities and have a secure understanding of how to teach and support them. However, the learning support children under the age of two receive is less secure. On occasions, they wander around outside, and staff do not consistently engage them in purposeful play to build on what they know and can do. They pick up resources planned for older children, such as thin pencils, and attempt to make marks on paper. Staff give them appropriate supervision and support, at this time, but it is not consistently of good quality and matched to their needs. Staff follow the observation, assessment and planning process appropriately and plan for children's next learning steps. The manager is tracking children's progress and is in the process of refining the system, to help identify gaps in children's learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Overall, children are happy and feel safe. Although staff are caring, understanding and help children to settle, the key-person system is not working effectively. On occasions, the babies' key person is indoors when they are playing outdoors, which hinders their relationship. Additionally, staff do not make the best use of space and resources to fully support younger children's learning and development. Staff teach children about following healthy routines, such as encouraging them to take regular exercise and to take part in a well-managed, sociable lunchtime. They keep them safe in the sun and encourage children to use hats and sun cream. However, staff are not consistently vigilant and deployed well so they can see all the children playing outdoors.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, across the age groups children's progress is not good enough because of the weakness in the organisation of play spaces for the younger children. Older children show they are developing well in their skills. They learn how to make smoothies and independently cut up and talk about the fruit they use. Children grow flowers, enjoy making play dough, use their imaginations and listen well to stories. They pedal tricycles and use scooters outdoors. Younger children join in the actions to favourite songs and are learning some key vocabulary in songs, such as 'bubble' and 'pop'.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY496071 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1100561 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Romsey Community School Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 May 2017 Telephone number 01794 522106 01794 527025

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reference number

Little Sunlights registered in 2016. The nursery opens on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are nine staff working with the children; of these, seven hold an early years qualification at level 2, level 3, level 4 or level 5.

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reference number

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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reference number

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

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

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