Sunflowers

Inspection of Sunflowers 29 Dover Road, Southport, Sefton PR8 4TB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Significant weaknesses in leadership impact on children's safety and welfare. Not enough action has been taken by the manager to bring about improvements. The manager does not assess risk effectively, therefore, children are exposed to a considerable risk of harm. For example, food is not stored safely enough. Allergens are not labelled on frozen food, therefore, children with dietary needs are at risk of a serious allergic reaction. Staff across the nursery do not have sufficient knowledge or training to identify risks to protect children from harm. As a result, cleaning chemicals and garden bug sprays are not placed out of the reach of children. Staff do not follow fire safety measures. Consequently, toasters are placed directly underneath coats and left unsupervised, while switched on to make toast.

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The provision is inadequate

The manager is not aware of the poor quality of teaching practice across the nursery. This is because observations of staff are infrequent, and the curriculum is not fully understood. Staff plan the same activities for all children in the room. They do not consider individual abilities or what the children need to learn next. This means that children are not stimulated enough, and do not make as much progress as they could. For example, when play dough is used, older children are bored quickly and turn the play dough tools into musical instruments or put play dough in their hair. Babies enjoy dancing to nursery rhymes and exploring the sounds that musical instruments make in the sensory area. However, staff do not sequence the curriculum and role model language well enough. As a result, some children are not meeting their language development targets quickly enough.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are happy and respond positively to the friendly staff team. However, not all staff are equipped with a deep understanding of their key children to ensure they can meet their learning and development needs. Babies have adapted well to a recent closure of the baby room due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and cuddle staff when they feel unsettled. Most children play with their friends nicely. For example, they share the tools in the sandpit when building sand models. However, some children do not yet understand how to share, and turn take, resulting in toys being snatched. Staff do not always support children to discuss their feelings when they become upset.

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need to do better?

n Staff professional development is not supported enough. They are not provided with appropriate supervision and training opportunities. As a result, staff are not continuously improving or developing their knowledge and skills. Some staff are under pressure in their roles as they try and manage several responsibilities at once. This impacts on the quality of the provision.

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need to do better?

13 July 2021 n Some staff can discuss what they want children to learn. However, they do not put in place an ambitious curriculum plan for children that fully supports their development. Activities are sometimes too lengthy for the younger children. For example, story time can be too long and not interactive enough. As a result, children do not stay engaged in their learning. Staff do not offer each child sufficient challenge or fully support their language and communication skills consistently. The manager intends for all children to become confident learners. Yet, they are not fully aware of the improvement required to the quality of teaching. n Some staff involve children in their decision-making and ask them to vote for their favourite book. Older children enjoy looking at books that show similarities and differences with staff and talk readily about their own family life. This supports older children to be prepared for life in modern Britain. However, this is

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need to do better?

not yet embedded throughout the nursery and younger children do not get the same opportunities to learn about themselves and others. n Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills in a well-resourced outdoor play space. Children enjoy playing outside, where they have fun splashing in puddles or creating obstacle courses for their tricycles. However, some children are not supported to build resilience and manage their feelings when setbacks happen. For example, when the tricycle does not fit through the obstacles, children throw the items to one side in frustration and walk away. n Children are not aware of how to keep themselves safe as staff do not always promote safe hygiene practises, such as regular hand washing. Younger children wander with dummies in their mouth, placing them on the floor and then back into their mouth. Older children are not supported to understand how to keep

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need to do better?

themselves safe online as they do not have any regular use of technology in the nursery. n Older children are curious and most demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. Older children learn about plants and insects and growth and decay with enthusiasm in the newly created garden area. However, staff do not fully support younger children to extend their concentration and to be curious about learning. As a result, they quickly lose interest and spend too much time wandering. n Parents value the manager and the staff. Parents comment that communication is good, especially when supporting children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). One parent commented 'They have helped me personally so much, I can't thank them enough'. However, parents are unaware of their child's key person or the role they have. As a result, parents do not know their child's next steps in learning and of how to support their child's

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need to do better?

learning at home. n Staff provide good support for children with SEND. Staff plan realistic targets, which promotes the children's learning and development. For example, staff use visual aids to communicate with children who struggle to manage their feelings and behaviour.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager, who is also the designated safeguarding lead, does not check that all staff have a secure knowledge of safeguarding. Safeguarding training for staff is not accessed in a timely manner. Staff demonstrate a poor understanding of the 'Prevent' duty. Staff are not able to identify the signs that a child may be at risk of harm from female genital mutilation and radicalisation. The manager and staff team do not risk assess effectively enough to keep children safe from harm. Fire hazards are not identified and go unnoticed by staff. Staff do not follow safe food preparation practice. Leaders ensure safe recruitment practises are followed. Staff have first-aid qualifications and know the procedure to follow in the event of an accident.

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Due date

provide effective training and support for staff to ensure they have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, including how to identify if a child is at risk of radicalisation, extremism, and female genital mutilation 24/08/2021

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Due date

provide staff with appropriate support, training, and professional development opportunities to help them implement a broad, ambitious, and sequenced curriculum that supports all children to make the best possible progress 24/08/2021

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Due date

ensure that all key persons provide care and learning that meets the individual needs of every child in their care, including supporting parents to understand the role of the key person to extend learning at home 24/08/2021

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Due date

13 July 2021 ensure robust risk assessments are in place that protect children from harm, including the premises, hygiene and infection control and safe storage of chemicals 24/08/2021

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Due date

ensure food preparation areas are safe from cross contamination, free of identified fire risks and that food is stored and labelled correctly to protect children from harm. 24/08/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY555652 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10174698 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Menzies, Heather Louise

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reference number

Telephone number 01704564319 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Sunflowers registered in 2018. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, 10 at level 3 or above and two at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am until 6pm, all year round. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the provider. n A learning walk was completed with the manager to discuss the curriculum intent and how the provision in organised. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and children during activities and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n Parents were spoken to during the inspection and the inspector took account of their views. n A joint observation was completed with the inspector and manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. A variety of documents were seen, including evidence of the suitability of adults working with children.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

13 July 2021 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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