Sunny Corner Pre-School

Inspection of Sunny Corner Pre-School Chynoweth Lane, St Hilary, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 9DR

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

p.1

The provision is good

Children, including the many children who have recently started to attend, arrive at the pre-school excited and ready to learn. They settle quickly on arrival, due to staff understanding their interests well and reflecting these in the activities they have set up. Children play happily together. They feel safe and are emotionally secure because staff welcome them individually and create a caring and nurturing environment. Children learn to be considerate of each other and to behave well. They are confident to explore and experiment, such as when mixing the cornflour and water to make 'gloop'. Children are confident to communicate with their friends and with staff, as staff support children's language development well and introduce new vocabulary as they play. For example, older children make up games and stories with their friends, showing a good understanding of how to use language in their play.

p.2

The provision is good

Children achieve well as staff plan a broad curriculum that, overall, reflects children's individual learning needs. This includes those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have a good understanding of the next steps in children's learning. This helps them to provide activities that introduce children to new ideas and allows them to build on what they already know.

p.2

The provision is good

Initially, during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the pre-school was open only to the families of key workers. Staff used private social media platforms to provide parents with ideas for activities. They shared links to early years learning websites, so that parents could continue to support children's learning at home. This helped to ensure that children continued to receive support for their learning. As a result, when children returned to the pre-school, staff were quickly able to build on children's learning again.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff provide a broad range of activities that capture children's interests and motivate them to learn. Occasionally, managers do not organise routines as well as possible to allow all children to play and learn in the way they prefer. For example, outdoor play areas are only accessible at certain times during the day, even though staff recognise that some children learn better when playing outdoors. n Children receive very good support for their communication and language skills. Throughout the play areas, staff busily engage children in discussions. They introduce them to new vocabulary and encourage them to talk about their experiences. For example, when playing in the boat, children discuss their own trips to the beach and eating ice-creams. n Information-sharing with parents is successful. Parents report that they receive

p.2

need to do better?

23 September 2021 detailed information about children's experiences and progress. They comment that the level of detail in this information shows how well staff understand children's personalities and characters. Staff use what they know about children to help them feel safe and secure. For example, they distract children with a favourite activity if they become upset. n Children understand rules and boundaries and receive lots of praise for following these. Staff are quick to manage any disagreements, helping children to learn how to share and take turns. This helps to create a calm and well-organised environment, where children can relax. n Staff teach children how to keep themselves healthy. Children discuss the benefits of a healthy diet as they help to chop up their fresh fruit at snack time. When staff announce that the snack table is open, older children spontaneously go to the bathroom to wash their hands. This demonstrates their good

p.2

need to do better?

understanding of positive hygiene routines. n Children are confident and develop strong relationships with staff and with their peers. Staff are always close by to provide comfort and reassurance when children need this. n Staff respond well to children's keen interest in books. Children demonstrate what they have learned and remembered as they recall parts of their favourite stories. For example, they use the wooden-spoon puppets to retell the story about a monster in the woods. They show increasing concentration as they listen to pre-recorded stories, following the story using the pictures in the shared book. n Staff receive good support from leaders and managers to help them develop their own skills and knowledge. Thorough inductions, frequent staff meetings and staff supervision sessions help to ensure that staff understand their individual responsibilities well. n Staff share detailed information about children's development with

p.3

need to do better?

schoolteachers, to help them plan for children's continued progress when they start school. However, pre-school leaders are not sufficiently aware of how successful they have been in preparing children for school to be able to use this information to help them continually improve on the effectiveness of the curriculum. For example, they do not gather information about the progress of children after they have moved on to school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders and staff receive regular safeguarding training and frequently discuss safeguarding as part of staff meetings and supervisions. As a result, staff are fully aware of how to respond to any safeguarding concerns that may occur. Child protection is given a high priority within the pre-school. Practices followed by staff help to ensure children are safe. Frequent checks on the environment help to ensure that children play in safe and secure spaces. Managers follow thorough procedures when recruiting and vetting staff, to ensure all those working with children are suitable to do so.

p.3

should:

n increase opportunities for children to choose to use outdoor areas to further extend the development of those children who learn better outside n develop further strategies to review the success of the curriculum in preparing children for school.

p.4

Setting details

Unique reference number 102876 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10125930 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.5

Registers

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

p.5

inspection

Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Sunny Corner Pre-School

p.5

reference number

Telephone number 01736 763931 Date of previous inspection 23 June 2015

p.5

Information about this early years setting

Sunny Corner Pre-School is a committee-run group. It registered in 1991 and operates from purpose-built premises in the grounds of St Hilary Primary School, near Goldsithney, Penzance, Cornwall. The provision is open each weekday from 8.30am until 3.30pm, term time only. Children aged two, three and four years receive funding for nursery education. The setting employs six staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications, including early years professional, qualified teacher, early childhood degree and level 3 qualifications in childcare.

p.5

Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the pre-school. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children, and spoke with staff, including the special educational needs coordinator, at appropriate times. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of children playing in the outside area. n Parents shared their views of the pre-school with the inspector. n The manager shared documentation with the inspector to demonstrate the suitability of staff and discussed the leadership and management of the pre-

p.6

Inspection activities

school. n The inspector viewed all areas of the pre-school and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises with the manager and staff.

p.6

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.

p.6

Inspection activities

23 September 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.

p.6

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.7

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7