Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club

Inspection of Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club Middle Farm Barn, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, DORCHESTER, Dorset DT1 3WA

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed by cheerful staff. Children arrive happy and eager to join their friends. Arrival and departure procedures have been revised to take account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's emotional well- being. Parents can choose to remain in the reception area or may accompany their child into the central corridor to hang up their belongings on their peg. Staff are consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement and are positive role models. This helps children to behave well. Parents and carers speak highly of the information they receive about their child's progress and the support provided.

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The provision is good

The setting has high expectations and staff support children well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress in their learning and development. Children confidently explore the variety of spaces inside and outside. Staff encourage children to be active in their own learning. For example, children use their imagination to make play food from mud, sticks, stones, and pieces of bark. They act out different scenarios and play well together, sharing resources and taking turns. Staff teach children the necessary skills and knowledge for later learning.

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need to do better?

n There have been recent staff changes and the owners report a difficulty in recruiting the skilled staff that they wish to employ. The owners have reflected on recent matters and have completed a review of policies and procedures to bring about further improvements. However, plans to ensure that staff with additional management responsibility receive focused and effective professional development are at the early stages of implementation. For example, staff are not always deployed effectively to meet the children's needs, promote their learning, and ensure their safety. n Most staff understand the areas of learning they teach and the way in which young children learn. Generally, managers provide effective support for staff with less experience and knowledge. However, the monitoring of teaching is not consistent and, as a result, the curriculum is not always coherently planned and sequenced. n Children have lots of opportunities to play outside. For example, they develop

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need to do better?

their small-muscle skills and build hand-to-eye coordination as they play with sand in the outdoor classrooms. In the large garden, children enjoy climbing up and rolling down grass hills and practising their ball-throwing skills. The recent addition of a large performance stage supports children's social and emotional well-being. n There are good links with parents, carers and other professionals involved in

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need to do better?

5 April 2022 supporting children with SEND. They identify and complete action plans to meet children's individual needs effectively. Extra resources and assistance ensure that additional funding is used well. n Staff encourage children to be independent in their self-help skills. For example, at mealtimes, children confidently pour their own drinks, scrape their leftover food into the bin, and know where to place their dirty plates and cutlery. n Managers and staff show a good awareness of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. They use assessment well to check what children know and can do. They use effective strategies to spot gaps in children's knowledge and skills, and help to get them back to where they need to be. n Staff take account of children's interests and have a clear intent for what they want children to learn. For example, children enjoy digging in the soil to find the

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need to do better?

small plastic dinosaurs and use little brushes to clean them. They look at the similarities of larger dinosaurs and stack brick towers to compare sizes. n Relationships between staff and babies are sensitive, stimulating and responsive. For example, babies and young toddlers enjoy playing with the bubbles and water in the large tray as they wash the baby dolls. Staff support them to point to the nose, eyes and ears of the baby doll and to their own facial features. This helps to develop children's speech and language and respond to facial expressions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Following recent concerns, the safeguarding policies and procedures have been reviewed and revised satisfactorily. Staff have completed training to ensure they are familiar with referral procedures if they have concerns about the behaviour of colleagues and for the protection of children. Managers ensure that staff know that good record-keeping is essential to the success of child protection practises. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they hold doors open to allow their friends to walk through safely. There are clear procedures in place for staff recruitment, and regular reviews help to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n continue to implement the revised policies and procedures, in particular plans to ensure that staff with additional management responsibility receive focused and effective professional development n continue to strengthen the monitoring of teaching to ensure the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY216520 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10232837 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 234 Number of children on roll 195 Name of registered person Sunny Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0345 88 88 123 (Option 3) Date of previous inspection 8 December 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club opened at its current premises in 2002. It operates from the village of Poundbury, in Dorset. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, all year round, excluding bank holidays. There are 26 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, one holds an early years qualification at level 4, 24 members of staff hold a qualification at level 3, and four at level 2. Childcare staff are supported by a cook, kitchen staff, maintenance, and administrative staff.

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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 their evaluation of the setting. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with a room

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Inspection activities

supervisor. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing while at the setting.

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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

5 April 2022 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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