Sunbeams

Inspection of Sunbeams 74 Peverell Park Road, Plymouth, Devon PL3 4ND

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is compromised. The manager does not ensure that all staff understand enough about safeguarding to protect children from harm. One of the previous recommendations raised at the last inspection has not been addressed. Much of the day consists of staff in the toddler and pre-school rooms attending to daily routine tasks, such as changing children out of wet clothes, clearing away activities and setting up new ones. Staff do not provide children with enough attention as they focus on chores, and children sometimes become bored and wander around. Nonetheless, children are happy and settle quickly.

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The provision is inadequate

Babies have formed secure attachments and staff help them to develop their sensory skills, such as listening to the sounds of musical instruments. However, staff working with the pre-school and toddler children do not always interact enough with the children to support their learning and development.

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The provision is inadequate

Most children behave well. Although staff have consistent support strategies in place to promote positive behaviour in the pre-school room, these are not always successful. For example, when children have hurt others, they go through the motions of saying 'sorry' when staff ask them to, but then later repeat their behaviour. Staff strategies do not help children to understand the impact of their behaviour and how to change it. Staff do not help all children manage their feelings and behaviours effectively.

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need to do better?

n Although the manager tests staff's knowledge of safeguarding, procedures are not robust. Not all staff are able to identify potential risks to children or how to report their concerns to other agencies, should they need to. Gaps in some staff's knowledge means they do not fully understand how to recognise and protect children from abuse or the necessary procedures to follow. n Staff attend to children's care practices well. They frequently change children's nappies and ensure the environment is clean and stimulating to encourage children to play. However, staff take toddlers away from activities when they are deeply engaged and spend long periods changing older children out of wet clothes, which they can do themselves. As staff concentrate on these daily routines, some children spend long periods playing without adult interaction and become bored. n Staff encourage children to use their communication and language skills, such as

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need to do better?

encouraging them to name pretend fruit and different toy animals. However, they do not build on these conversations to extend children's engagement and overall development. n The manager is aware of inconsistencies in the delivery of the education

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need to do better?

9 November 2022 programmes for children and, although she provides staff with training, it is not effective. Staff know their children well and plan the curriculum to support children's next steps. For example, they set up natural resources to help older children build habitats for toy animals. They provide foam, so toddlers can make marks to help develop their early writing skills. However, they do not consistently help children to explore ideas or help them to recall prior knowledge. Children often lose interest in activities. When teaching is more effective, staff provide a narrative for children's play and talk about what they are doing. n Children enjoy the company of adults and their peers alike. Older children work together to make cupcakes, selecting and measuring out ingredients. Children talk about what they have made and enjoy eating these occasional treats at snack time. Children also enjoy other cookery activities, such as making soup

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need to do better?

using seasonal vegetables. However, although most children play cooperatively, staff do not always find effective strategies to help some older children understand their actions and how this impacts on others, particularly during free play activities. Children sometimes hurt one another. n Staff provide warm and caring relationships to children. They use frequent praise to help the youngest children achieve their goals. Older babies try hard to use a fork at lunchtime. Staff provide them with encouragement and babies persevere until they succeed. Staff encourage toddlers to engage in sensory activities, such as feeling porridge oats and flour, but they often do not provide high-quality interactions with children to extend their engagement and overall development. Therefore, toddlers walk away from the activity, looking for further stimulation. Older children build constructions using large wooden bricks and staff read

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need to do better?

stories to some children. However, not all children receive enough staff attention, resulting in minor disputes between them. Staff step in to support them, meaning other children spend long periods without stimulating interactions and occasionally become bored. n Parents comment that children enjoy their time at the nursery and how staff provide them with information, so they can support their child's development at home. Staff speak to parents about their child's day and use an online communication system to share photos of activities children enjoy. Staff provide set days throughout the year to discuss children's progress with parents in person. They encourage parents to share information provided by other professionals, such as their child's health visitor.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children's welfare is not assured. Staff complete online safeguarding training, and most staff can recognise a range of signs and symptoms of when a child's safety is at risk. However, there are inconsistencies as some staff do not know the possible indicators for all areas of abuse. Staff know they can speak to their manager should they have concerns about a child. However, they do not know who to speak to about these matters

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Safeguarding

9 November 2022 outside of the setting. This has a significant impact on children's welfare.

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Due date

ensure all staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues, in order to recognise the indicators of when a child may be at risk of harm and know which authorities to contact should a child's safety be compromised 10/12/2022

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Due date

organise daily routines and the deployment of staff more efficiently to enable staff to meet the individual learning needs of all children 10/12/2022

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Due date

improve the monitoring and coaching of practice, so that improvements are made to the quality and consistency of staff's interactions with children, so that children are effectively supported 10/12/2022

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Due date

improve strategies to help all children learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour appropriately. 10/12/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY311912 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 10260874 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 44 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Woodground Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01752 661445 Date of previous inspection 27 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Sunbeams registered in 2005. The nursery is situated in Plymouth, Devon. It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, apart from bank holidays. The provider receives free early education funding for children aged two, three and four years. There are 12 staff employed to work with the children. Of these, 11 members of staff hold relevant childcare qualifications between levels 2 and 6.

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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 provider. n We carried out this inspection as result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager and the deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to them about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Children told the inspector what they enjoy doing while at nursery. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation in the toddler room. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed the evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

9 November 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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