Sunflowers Nursery School

Inspection of Sunflowers Nursery School Old School House, Church Lane, Saxilby, LINCOLN LN1 2PE

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Staff carefully consider each child's needs to create thoughtfully planned activities. Children are highly motivated and eager to learn. Toddlers are full of wonder as they explore vegetables. Staff model how to use knives safely. Children are keen to copy and persevere as they cut peppers in half. They excitedly exclaim they are cutting potatoes and peppers. Toddlers notice other children's interest and readily offer them a turn. They show fascination while investigating the inside of vegetables. They listen intently to staff and recall from previous learning that seeds grow in the garden. They are bursting with enthusiasm as they show off their vegetables, saying they are slippery and shiny. Children are highly confident communicators.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff provide opportunity for children to spend considerable amounts of time outdoors. Children show agility and confidence while safely navigating large climbing apparatus. Staff encourage children to consider where to place their feet and which ropes to hold onto as they work out the best way across the beams. Children are learning to take appropriate risk as they decide which height to jump from. Babies crawl with confidence and pull themselves up on furniture. They are keen to do things themselves and help staff to gently push other babies in a swing. Babies giggle with delight, catching each other's hands while swinging back and forth. Staff offer consistent guidance to support children to behave exceptionally well. Children are highly respectful and show kindness towards others. For example, children ride tricycles around a track. Older children notice younger ones struggling and take time to model how to use the pedals. When this does not work,

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The provision is outstanding

they offer to swap tricycles. They motivate younger children, shouting, 'You can do it!'

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff strive to constantly improve their setting. They proactively seek feedback to ensure a robust evaluation of what they offer. For example, parents fed back that when their children started school, they were not prepared for the reduction in communication and pick-ups at the door. Staff now ensure that parents and children have a similar experience to school during the last term of nursery. n Staff have expert knowledge of children's abilities and development, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager and special educational needs coordinator work closely with parents and external professionals. They monitor the individually targeted plans and use regular assessment to ensure children make the best progress from their starting points, in line with their peers. n Parents are overwhelmingly positive. They state the numerous ways their

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need to do better?

12 May 2023 children have grown in their development. Parents comment that staff have 'captured the heart' of their children. They feel their children are more than ready for school. n Staff are excellent role models. Children, in turn, have learned how to positively manage their own behaviours and negotiate with others. For example, children build a tower. When one child wants to knock it down, children politely hold up their hand and ask them to wait until they have finished. In addition, children agree time limits with others when needing to share toys, while others take care to put resources back how they found them. n Staff provide an abundance of activities to support children's small-muscle skills. This supports their readiness for early writing. For example, pre-school children enthusiastically create insects from dough. They roll and mould the dough as they use picture books of insects as a guide. They precisely place buttons on

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need to do better?

their ladybirds to create spots. Children eagerly repeat new vocabulary they have learned from staff, such as 'pollen' and 'nectar'. n Children demonstrate a deep love of books, which staff have thoughtfully placed throughout the setting. Toddlers readily choose books and approach staff to read to them. Children cosy up to staff and listen intently to a story. Pre-school children thoroughly enjoy a story about visiting the dentist. They fully engage, confidently asking questions and sharing their own experiences. n Children's emotional well-being is of the highest priority. Staff expertly model emotional language and use children's prior knowledge of a monster who changes colour according to how they are feeling to encourage them to say how they feel. Additionally, staff have created a well-being garden, which allows children time in the natural environment to explore their senses. n Children's natural curiosity to learn is encouraged. Staff know exactly when to

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need to do better?

interact with children to build on what they already know and can do and when to allow them to explore. For example, children use squirt bottles to spray paint. Children pile up pebbles to see if spraying paint on them will leave a pattern underneath. Staff pose questions to encourage children to think further about how to change the patterns.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a sound understanding of their role and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They have a secure knowledge of the possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm, and they know what procedures to follow if they have concerns. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a colleague. Staff are up to date with their safeguarding training and paediatric first aid. The manager makes sure that safer recruitment checks are conducted to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff working with children. Through surveys, the manager identified that not all parents understood how to recognise and report a safeguarding concern. This has been rectified through sharing information and processes with parents.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY388910 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10286889 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 80 Number of children on roll 128 Name of registered person Sunflower Smile Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01522 702155 Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Sunflowers Nursery School is based in Saxilby, Lincoln. It registered in 2009. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, 20 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and a week over Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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 their evaluation of the provider. n The manager, curriculum lead and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a small-group activity with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed 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

12 May 2023 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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