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 Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children arrive confidently and receive a warm welcome from staff. They build friendships with other children and seek comfort from staff when needed. Managers have improved the curriculum and staff now confidently identify the next steps in children's development. Due to current staffing arrangements, the manager has not been able to monitor how effectively staff are implementing the new curriculum, and the quality of this is variable. Staff support toddlers to begin to recognise the rhyming words of a favourite story, such as 'honky-tonky' donkey. However, activities for toddler and pre-school children are not always organised well enough to ensure that they make good progress. For example, staff make bread with large groups of children and do not ensure that all children can see and hear them to enable them to fully participate.

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The provision requires improvement

Behaviour management has improved since the last inspection and children generally behave well. Staffing in the pre-school room has changed in recent months and staff are still developing their routines. Expectations of children's behaviour in this area are not consistent and children do not always understand what is expected of them. For example, during whole-group activities, some children lose focus and wander away. Staff now work more closely with parents to help ensure continuity of learning for children. Despite this, staff do not always share information about children's progress to enable parents to extend children's learning at home.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers work as a team to continually improve the nursery provision, and changes made since the last inspection are starting to take effect. For example, staff have undertaken close observation of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to determine their skills and abilities. Staff now target support for children with SEND to help them learn to engage with other children and reach the next steps in their development. n Staff receive training to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, they learn how to support children's mental health and identify when children may need extra support with this. However, the monitoring process is not yet effective in supporting staff to help ensure that all children make good progress. Staff identify what children need to learn next, but do not always implement the curriculum well enough to meet their individual needs. For example, activities

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need to do better?

are not adapted well and some children find them too challenging. n Staff do not organise activities well enough to consistently engage children's interest and attention. For example, some activities are too long and children lose interest. At times, staff interrupt children's learning to wash their hands for lunchtime and do not take action to reduce noise levels when children find it

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need to do better?

5 July 2023 hard to focus. This means that children do not always receive the maximum benefit from the learning opportunities provided. n Staff have improved how they work with parents to support children's learning. For example, parents who work in the medical profession come into the nursery to make plaster casts, linked to the story 'Funnybones'. Parents report that staff are kind and caring, but that they would value more information about their children's individual progress to enable them to further support children's learning at home. n Staff generally use positive language and praise to support children's behaviour. For example, they encourage children to use 'kind hands'. Despite this, staff are not consistently clear in their expectations of pre-school children. For example, staff tell children not to push each other but do not always explain why. This means that children do not always understand the impact of their actions on

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need to do better?

themselves and others to help them learn to manage their own behaviour. n Children enjoy plenty of exercise to help keep them fit and healthy. Older children ably climb, balance and run around outside. Babies enjoy sensory play with flour to help develop their coordination and sense of exploration. Staff provide nutritious meals and teach children how to stay well. n Staff incorporate number into learning from an early age. For example, staff working with babies count pieces as they build a train track. Toddlers enjoy listening to number rhymes and begin to count 'one, two, three sausages sizzling in a pan'. Staff working with older children also support them to recognise written numbers and letters. n Staff are proactive in supporting children to become independent. Older children scrape their own plates after eating and put away their cutlery and plates. This helps to develop their self-confidence and prepare them for school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. They know the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse and how to report any concerns. The designated safeguarding lead works closely with external safeguarding agencies to promote children's welfare. Staff follow clear procedures for any accidents and inform parents swiftly. Managers review accidents to help identify any hazards and minimise them. Risk assessment processes are strong. Staff undertake daily checks to help reduce the risk of accidents and ensure that the nursery is secure.

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Due date

5 July 2023 strengthen processes for the monitoring of staff practice to ensure that the curriculum is consistently implemented to meet children's individual needs 31/07/2023

p.3

Due date

organise and adapt activities for toddler and pre-school children more effectively to ensure that children are focused and engaged and make the best possible progress. 31/07/2023

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should:

n continue to develop the systems and processes for sharing information with parents regarding children's progress to ensure continuity of learning n support staff who are new to the nursery to set clear and consistent expectations to support children to learn to manage their own behaviour.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY216520 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10300051 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 178 Number of children on roll 204 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 17 April 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club registered in 2002. It operates from the village of Poundbury, in Dorset. Opening times are Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery is in receipt of funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years old. There are 17 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, eight hold a relevant qualification at level 3, three hold a level 2 qualification and six are unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager and inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspectors during the inspection. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspectors talked to staff and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors 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

5 July 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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Inspection activities

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