The Sunflower Centre

Inspection of The Sunflower Centre The Sunflower Childrens Centre, Victoria Street, Hyde SK14 4AA

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Inspection date: 18 February 2025 - 1 April 2025

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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

This is a harmonious nursery, where children are extremely helpful and polite. There is high priority given to providing a curriculum which helps all children develop highly positive attitudes to behaviour and learning. Staff use age- appropriate books to foster children's exceptional awareness of different emotions and how to regulate these. For example, children talk in a mature and sophisticated way about their experiences of feeling happy, sad and angry. They regulate their behaviour and continuously play cooperatively. Children are courageous as they complete new and often difficult tasks with superb resilience and positivity. For example, children use tools to cut wood. They push and pull tools, extending their physical strength and working together to overcome the resistance they encounter. With a wonderful 'can-do' attitude, children successfully achieve this challenging task.

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The provision is good

The quality of education to support children's communication and language is particularly strong. All children, including the very youngest, are well supported to make good progress in their speech. Staff adapt their interactions to meet children's different needs. For example, babies hear plenty of new words through song, while staff encourage older children to share their views and join in two-way conversations. Children learn about the world around them and the impact they have on nature. For instance, they recycle everyday items. Staff teach children about sustainability as they successfully grow vegetables in an allotment. The programme of learning is broad and balanced.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have a clear vision and offer children a nurturing space that nourishes their emotional and developmental needs. Staff are invested in this vision and pride themselves on creating a fun and happy environment where children enjoy spending time and become interested, keen learners. n Children, staff, parents and carers benefit from a highly supportive senior leadership team. Leaders' dedication, drive and commitment helps to create a culture of continual improvement. For example, leaders recently notified Ofsted of an accident in the outside area. They took prompt and appropriate action to make changes to the environment and to refresh staff training. This has heightened staff's skills and minimised the chances of a similar accident happening again. n Leaders give staff's well-being a high priority. Staff comment that they feel valued and, in turn, enjoy their work. Many of the staff and leaders have worked

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need to do better?

at the nursery for several years, progressing their careers as their experience develops. Therefore, children benefit from a stable and hardworking team. This is a nurturing environment where staff and children flourish.

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need to do better?

18 February 2025 n Staff successfully create a culture of inclusion and respect. Every child is encouraged to be themselves, and their unique backgrounds are nurtured. Children learn about different cultures and religious celebrations in this diverse setting. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to achieve their full potential. n The curriculum is ambitious. Staff clearly understand the intent for children's learning and implement this consistently through their everyday practice. Staff undertake regular training. They are confident and skilled to deliver the curriculum through planned activities and quality teaching. n Staff recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents and strive to build bonds based on trust and respect. They regularly invite parents to attend workshops to help them learn about child development. Staff share

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need to do better?

information with parents on key milestones, such as toilet training and teeth cleaning. Children benefit from a truly collaborative approach to their learning and development. n Staff benefit from regular feedback on their practice. Managers often observe staff's teaching and offer advice on how to improve. Staff welcome this professional discussion and have a very positive attitude towards development. n Staff are kind and gentle in their interactions. This helps to foster children's confidence because they are assured by the warm relationships they share with staff. However, sometimes, staff are overly attentive and complete tasks for children without providing them time to try for themselves, particularly at mealtimes. This does not fully support children's developing independence. n Children benefit from a broad and varied programme of learning. However, staff do not consistently manage transitions between tasks and activities to minimise

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need to do better?

disruption. At times, there is a short delay while staff prepare for the next transition, and this interrupts children's learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n teach staff to step back and allow children space and time to complete tasks for themselves and further develop their independence, particularly at mealtimes n develop staff's skills to enable them to carefully manage transition times within the daily routines to minimise disruption to children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY480405 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 10372673 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 110 Number of children on roll 155 Name of registered person The Sunflower Childrens Centre Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0161 882 9959 Date of previous inspection 30 April 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The Sunflower Centre registered in 2014 and is located in Tameside. The nursery employs 37 members of childcare staff. Of these, 25 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides government funded childcare.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Michelle Jacques Sarah Rhodes

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Inspection activities

n The inspection started on 18 February 2025. It was paused in line with 'Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy'. An Inspector undertook a regulatory telephone event on 1 April 2025 to complete the inspection. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The leaders and inspector completed a learning walk. Together, they viewed all areas of the nursery and discussed how the curriculum is designed and the intent for children's learning. n The manager and inspector completed a joint observation of an activity and discussed the quality of education observed. The inspector sampled key documentation, including suitability checks for all staff working in the nursery. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children, indoors and outside, and evaluated the impact on children's development.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke with parents and considered their views and comments. n The inspector sampled key documentation, including suitability checks for all 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

18 February 2025 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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