Inspection date 11 July 2024
Previous inspection date 8 August 2018
The quality and standards of the early years provision
| This inspection | Outstanding 1 |
| Previous inspection | Outstanding 1 |
| Effectiveness of leadership and management | Outstanding 1 |
| Quality of teaching, learning and assessment | Outstanding 1 |
| Personal development, behaviour and welfare | Outstanding 1 |
| Outcomes for children | Outstanding 1 |
What is it like to attend this early years setting?
The provision is outstanding.
Outdoor play and learning are central to the effective curriculum devised by leaders and staff. Parents and staff embrace and value the learning opportunities the outdoors bring to children. From an early age children learn about how to take care of themselves when they play. They show concern for their peers if they think they are going to get hurt. Staff teach children how to climb safely on a range of unusual objects, starting with babies negotiating low level obstacles when they crawl. Older children independently climb up onto tyres and then confidently jumping off. All of this is achieved through children being trusted by staff to work things out and assess risks for themselves. Children develop high levels of confidence in their own ability knowing that an adult is on hand to give advice or practical support if they need it. Staff have a deep knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. They never underestimate what a child can achieve. They have high aspirations for all children. Children are captivated by staff as they fully immerse themselves in children’s play. Staff know how to break down tasks for children into manageable activities that eventually will lead to completing a full task, such as dressing
themselves. For example, they show babies how to put their toes into their shoes as a first step to putting on their own shoes. Older children can dress themselves fully in splash suits and wellies ready for outdoor play. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have special plans with their learning aims broken down into achievable steps for them to practise and build upon over
time. This approach has proved highly successful for children with SEND.
What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?
– Staff use their detailed understanding of how children develop to create a range of different and exciting environments. These entice children to explore and investigate their surroundings. Staff are alert and notice when children are interested in something or are engrossed in play. They carefully observe the children and know just when to interact to extend the children’s learning or enhance it. They may introduce a new piece of equipment or extra challenge. For example, toddlers cutting up bananas for their snack were then shown how to peel an orange and had a go themselves using a different set of skills. They learned not to squeeze the orange too tightly or dig in too deeply with their fingers.
– Children show high levels of curiosity even in the smallest of objects, such as flower petals or patterns they find on stones. Staff embrace this and use it with skill to introduce children to new information and new vocabulary. Staff notice that children are investigating blackberries growing on a bramble bush and immediately recognise this an opportunity to extend the learning. They use carefully crafted questions to invite children to think and predict what may happen with the blackberries. They ask children, ‘What do you think will happen?’, before children squeeze a blackberry. Children share their thoughts and ideas with great enthusiasm and use the language they have just heard the staff member use.
– Children thrive on the freedom they have. Older children nestle in long grass as they play hide and seek with the guidance of staff. With practise, they learn the rules of the game and continue to play with each other without the need of staff help. Babies delight in sitting in a tub of water while fully clothed. They are encouraged by staff to explore the feel of the cold water and watch what happens when they splash. They are mesmerised by the flowers placed in the water by the staff that are floating next to them. Staff repeatedly use single words in line with the curriculum intent for babies so they can copy and develop the sounds they will later use for speaking.
– Throughout the nursery staff are adept at identifying opportunities to develop children’s communication and language. During group times, children listen intently to stories, which staff read with clarity and enthusiasm. Children become engrossed in the stories and are desperate to find out what happens next. Staff are highly skilled storytellers who involve the children in the story they are reading. They ask children meaningful questions that children can relate back to their own experiences. For example, when a greedy rabbit in a story wants to eat all of the chocolate children talk about getting tummy ache and can describe how that would make them feel.
– Staff and children are all treated with respect and courtesy. Their learning and well-being is top of the manager’s priorities. Learning opportunities for staff are carefully selected to meet the needs of the staff member and the nursery. For example, staff have taken on lead roles and are accessing specialised training to support them, such as attending special educational needs coordinator training to deepen their knowledge of the role, the responsibilities and legislation governing work with children with SEND.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.
| Unique reference number | EY501208 |
| Local authority | Nottinghamshire County Council |
| Inspection number |
10337204 |
| Type of provision |
Childcare on non-domestic premises |
| Registers | Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register |
| Day care type | Full day care |
| Age range of children |
0 to 10 |
| Total number of places | 46 |
| Number of children on roll |
82 |
| Name of registered person |
Sunnydale Nursery Ltd |
| Registered person unique reference number |
RP911012 |
| Date of previous inspection |
8 August 2018 |
| Telephone number |
01623652310 |
Information about this early years setting
Sunnydale Nursery registered in 2016. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level five, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 and three are unqualified apprentices. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.
Inspector
Joanne Smith
Inspection activities
-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.
– The nominated individual/manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum.
– Children spoke to and communicated with the inspector.
– Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection.
– The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting.
– The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs.
– The inspector assessed the quality of education indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact it was having on children’s learning.
– The nominated individual/manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of a spontaneous activity in the forest school area.
– Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.
– The nominated individual/manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.
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.
If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.