Sandhills Day Nursery Wolverhampton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children who attend this nursery experience a calm and homely environment, where their learning and enjoyment is given top priority.

Even the youngest children are confident and eager to share their experiences with their friends, staff and visitors. All children have fun as they learn. Younger children thoroughly enjoy exploring chocolate cereal.

They explore the texture as they scrunch it in their fingers and develop fine motor skills as they skilfully scoop cereal into flowerpots and pour it through tubes. Staff make the most of every opportunity to enhance and extend children's learning experiences. The gard...en area is currently being renovated.

Children excitedly watch the diggers and wait in anticipation for them to arrive. All children benefit from being outdoors. They develop their physical skills as they climb, jump and balance.

Staff introduce mathematical concepts as children measure how far they can jump and compare who can jump the furthest. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, make exceptional progress in their learning. Staff recognise each child's uniqueness.

They plan a range of exciting activities based on children's individual interests and what they need to learn next. As a result, children thrive, and behaviour is exemplary. Children are well prepared in readiness for the next stage of their learning and the move on to school.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Exceptional progress has been made since the previous inspection. The nursery benefits from a cohesive, strong, and supportive leadership and management team. The manager is highly qualified and experienced.

She has high expectations and a superb overview of what she wants children to learn. The manager and deputy regularly monitor staff practice to ensure their ethos and expectations are being put into practice. They constantly reflect on new ways to enhance children's experiences and strive to ensure children receive the very best start in life.

Staff have vast opportunities to extend their professional development. They access training and the manager is keen to ensure that every member of staff has opportunities to develop their personal interests and strengths. They cascade training to other staff members and share their expertise, to further enrich children's experiences and ensure that quality continually evolves.

Staff well-being is given the utmost priority. The manager recognises that if staff are supported and respected this will impact positively on the nursery. Staff benefit from the support of a well-being champion, a great place to work champion and staff who volunteer to be a 'listening ear'.

As a result, all staff comment about the support they receive. They speak positively about their working environment and say that they feel part of the team.Children's communication is exceptionally well supported, and the nursery provides a language-rich environment.

Staff continually model and extend children's vocabulary. They introduce new words and encourage children to repeat them and use them in their play. Children especially enjoy choosing fiction and non-fiction books from the cosy, well-stocked nursery library.

They look at books with their friends and predict what will happen next in the story. Younger children happily snuggle up to staff as they listen to stories and point to familiar objects and characters on the page.All children relish the time they spend in the calming reflections room.

They relax as they watch twinkling lights and listen to soft music. They explore light boxes and flashing balls and watch the fish in the colour changing bubble tube. Children with SEND especially benefit from the wonderful, relaxing atmosphere that this room creates.

Children learn about cultures and customs that are different to their own. Staff gather information from parents about festivals and traditions that children celebrate at home and replicate these in nursery. Children make rangoli and tartan patterns to learn about Diwali and St Andrews Day.

Children's health and personal hygiene is promoted exceptionally well. Older children independently access a personal hygiene station with tissues, mirror and hand gel to teach them how to blow their own nose. Staff are vigilant when serving meals and snacks to ensure that any allergies and dietary requirements are strictly adhered to.

Parent partnerships are extremely strong, and they are an integral part of the nursery. The entrance foyer provides a wealth of information for parents. Parent's views are sought and acted on and a 'hopes and dreams' tree holds their wishes for their child's future.

Parents comment that they are confident to leave their children and that children receive wonderful care. Staff share detailed information with parents to enable them to continue to support children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff have in-depth knowledge of safeguarding. They confidently talk about the signs that may indicate that a child is suffering from abuse, including those that are less known, such as cuckooing and witchcraft. Staff know the procedures to follow and where to seek help and advice if they have concerns about a child or a colleague.

Senior leaders, the manager and deputy prepare safeguarding quizzes and invent innovative games to test staff's knowledge of the signs of abuse. Children learn to stay safe as they play. Staff teach younger children to come down the stairs backwards and talk to them about being careful when standing in foam, so they do not slip.