Sunnybrow was established in 1989. Peter and Val Graveson took it over in 2003. In July 2006 they finished their refurbishment of new premises in the conservation area up above Kendal town centre, just off Underbarrow Road, and moved all their pre-school day care to this one site.
Sunnybrow is a family business. Peter, Val and Adam are very hands on, and more often than not, are always in and around the nursery. Peter is the Managing Director. Val, his wife, trained to be a nursery nurse and she is in charge of all the catering and cleaning arrangements, and often spends time covering staff holidays and absences. Their son Adam helps out in all areas of the business.
The nursery is a light and airy three-storey Victorian building, with tall ceilings and large windows, overlooking a large, secluded garden. We provide high-quality pre-school care and education for children from birth to 5 years old. We recently had a brand new garden area completed. Its suitble for all ages and has a large sandpit and a yurt and many more features.
Below is our latest OFSTED report:
Sunny Brow Daycare
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique reference number
EY338870
Inspection date
01/06/2010
Inspector
Sandra Elizabeth Williams
Type of setting
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Introduction
This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).
The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.
Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration.
Description of the setting
Sunny Brow Day Nursery is privately owned and has been registered in its current premises since July 2006. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is located close to the centre of Kendal and serves children from the local area. Children have access to seven playrooms and a sleep room. The children also have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.
A maximum of 92 children may attend the nursery at any one time, of whom 35 may be under two years of age. There are currently approximately 140 children on the register, all of whom are in the early years age group, and 38 are in receipt of funding for early years education. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. Support is offered to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 26 members of staff who work with the children. All but three of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and one holds the Early Years Professional Status.
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
Overall the quality of the provision is good.
Staff show a good knowledge of each child's individuality and interests and use this information to provide well for their individual needs. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and deliver a wide range of activities. They monitor children's progress well in most parts of the nursery. Children are making good progress in their learning given their starting points, ages and abilities. Children's welfare is promoted well and most of the required documents are in place. Partnerships with parents are excellent and staff have good systems in place for sharing information with other professionals and agencies. The staff demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and are aware of their strengths and areas for further development through their self-evaluation system.
What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?
To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:
· obtain details of who has parental responsibility for and legal contact with the children (Safeguarding and welfare).
15/06/2010
To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:
•extend the system for observing and assessing children's development in all areas of the nursery to ensure that their progress is clearly tracked and the next steps in their learning are clearly planned
•make sure that the sleep room is maintained at a temperature which is comfortable and appropriate for the children.
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision
Children are kept safe in the nursery because staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and they have attended appropriate training. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that persons working with children are checked thoroughly for suitability. The staff are extremely conscious of safety and ensure that children's safety is paramount. Thorough written risk assessments are in place and staff check the premises daily. Security is well managed to ensure children cannot leave the premises unsupervised and that intruders cannot enter. Children are kept safe on outings due to the risk assessments undertaken. The playrooms are spacious, light and airy, and resources are very well deployed to ensure children enjoy an effective learning environment. The temperature in the majority of the nursery is appropriate, however, the temperature in the sleep room is currently not consistently monitored. Most of the required documentation for the smooth running of the nursery is in place, apart from details of who has parental responsibility for and legal contact with each child. This is a breach of a legal requirement.
Staff have developed excellent systems for promoting partnership with parents and they ensure very good communication exists between them. Parents are fully included in their children's learning and welfare and are invited to contribute to their learning journeys at any time. Parents describe the staff as very approachable and friendly and they highly recommend the nursery to other parents. Good liaison exists with other agencies and professionals to provide continuity of care for all children, particularly those who have additional needs. Many of the staff have worked at the nursery for a significant length of time and they all work very well together to provide a happy and nurturing environment for the children. They have implemented the recommendations raised at the previous inspection and are committed to continuous improvement. They have a good understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development and have completed the self-evaluation process thoroughly.
The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this stimulating and friendly nursery. The key worker system in place ensures that staff get to know the children well and are able to help them settle and develop their own interests. The playrooms are spacious and very well resourced with good quality equipment that is organised to support children's independent thinking and learning across all areas of the curriculum. Children can see where their toys are stored as the storage boxes are clearly labelled, showing the contents within. Children are making good progress in their learning and development as staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. In most areas of the nursery, staff observe and assess children's progress and record individual progress files and learning journeys for each child, detailing their achievements. The information gathered is used to track children's progress in all areas of learning, however, this is not undertaken consistently in all rooms.
The children learn important lessons at nursery, such as being kind to each other and taking turns in their play. They show an ability to work together, for example, as they build tall towers out of blocks and as they design and paint large pictures together. They are encouraged to behave appropriately in order to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they use scissors safely and they do not run in the nursery. Children feel safe as they form close relationships with staff and other children in the nursery. They have excellent opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles and learn about sustainability as they grow vegetables, such as carrots, lettuces and beetroot, and enjoy eating them at snack time. They enjoy daily fresh air and exercise in the newly designed, excellent outdoor play area. It has been carefully designed to provide children with a unique and exciting space consisting of sensory paths, a rowing boat, planting and digging areas and dens. The children also have access to a large yurt which is used for various activities whatever the weather.
Staff skilfully challenge the children by asking them questions and encouraging problem solving. For example, the children count out the cups and dishes at snack time and work out if they have enough for the children present. They learn about positional language as they play with a remote control toy, instructing it to move forwards, backwards, left and right. Computers are available for children to help them learn about information technology. They really enjoy the challenging educational games on the computer and they are developing good keyboard and mouse skills, which contributes to their future social and economic well-being.
Children are developing a love of books and enjoy sitting on the comfy sofas in the book corners and 'reading' stories to each other. They also love to sit in their new dens and story houses to read books and chat to each other in cosy corners. Children have many opportunities to make marks using imaginative means, such as making letters from dough, spelling out their names and then baking them in the oven. They enjoy typing their names on the keyboard and writing on the whiteboards and chalkboards. Children develop their dexterity as they use scissors, glue sticks and mark making equipment, such as paintbrushes.
Children learn about equality and diversity by playing with multicultural play equipment, such as dolls and books. To celebrate Chinese New Year, some of the parents bring in a traditional papier-mâché dragon head and authentic Chinese lanterns, which enhances the children's learning about the festival. Children make a positive contribution to their local community by taking part in sponsored events to support various charities. They also help people in the community, for example, by distributing food hampers to local people. Overall, the children achieve and enjoy a great deal while having fun with their friends.
Annex A: record of inspection judgements
The key inspection judgements and what they mean
Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong
Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound
Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
How well does the setting meet the needs of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?
2
The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement
2
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision
How effectively is the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed?
2
The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement
2
The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources
2
The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity
2
The effectiveness of safeguarding
2
The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement
2
The effectiveness of partnerships
2
The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers
1
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
2
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
2
The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning
2
The extent to which children feel safe
2
The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles
1
The extent to which children make a positive contribution
2
The extent to which children develop skills for the future
2
Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
Annex B: the Childcare Register
The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are:
Met
The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are:
Met.
Our aim is to provide a safe, happy place where children learn, grow and have fun.
