Opening hours
07:00 to 18:30 Monday to Friday
Sunshine Day Nursery 2003
Ofsted: Expected standard·
3.7(3 parent reviews)
·Clatterfield Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0AX · Southend on Sea
Number of places
53 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Southend on Sea
About this day nursery
Sunshine Day Nursery 2003, located in Westcliff-on-Sea, offers childcare for children aged 0-4 years. Established in 2003, the nursery operates Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, all year round, and has a capacity for 53 children.
The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, focusing on developing early language skills and promoting a strong sense of self. Children are encouraged to explore their surroundings, both indoors and in the nursery garden, where they engage in sensory activities like shaving foam and mud painting.
Leaders have a clear policy regarding attendance and have implemented a robust key-person approach. They have made changes since the last inspection to improve provision through critical reflection and by working with the local authority.
While children are happy and content, and babies receive warm, individualised care, the inspection noted variabilities in teaching quality and a need to improve curriculum planning to ensure consistent challenge and opportunities for independence, particularly for the youngest children.
What it's like
Variabilities in the quality of teaching children receive does not fully support them to make the best progress. The curriculum is not effectively based on what staff know children can already do, which means children are not provided with sufficient challenge to help them to remain focused and interested in learning. Staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to develop independence and to guide their own play and learning.
Happy and content childrenWarm care for babiesParental involvementEYFS curriculumOutdoor explorationStrong safeguarding
Pricing & funding
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Age range
12 weeks to 5 years
Term time / All Year
All_year
Established
2003
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Expected standard
Last inspected Mar 2026
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
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Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Sunshine Day Nursery 2003
Last inspected 31 March 2026
What it's like to attend
Variabilities in the quality of teaching children receive does not fully support them to make the best progress. The curriculum is not effectively based on what staff know children can already do, which means children are not provided with sufficient challenge to help them to remain focused and interested in learning. Staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to develop independence and to guide their own play and learning.
Inspector highlights
- Children are happy and content during their nursery day.
- Babies receive warm, individualised care and attention, with staff knowing their daily routines well.
- Parents are encouraged to share their views through annual questionnaires, and the management team considers parental comments.
- Children enjoy participating in singing and rhyme sessions, excitedly choosing visual prompts for familiar songs or rhymes.
- Children take pride in decorating pictures related to current themes or celebrations.
- Babies enjoy making marks on large paper on the floor, using crayons and smiling as they create.
- Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
- Children make progress due to an ambitious curriculum and teaching, developing vocabulary and expressive language skills.
- Children show a growing awareness of their emotions and develop a strong sense of self through secure attachments with staff.
- Leaders have implemented a robust key-person approach, ensuring children are cared for with warmth and sensitivity.
- The setting has met the requirements of the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.
- Children are wonderfully independent and receive encouragement to manage their needs, including feeding themselves and putting on their shoes.
- Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support with personal plans to make progress.
- Parents and carers are actively involved in their children's learning, with staff sharing regular updates and inviting parents to share home experiences.
Areas to develop
- 1Leaders should broaden their use of evaluation to ensure a detailed analysis of the setting's strengths and identified priorities that cover all areas of the provision and drive continuous improvements in the curriculum and quality of teaching.
- 2Leaders should ensure the youngest children, who are not yet fully mobile, can access the full range of learning opportunities available to them, such as by supporting staff to organise environments more effectively.
Inspection #10393797 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Leaders have ensured that staff have appropriate training in supporting children with SEND. This equips them with the knowledge and skill to shape support for children through effective partnership working. Staff work with other settings and health and education specialists. They are clear about how they use additional funding to enhance experiences for children and close gaps in learning. Leaders have recently introduced a language screening programme to help with early identification of children's speech and language delays.
Outdoor space
Children enjoy exploring in the nursery garden, where they experience a selection of sensory activities such as shaving foam, mud and water painting. The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.
Parent Reviews of Sunshine Day Nursery 2003
3.7
(3)
Zoë Uglow
2 years ago
Our son has attended since he turned one, and we are very happy with the care he receives. He is always happy to go and is very fond of the staff who work with him. I'm sure this will continue as he moves up a room. The team are always available and willing to answer any queries we have.
Read on Google
Suzanne Ferguson
3 years ago
Very happy with the level of care they provide my daughters. My eldest started in the baby room and she absolutely loved her time there. Now my youngest has started and she seems to be enjoying it just as much. Friendly, helpful staff who are always available if I have questions or concerns.
Read on Google
B L
8 years ago
Sounded bit reckless to provide place for funding children. Initially they told they have places in the afternoon session, but no response for a week, up on calling them to find out the status. They showed no care and responded they dont have any more places for now and tried to act like they will try to provide place, but sounded like not so keen. :(. Its not about not getting place, its about how they speak and receive new parents.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Sunshine Day Nursery 2003. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: January 2010
The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Requires improvement). We're re-checking it against the original report.
- May 2025Requires improvement
- April 2025Requires improvement
- December 2019Good
- November 2019Good
- September 2014Good
- August 2014Good
- April 2014Inadequate
- March 2014Inadequate
- November 2013Requires improvement
- October 2013Requires improvement
- July 2013Good
- April 2013Good
- January 2010Good
Frequently asked about Sunshine Day Nursery 2003
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