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Sunshine Under 5's

Ofsted: Good
(Sept 2024)
·
5.0(1 parent reviews) ·441 Eastwood, Windmill Hill, RUNCORN, WA7 6LJ · Halton
Number of places
19 places
Age range
2–3 yrs
Last inspected
Sept 2024
Local authority
Halton

About this day nursery

Sunshine Under 5's, established in 1987 in Runcorn, Halton, provides a nurturing and inclusive "home-from-home" nursery environment where children aged 2 to 3 settle happily and quickly engage in play and learning. The setting operates term-time only, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, offering full-day care.

With a focus on individual needs, the dedicated team of three childcare staff, two of whom hold Level 3 or above early years qualifications, ensures a broad and flexible curriculum. A particular strength is communication and language development, with staff actively modelling conversations, singing, and encouraging children to join in with familiar rhymes.

The nursery also prioritises a healthy lifestyle, incorporating teeth brushing and good hygiene routines, and uses additional funding for enriching outings like trips to the beach and local cafe, broadening children's social skills and understanding of the world. Parents praise the quality of care, noting their children make good progress from the start.

What it's like

Children are well settled in this home-from-home nursery, arriving happily and quickly engaging in play and learning. Staff provide an inclusive, nurturing environment for children, getting to know each child's whole family to support emotional well-being. The nursery provides a broad curriculum, with communication and language development being a particular strength. Children chat to themselves and their friends, developing conversational skills for school.

Home-from-home environmentInclusive and nurturingStrong communication developmentHealthy lifestyle focusBroadening experiences

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 2.30pm

Term time / All Year

Term_time_only

Established

1987

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Sunshine Under 5's

Last inspected 16 September 2024

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are well settled in this home-from-home nursery, arriving happily and quickly engaging in play and learning. Staff provide an inclusive, nurturing environment for children, getting to know each child's whole family to support emotional well-being. The nursery provides a broad curriculum, with communication and language development being a particular strength. Children chat to themselves and their friends, developing conversational skills for school.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are well settled and quickly engage in play and learning.
  • Staff provide an inclusive, nurturing environment for children.
  • The nursery provides a broad curriculum that is flexible to support all children's individual needs.
  • Communication and language development is a strength.
  • Staff monitor children's development to quickly identify and address any gaps in learning.
  • Staff read to children throughout the day and encourage literacy development.
  • Children engage well and are motivated to join in with adult-led activities.
  • Staff support children to understand about a healthy lifestyle and good hygiene practices.
  • Staff are passionate about providing children with experiences they would not typically get.
  • The programme of professional development for staff has been improved since the last inspection.

Areas to develop

  • 1Focus outdoor learning more sharply on curriculum intentions to further support children who prefer to learn outdoors.
  • 2Provide parents with more specific information about children's individual next steps to help them extend learning at home.
Inspection #10318659 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff actively monitor children's development to quickly identify and address any learning gaps. Targeted learning plans are implemented for children with SEND, and referrals to outside agencies are made swiftly to ensure they receive the necessary support.

Outdoor space

Children engage in outdoor play, though the report suggests a need to sharpen the curriculum intentions in this area to better support children who prefer to learn outdoors.

EAL / language support

Staff use additional screening tools to monitor children's communication and language development, making it a strength of the setting. They model back-and-forth conversations and encourage children to join in with words and familiar rhymes to support language acquisition.

Parent Reviews of Sunshine Under 5's

5.0
(1)

Reviews from Google for Sunshine Under 5's. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Requires improvement → Good in 2024

Date: November 2011

  • September 2024Good
  • October 2023Requires improvement
  • November 2022Requires improvement
  • November 2016Good
  • November 2012Good
  • November 2011Inadequate

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