URN 2848110 · Inspected 2026-08-25 · Published 2026-09-25 · Inspector: Janine Ryan
Little Ray of Sunshine Daycare Unique reference number (URN): 2848110 Address: 12-14 Mortimer Heights, Cubley, Penistone, Barnsley, S36 9UY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/08/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bird, Sally-Hannah Inspection report: 25 August 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders have embedded a respectful culture in which expectations for behaviour are clear, consistently modelled and understood. As a result, children are considerate, polite and cooperative. They confidently share resources, take turns and form positive relationships. Group activities strengthen children's ability to listen, follow instructions and regulate their feelings. Staff use praise effectively, helping children to develop confidence, resilience and consistently positive attitudes to learning. Warm, responsive relationships enable children to form secure attachments, settle quickly and transition throughout the day. The open-plan environment enables siblings to maintain close connections and share mealtimes, further strengthening children's sense of belonging. Well-established routines are highly effective in developing independence. Children make choices and serve themselves at snack time, use cutlery, lay the table and self-serve at lunchtime. They independently manage shoes, coats and personal care, according to their age and needs. Leaders work closely with parents to promote punctuality and attendance. Communication is open and absences are followed up promptly. Leaders support parents in accessing funding to ensure that children receive the best early education offer that suits the child and their family's needs. This enables all children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing barriers to learning, to establish positive routines, attend regularly and become well prepared for school. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. Staff form positive, warm relationships with children, which enable them to settle well and feel emotionally safe and secure. Transitions are managed successfully, working at the child's pace to ensure these are seamless and without upset. Leaders have a very good knowledge of the setting's children and work with parents to respond to children's individual needs. Routines are effective and responsive. Secure relationships are established through the key-person system. Babies form strong attachments and seek comfort from familiar adults. Children are supported to develop an understanding of personal safety, health and wellbeing. Children have access to the indoor soft-play area and the outdoors daily, for exercise. Children learn about hygiene through regular handwashing and personal-care routines. Children join for communal mealtimes and enjoy home-made healthy meals and a choice of snacks each day. Children make healthy choices and enjoy trying new foods. Staff use calm interactions and sensitive responses to help children recognise, express and manage their emotions. Sleeping, feeding and weaning routines are carefully adapted to meet children's individual needs. Staff work closely with parents to ensure continuity of care and respond to dietary requirements, allergies and preferences. As a result, children feel safe, settled and supported, enabling them to thrive and make positive progress in their development. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children make progress through the curriculum and develop secure foundations in communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Regular stories, songs and meaningful interactions strengthen children's vocabulary, listening and understanding. Consequently, children communicate their ideas clearly and engage in meaningful conversations. Children develop confidence and independence throughout the day, for example, by serving themselves at mealtimes and attending to personal care. Leaders and staff develop secure relationships with children so that they feel safe, secure and can thrive. Regular physical activity enables children to develop a positive attitude to exercise. Children have healthy home cooked foods and are introduced to a varied diet. Staff know their key children's next steps and share regular observations and assessments with parents. However, leaders should ensure that all staff are aware of all children's next steps and information that is shared across the staff team should be accurate, current and reflect sufficient challenge for individual children. Disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care make secure progress from their starting points. Leaders work with parents and professionals to reduce barriers to children's learning. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have designed a curriculum which demonstrates the knowledge and skills children need to achieve and be ready for their next step in education. It provides broad and balanced learning opportunities that support children's overall development. Staff prioritise communication and language, personal social and emotional development and physical development, to ensure strong foundations for future learning. Quality interactions support children's developing vocabulary, oral language and language comprehension. Leaders nurture children's literacy and language development and foster a love of books. Core books are used to model reading behaviours, which allows children to join in as they remember what happens. Focused activities allow children to develop listening and attention skills as they follow simple instructions. Babies enjoy the song basket which supports their language development, as well as strengthening the emotional connection to their key person. Children develop their physical skills, confidence and coordination through accessing indoor soft play and the outdoor area. Fine-motor skills are practised through a range of activities, including play dough, mark making and using serving tongs and cutlery at mealtimes. Maths is interwoven throughout the daily routine. Planned opportunities focus on teaching children core mathematical concepts. Babies enjoy number rhymes. Staff combine explicit teaching with play opportunities so that children learn the intended curriculum. Daily routines promote independence, as children lay tables, hand out plates and cutlery, collect shoes, put on jackets and manage personal care. Leaders have the knowledge and strategies to adapt teaching to reduce barriers for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders have established an inclusive culture in which children's individual needs are identified through initial information from families, ongoing observations, developmental tracking, speech and language assessments and discussion with parents. Leaders adopt the graduated approach to assess emerging needs and adapt provision and routines to best support children. The use of visual prompts, calm spaces, sensory resources to reduce barriers to learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Leaders seek advice from the local authority and work with other external agencies to support best outcomes for children. This coordinated approach has helped children to make progress in communication, self-regulation and their ability to follow routines. Early years pupil premium and disability access funding are used purposefully to provide resources linked to children's needs and interests. These include sand, water and sensory play, and to strengthen staffing ratios. Leaders monitor the impact of this spending. Parents contribute to assessments and receive information through online communications and direct discussion. Leaders should strengthen the review of personalised targets so that all staff are aware of children's gaps and next steps, and teaching can be precisely adjusted for every child. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are reflective about the provision and identify strengths and areas that require improvement. They conduct regular staff supervision, monitor staff wellbeing and consider workload. Staff report that they feel valued, listened to and supported, which contributes to consistent care and learning for children. Leaders identify individual training needs and provide professional development. However, professional learning is not yet sufficiently strategic. Leaders should ensure that training is closely matched to improvement priorities and that its impact on staff practice and children's experiences is evaluated. Leaders work closely with parents and external professionals to secure targeted support and access funding, make referrals and support the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, such as those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They prioritise inclusion and take purposeful action to reduce barriers to learning. Parents receive information about their children's progress and next steps and describe warm, supportive relationships with staff. Leaders are developing their strategic vision for the provision. They should strengthen continuous improvement planning by using local information, extending community links and identifying clear priorities that improve the quality of provision and outcomes for all children. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children experience a warm, caring and inclusive setting where personalised welcomes, sensitive interactions and well-established routines help them to feel safe, secure and valued. They form positive relationships with staff and other children and develop confidence and independence. Children learn to share, cooperate and work in groups. They are happy in their play and independently resolve any disputes with their friends. Children demonstrate resilience and persist in challenging activities. Children enjoy a language-rich environment, sharing stories, songs, conversations and focused activities which help to develop Inspector: Janine Ryan About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2848110 vocabulary, and their listening and attention skills. Children become increasingly independent in managing self-care tasks and taking part in the daily routines. Children enjoy social mealtimes together. They lay the tables, serve themselves and try new foods. Staff sit with children and use these opportunities to promote learning. Children access a well- resourced environment with opportunities to enjoy soft play and have daily access to the outdoors. Children become confident in their physical skills, developing strength and coordination as well as balance and spatial awareness. Activities that require pinching, grasping and handling improve their hand–eye coordination. Mathematical language is introduced through routines and planned activities. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning receive adapted support tailored to their specific needs. The setting has accessed funding to create a sensory area which promotes self-regulation and communication and learning. Children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage of their education journey. Next steps Leaders should continue to develop high-quality provision by aligning staff development with identified priorities and evaluating the impact on practice and children's outcomes. Leaders should develop existing systems to ensure that all staff are fully aware of children's individual next steps to ensure all children achieve well from their individual starting points and receive sufficient challenge to excel in their learning. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator and assistants during the inspection. 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. Address: 12-14 Mortimer Heights Cubley Penistone Barnsley S36 9UY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 13/08/2025 Registered person: Bird, Sally-Hannah Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Barnsley Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 25 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 10 to 46 Total number of places 44 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted © Crown copyright 2026 © Crown copyright