All Stars Child Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in the care of staff who are nurturing and loving towards them. Staff make sure they spend time getting to know children well. They also ensure strong working relationships are forged with their families. As a result, children have strong bonds with staff. For example, the youngest children excitedly hold out their arms to key staff when they see them. Across the whole nursery, staff have created a warm, welcoming, happy and safe environment for children.

Staff provide children with a good range of experiences, which build on their interests and prior learning. For example, toddlers dance and sing along to familiar songs and they eagerly join in the associated actions. The most-able children develop their knowledge of letters and their sounds. They confidently access a large interactive device, where they trace letters and sound them out. They are eager to share the letters in their names. This supports them in their readiness for the move on to school.

Staff are attentive and good role models for children. They have high expectations and promote a consistent approach to how children behave. Children understand these expectations, they develop a sense of belonging and demonstrate care and respect for each other. Children of all ages make good progress from their starting points, are motivated and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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

• There is a passionate, dedicated management team, who work closely together to plan a sequenced and balanced curriculum. The staff team consider what children already know and how this can be extended as they transition through the nursery. Additionally, the management team give high priority to staff well-being and ongoing professional development opportunities.
• There is good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work closely with other professionals to implement individual support plans for children who need them. Staff monitor and observe children and make timely referrals to outside agencies. They use additional funding well, for example, to provide one-to-one support. This helps to ensure that any children who may be at risk of falling behind receive swift intervention.
• Children benefit from lots of effective interactions with staff, and they begin to develop good concentration skills. Overall, during specifically planned activities, staff support children effectively to achieve their intended learning outcomes. However, during periods of spontaneous play in particular, some staff do not implement curriculum intentions fully. Therefore, at times, children's learning is not consistently promoted to the highest level.
• Children have good opportunities to develop their communication and literacy skills. There is a good use of books and stories for children of all ages. Staff enhance children's learning by taking them on visits to the local library and through the introduction of a nursery lending library. Children use large chalks to draw lines, shapes and letters, when playing outdoors, practising their pre-writing skills. Staff narrate on children's play. They give meaning to the marks children make and they introduce new vocabulary, for example, as children pour and fill vessels at the water tray.
• Children's good health and hygiene are effectively promoted. Freshly cooked meals, consistent hygiene routines and good support for oral health means children learn how to manage their own personal care.
• Children benefit from daily access to a fun and stimulating outdoor play area. Their developing physical skills are supported well. Children ride on wheeled toys, skilfully pedalling and capably changing direction. They enjoy testing out their skills as they walk along the balance beam. Children enjoy the large construction shapes as they build a house by fitting the shapes together. Staff support children to work together as a team.
• Parents are very happy with the quality of care provided and the progress their children make. Parents receive updates about children's development and daily feedback about their day. They value the online application and share information about children's experiences at home. This two-way flow of information helps to provide continuity in care and learning. Additionally, partnerships with local schoolteachers are very effective and children make a smooth transition on to the next stage of their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently implement and fully promote planned curriculum intentions, particularly during spontaneous interactions and activities.