Happy Stars Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know the children they care for very well at this friendly nursery. Children form strong bonds with their key persons and seek them out if they are having difficulties and need reassurance or if they are sad or upset. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind them to take turns when playing on the slide and not to run inside, as they might fall over and get hurt. Behaviour is good. Children understand expectations and the importance of sharing and taking turns when playing with their friends.

The curriculum is based on children's interests. Activities are well planned and engaging. Outside, older children chalk pictures of monsters and describe the sound their monster makes to staff. Inside, the youngest children practise opening and closing the lids of different bottles. Staff are on hand to show them how to turn and push the lids. Children show real delight when they are successful and exclaim, 'Look I did it. I do it again!'

Staff have high expectations. They ensure that children know how to care for themselves and teach them to become self-sufficient. They want all children to be confident, independent and inquisitive learners when they move on to the next stage in their education.

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

• Managers have a strong vision for the nursery and are dedicated to their roles. They put great emphasis on staff's well-being and ensure that their professional development is a priority. Staff praise the support managers give them and comment on how happy they are at work.
• Managers and staff have a good knowledge of how young children learn and develop. They have clear intentions for the curriculum they teach. All areas of learning are supported inside and outside.
• Provision builds on children's previous knowledge and skills. Activities are well sequenced, and most children make good progress. However, the eldest children's learning is not extended as much as it could be by some members of staff, and activities do not always meet these children's development needs.
• Supporting children's independence skills is a high priority. Staff encourage children to do a wide range of things for themselves. They use cutlery to serve and feed themselves at lunchtime, fasten their own coats and self-register when they arrive in the morning.
• Children have many opportunities to practise their small- and large-muscle skills. Outside, children build intricate obstacle courses, which they then balance on, and they climb the large equipment. Inside, children develop the muscles in their hands by putting together the pieces of a puzzle and building with small construction resources.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. They narrate what children are doing and engage them in frequent story times. Toddlers and babies sing familiar songs and rhymes, which are brought to life by hand puppets that they wear while joining in. Older children are introduced to new words, such as 'squish', 'squash' and 'tough', while playing with the dough.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support from staff. Staff monitor children's progress closely and swiftly identify children who need additional support to meet their development goals. They work closely with the local authority and parents to ensure that children receive targeted intervention.
• Children have many opportunities to explore the local area. They regularly visit nearby shops, parks and the library. These visits enhance children's understanding of their local community and the world.
• Managers and staff work together to regularly evaluate the provision. They implement new ways of working to drive improvement and further develop the environment for children's continual learning. For instance, staff visit other nurseries to observe practice, and they use what they see to inform changes in the nursery. Parents participate in regular surveys, and their development ideas are implemented where possible.
• Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. They appreciate the regular information they receive about their children's learning and development. Staff provide ideas for parents on how to support their children's learning at home. Parents say that their children have made lots of progress in their spoken language and social skills since starting to attend the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to further extend older children's learning and development to ensure that they always make good progress.