Little Shining Stars

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are cared for by nurturing and caring staff at this welcoming nursery. Staff know children and families very well. Children form positive relationships with their key person. Babies use their key person as a secure base to explore the environment. They go back and check in with them when needed. As babies' confidence grows, they approach unfamiliar adults and show them their toys. Children feel safe and secure. Staff are positive role models. They model good manners and encourage children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children's behaviour is good. They learn to share the resources with their friends.

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

• Leaders and staff have worked hard to address the actions from the last inspection. They have worked effectively with the local authority to further reflect on and develop all areas of the nursery.
• Leaders plan a curriculum that teaches children the skills they need for the next stage in their learning. Children build on the skills they know and can do. Staff consider the interests of children when planning their next steps in learning. This helps children to be interested in their learning. However, sometimes, the learning intention is not always clear during activities. For instance, staff do not always consider what they want children to learn from the activities they plan. This means that staff do not always support children's learning to an even higher level.
• Children develop good physical skills. Staff plan activities that support the development of children's large and small muscles. Children prod and poke the play dough and squeeze pegs to clip on the picture of the bus. Younger children use their legs to propel the ride-on cars along the outdoor area.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. They speak clearly and ask questions to encourage children to think about what they are doing and why. Staff provide a range of resources to help children to develop a love of books and rhymes. Older children enjoy moving their bodies to music.
• Babies explore board books and start to turn the pages. Children enjoy listening to stories at group times. They begin to join in with the words to familiar stories.
• Children learn to follow the routines of the day. Older children learn to follow simple instructions. Staff encourage children to put their toys away at tidy-up time. However, sometimes, transitions happen too quickly for the younger children. This means that sometimes the youngest children do not always understand what is happening or what they need to do next.
• Staff promote mathematical language throughout the nursery. They sing counting songs and model the language of number, shape and size. Staff extend children's understanding of number by asking children to 'add one more' and 'how many they have left'. Children develop the skills of simple addition and subtraction.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a good understanding of the children who require additional support. She works with other agencies to ensure that children receive the support they need. Staff use additional funding effectively to support individual children's needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make very good progress.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and appreciate the good communication from staff. They feel well informed about their child's learning and development. Parents comment their children have come on leaps and bounds since starting the nursery. They appreciate the support they receive from staff, particularly in meeting children's individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen all staff's understanding of the learning intention for planned activities, to enable them to support children's learning to an even higher level
• consider ways to support younger children during transitions throughout the day so that they understand what is happening next.