Little Stars Education Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive keen to start their day and eager to learn. They are highly motivated and happy at this welcoming nursery. Children show that they feel safe. They develop exceptionally close bonds with the kind and caring staff. Staff respond extremely well to the needs of babies, quickly recognising individual signs, such as tiredness, and spend time gently soothing them. Babies thoroughly enjoy sensory play experiences, such as smelling and feeling dough as they make biscuits. Children show great resilience and determination. Younger children press buttons on technical toys, eagerly anticipating what might happen next and persevering until they see their favourite light effect. Older children work hard to build a tall tower of bricks and keep trying even when they encounter difficulties, such the tower collapsing. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They follow the 'golden rules' and start putting resources away quickly when the tidy up song comes on. Children are very respectful of other children. For example, they remind their friends to walk so they 'don't fall over'. The nursery closed for a short period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff continued to support families and provided filmed stories and activities to help parents support their children's learning at home. Staff have adapted the drop-off and collection points to minimise contact.

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

• The ambitious and dedicated leadership team provides a strong and clear vision for the nursery. The team supports children in receipt of funded early education and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities well to reach their full potential. Staff liaise closely with external professionals, such as speech therapists, and implement strategies to help children make good progress. For example, they introduce gestures and pictures to support children's understanding of language.
• There is a superb sense of community at the nursery. Staff are meticulous in finding out about children's home lives and cultures. They celebrate their uniqueness. Children cook food and dance to music from different cultures. Staff ensure these experiences are fully embedded in the curriculum. There are many opportunities for children to see and hear their home language in the nursery through resources such as books and bilingual staff.
• Staff support children's communication and language successfully. Babies happily babble as they point to pictures in books. Toddlers hear meaningful language and name favourite animals. Older children confidently hold more complex conversations and concentrate well as they discuss different feelings.
• Members of the leadership team thoughtfully consider staff well-being. They complete regular supervision meetings and give staff designated time to write reports and access professional development opportunities to enhance their skills. For example, staff have increased their knowledge of how to develop children's coordination skills. Staff confirm that they feel supported and valued.
• Children benefit from an excellent range of opportunities to be healthy and active. For example, they delight in moving their whole bodies as they act out stories and during their 'wacky workouts' sessions. Children enjoy a variety of healthy, nutritious meals prepared by the nursery chef. Staff are aware of children's allergies and dietary requirements when serving food and ensure these are always strictly adhered to.
• Staff support children's emotional well-being extremely well. For instance, when children move rooms, familiar staff move with them. Children are highly independent. Older children scrape their plates after lunch without prompting and carefully put them in the washing up bowl. Younger children wipe their noses and put the tissues in a bin independently.
• Parents speak highly of the leadership team and staff. They say that their children love attending and are always well cared for. Staff give parents ample ideas to support home learning. They communicate successfully with parents in a range of ways, for example through daily conversations and the online learning journal.
• Staff follow children's interests and join in well with their play. Staff make observations of these interests and children's achievements. They use this information to plan their curriculum and sequence the next steps in children's learning. However, on occasion, staff do not always extend children's learning during their freely chosen play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support less experienced staff to make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities, to extend and challenge children's learning.