Little Stars Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear commitment to inclusive practice. They work closely with families and other agencies to reduce barriers that children may face in their learning. These well-established working relationships ensure that appropriate referrals are made and that specialist advice can be used to adapt the curriculum. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively to support individual children's needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have specific teaching plans in place. Leaders ensure that all staff are aware of the agreed strategies to support them to adapt the activities that they provide to enable all children to benefit from these experiences. These positive links help all children, including children with SEND and those who receive additional funding, make good progress from their starting points.

Leaders have developed close links with parents. They are proactive in recognising difficulties families and children can face and demonstrate a clear commitment to helping to reduce barriers to learning. Leaders make good use of the services that are on site to ensure that all families receive the support they need. Parents comment positively about the nursery's commitment to multi-agency working. This means that families and children receive swift access to support to benefit the wellbeing of the whole family.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders have designed an aspirational curriculum throughout the nursery and, overall, this is implemented well. Children are provided with a range of exciting experiences that capture their interests and extend their learning across all areas of learning. Staff are skilled in how to adapt and use their teaching to engage children for extended periods. For example, as children build towers, staff pose questions about the shape and size of the structure. As the tower topples over, they all laugh together and staff encourage children to try and build the tower again. There is a sense of fun across the nursery, and children demonstrate motivation to learn.

Staff know children well and have a clear focus and intent within planned activities that build on children's skills over time. However, within children's free-play choices, some staff do not consistently interact to support children to build on their individual skills and gaps in their knowledge.

Staff support children's mathematical skills well. For example, they use size and number language as they play alongside the children. Children then use their knowledge in their play. They count items as they see them on the pages of the books and use their shape, size and colour knowledge to describe the leaves they find in the nursery forest area.

Staff who work with babies have created environments that support children's physical skills. Staff use babies' interests to encourage them to explore the environment and pull themselves up to standing. Babies show increasing strength as the pull themselves up to explore the activities on offer. They show great pride as they complete inset puzzles and clap for themselves. Staff provide a well-planned environment and use their interactions well to support babies' early development, with a focus on their personal, social and emotional needs.

Achievement: Expected standard

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn. Staff complete regular assessments of what children know and can do. They use this information to identify gaps in all children's learning. Staff plan interesting activities that support children's development across all areas of learning. For example, staff provide opportunities for children to develop the muscles they will need for later writing. They encourage children to squeeze, roll and cut dough. Children show great accuracy as they safely cut the dough into small pieces with scissors. Generally, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, achieve well from their starting points.

Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve. They support children to be independent, and this helps to raise children's self-esteem. Children of all ages have a go at feeding themselves and putting on their own coats. Older children competently cut up their own food and use cutlery well. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their move on to school. Parents have seen particular progress with their children's personal, social and emotional development and speech and language since they have started attending the nursery.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff create a calm atmosphere throughout the nursery. They have established consistent routines that children understand and follow. For example, children eagerly line up to wash their hands before mealtimes and count how many children are in the line.

Staff demonstrate an understanding of how to help children to feel emotionally secure. They provide frequent cuddles and reassurance to the children throughout the day and are gentle and positive in their interactions. Children model the positive behaviours they have seen as they show respect for the resources and gently return them and as they play cooperatively. Children praise their friends for their achievements, as they make a bigger rocket than them. Staff provide families with ideas of how to support their children's behaviours at home. Parents have seen a significant impact on their children's emotional needs through this consistent approach.

The environments that staff create are well organised to support children's engagement. Staff support children to have a go at tricky tasks. For example, as children's tall towers topple over, they encourage them to try again. Children giggle as they eagerly work together to rebuild the tower. Children show resilience in tasks.

Leaders have introduced new systems to promote punctuality and attendance. This has had a positive impact in ensuring children receive their full educational entitlement. Staff are flexible to support parents and utilise multi-agency working to help children to establish good habits for the future.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders place children's wellbeing at the heart of everything they do. Parents value the care that the staff provide to their children. Staff show the children respect as they seek permission throughout the day to complete tasks, such as wiping their faces and putting on bibs. Staff support children to recognise and express their emotions. This helps children to feel safe and secure in staff's care.

Children learn how to keep themselves healthy as staff talk to them at mealtimes about the impact of healthy food on their bodies. Children eagerly brush their teeth at the nursery each day. They recall how this gets rid of any germs and keeps their teeth healthy.

Children benefit from many opportunities to be active. They have access to lots of fresh air and physical exercise. Staff who work with babies provide interesting activities that encourage children to pull themselves up and to move around the environment. Children find the instruments and play them as staff sing along. In addition, staff provide opportunities for children to relax and be close to nature. Children explore natural materials in the forest area and take time to stop and notice the shape, size and colour of the leaves. These experiences support children's emotional and physical wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, the provider has ensured the weaknesses identified have been addressed. New systems to strategically monitor the quality of the provision have been implemented to ensure standards are maintained. Leaders use regular observations of staff's practice and feedback from parents, staff and children to evaluate the provision effectively. Leaders have a secure understanding of what the nursery does well and accurately identifies areas for improvement.

Leaders have good oversight of the setting and their knowledge of the local community and engagement with other agencies is a strength in helping the children and families who attend to thrive. They regularly reflect on the impact that the setting has on children's development and wellbeing, including the use of any additional funding.

Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing, and staff feel supported in their roles. They provide a range of training and support, and this helps staff to provide high-quality care and education to the children. However, training is not precisely focused on addressing the minor inconsistencies in staff teaching. Some staff are not as confident in how to use their interactions within children's free play. As such, they are not always able to build on children's individual skills and gaps in their knowledge.

The team has established strong relationships with parents and carers. Parents describe the nursery as a 'happy place' and state that their children enjoy the time they spend with the caring staff. Parents who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) share that staff support them through the SEND processes, seeking guidance on their behalf with other professionals and holding regular meetings. Leaders work closely with many of the schools children will attend. This supports the transitions for children in preparation for school.