Little Stars Pre-School

Inclusion: Urgent improvement

Leaders have failed to ensure that staff have the confidence, knowledge and expertise they need to meet children's needs effectively. Leaders and staff do not identify or understand children's needs and development. Furthermore, they do not make certain that appropriate support is in place to enable all children, including the most disadvantaged, to belong and thrive. Leaders and staff do not take effective action to reduce what gets in the way of children's successful participation in all that the setting offers.

Weaknesses in the knowledge of leaders and staff mean that they are not clear about what children need help with now and next. They do not make adjustments to their support for children's opportunities and experiences. As a result, children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not met well enough.

A strength of the setting is how well leaders support the care needs of disadvantaged children and those known to children's social care. Leaders and staff work closely with outside professionals, such as social workers, to help keep children safe. For example, staff check children's welfare and attendance closely and report any concerns to leaders promptly. Leaders make effective use of additional funding to enable disadvantaged children to access extra childcare sessions. Although these sessions help to ensure children's safety and welfare, they do not have a positive impact on their learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is clear about what they want children to know and be able to do. They have not thought carefully enough about the order in which they want children to learn essential information. In addition, leaders have not ensured that staff have a secure understanding of child development, the curriculum and how to teach children. As a result, staff provide mundane activities that do not ignite children's interests or develop their thinking skills effectively.

Staff do not provide high-quality talk to develop children's communication and language, and wider knowledge. For example, as children occupy themselves with toys brought from home, staff do not seize these opportunities to extend children's language.

Staff have undertaken some training on the curriculum. However, this does not have a beneficial impact on the quality of teaching across the nursery. The checks that leaders carry out on staff's work do not spot these issues. This hinders how well staff help children to learn what they need to know. Consequently, children do not develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. This has a negative impact on their learning and progress.

Leaders have not made sure that staff understand how to make effective checks of children's curriculum knowledge. This means that staff's teaching does not match what children need. For example, leaders do not ensure that those disadvantaged children who need additional teaching to get them ready for school, receive the necessary support to thrive. Staff do not understand children's individual learning needs or next steps. Due to gaps in the curriculum and teaching, children do not benefit fully from opportunities to practise and revisit learning.

Some aspects of the curriculum are taught adequately. For example, children benefit from the outdoor curriculum, which provides opportunities for them to use their big muscles. They ride on balance bikes and scooters and run vigorously in the fresh air. Children thoroughly enjoy their outdoor play as they develop their physical skills.

Achievement: Urgent improvement

Children are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be. This weakness is largely due to the lack of a well-thought-out curriculum and skilful teaching. As a result, children do not learn the basic skills they need to support their future learning. Children's learning happens by chance and is not the result of the setting's curriculum and teaching. Leaders do not place a clear focus on what children need to learn next. Children spend most of their time initiating their own play without effective teaching and direction from staff. Consequently, children are not motivated to try new learning activities, and they do not experience a sense of achievement. This weakness has a detrimental impact on all children, especially those with barriers to learning.

Weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching mean that children do not develop the essential skills and knowledge that they need for school. For example, children who are not yet proficient in holding a pencil are encouraged to write. This does not help them to build their fine-motor skills and literacy knowledge in the right order. Overall, there are many gaps in children's knowledge, which does not give them a strong foundation for future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not ensure that children develop positive attitudes to learning. Staff do not model taking care of the learning environment and nursery resources. For example, staff do not notice when books are strewn across the bookshelf and large teddies are piled on top of the sofa in the book area. As a result, children do not venture to this area to explore books independently. The only time that children experience the joy of stories is when staff provide a space on the carpet at story time. The indoor environment does not provide a positive context to learning. Too often, children are left to occupy themselves without the support or interaction from staff, which affects children's attitudes to learning.

A strength of the setting is how staff are caring towards children. They speak to children with respect, show them kindness and build a rapport with them. Consequently, children are generally happy in the setting and enjoy the company of their friends and staff, which supports their emotional wellbeing. Parents also comment on the happy environment and how their children enjoy coming to the setting. This is reflected in children's regular attendance and their smiles as they arrive.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken appropriate action to improve hygiene practices, which promote children's health and wellbeing. Staff gently remind children to wash their hands after going to the bathroom. Staff also help young children to clean their faces. As a result, children learn to understand the importance of developing their self-care skills. Children also have access to fresh drinking water, so they can remain hydrated throughout the day. However, staff give children some unhealthy meals that are ultra processed and high in fat. This does not help children develop a basic awareness of healthy food choices.

Children have a positive sense of wellbeing in the setting's nurturing environment. Their relationships with staff are generally positive, which help to give them a sense of belonging. Children also develop some awareness of being physically active during outdoor-play activities. They enjoy running, jumping and using the outdoor-play apparatus. At other times, children enjoy jumping on the bouncy castle, which helps them to develop their large-muscle movements. Staff ensure policies are implemented adequately to keep children safe. For example, they ensure that children play outside when the outdoor area is shaded, which helps to protect children from the harmful sunrays.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Although leaders have made some improvements since the previous inspection, they have failed to address weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching. This lack of oversight and urgency to improve has resulted in poor educational outcomes for all children.

Leaders are considerate to staff workload, which has a positive impact on their wellbeing. However, leaders have not supported staff to improve their knowledge and skills. As a result, staff do not understand how they can help children to learn. This lack of support has further impeded children's learning and progress.

Leaders understand the needs of the community and build links with parents. They provide practical support to parents, such as signposting them to services that can help. This has a positive impact on children's care and wellbeing. Parents appreciate the care that their children receive from leaders and staff. Leaders also understand their duties and liaise with outside agencies to help keep children safe.

Although leaders have a clear vision on what they want to achieve, they do not have the capacity to make and sustain improvements. Leaders have not identified weaknesses in practice, and they have failed to address some previous breaches. Furthermore, their self-evaluation is overinflated. Consequently, leaders have failed to pinpoint priorities for improvement to ensure better outcomes and experiences for children.