Morning Star Nursery - Eldon Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers are committed to providing the best possible care and education for children, families and staff. They support the team in planning a curriculum that enables children to make the best progress from their starting points in development. Parents and carers share that their children look forward to their days at the nursery. Staff place a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and creating a home-from-home atmosphere. They thoughtfully plan the curriculum and environment to meet children's needs. For example, staff in the baby room ensure that babies can practise their crawling skills on rainy days by setting up an indoor space for them. Babies also enjoy dancing to action rhymes and songs.

Children are engaged in purposeful learning, using their imaginations. For example, they pretend to be parents and push baby dolls around in prams. Children have numerous opportunities to explore freely during activities. For example, babies eagerly explore coloured sticky paint. Staff describe its texture and smell, using language such as 'sticky', which supports the development of the babies' early language skills. Staff serve as positive role models, reinforcing the expectations for their behaviour. They gently remind children of rules, such as no running indoors for safety reasons. This helps children to understand how to stay safe. By incorporating children's interests, staff support their engagement and foster positive attitudes toward learning. Overall, children demonstrate positive behaviour.

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

• Staff have a good understanding of each child's current developmental stage and their next steps in learning. They recognise the sequence in which children should learn skills. For example, they support older babies to use sippy cups to drink, while encouraging two-year-old children, with support, to pour their own drinks and drink from an open cup. This supports children's independence development well.
• Overall, staff support children's language and communication development effectively. They engage actively with children, introducing a wide range of vocabulary during their play. During circle time, staff encourage children to choose and name songs, as well as select stories. They also provide opportunities for children to join in with repeated phrases and ask open-ended questions, allowing children to retell stories. This helps children to become confident communicators.
• Staff engage children in conversations at mealtimes about healthy and unhealthy foods using a visual chart. Managers and staff have also held a healthy lifestyles workshop for parents, sharing strategies to support healthy habits at home. This collaboration helps children to make informed choices and reinforces healthy eating at nursery and at home.
• Staff support children's physical development effectively by working with parents to understand each child's abilities. Babies build core strength with activities such as sitting on rockers. Older children develop their physical skills, balance and coordination, such as through climbing, riding tricycles and using large wands to make bubbles.
• Children benefit from a variety of learning experiences that support their mathematical development. For example, staff plan activities that help children to understand measurement through different shapes and sizes in creative play. They also play games such as hopscotch, encouraging children to count their jumps, which helps to develop their numeracy skills.
• Staff engage well with children, promoting their focus and participation. However, at times, high noise levels from older children can impact on younger children's engagement in learning. Supporting staff to consider how to enhance children's listening skills consistently to maintain a calm and supportive environment will benefit the learning and engagement of all learners.
• Children develop positive relationships with their peers and staff. They remain focused on activities and demonstrate kindness by offering help when needed. However, during transitions, children occasionally experience longer waiting periods, which can sometimes cause restlessness and leave some children feeling unsettled.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents and carers praise staff for identifying their children's individual needs and making timely referrals. This enables children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to receive the right support aligned to their needs. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points in development.
• Managers engage staff in evaluating and improving the curriculum, collaborating with external professionals. Staff feel highly valued and supported by the management team. They appreciate the personalised support and access to training, which helps them enhance their practice and positively impact on children's outcomes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further enhance children's listening skills and attention
• help children to manage and consistently develop their self-regulation skills during transition times.