Rising Stars (Grove Hill) Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have created secure routines for the children. This helps children understand the expectations and behave well. Staff give children ample time to practise their self-care skills from a very young age. Young children wipe their own noses and older children practise putting on their coats and shoes. This helps build on their independence that they will need later in life. Staff play with the children and enjoy their company. Children enjoy the wide range of activities that staff provide for them. Staff help children gain an awareness of mathematical concepts. They use words, such as 'full' and 'empty', as children scoop and pour water between jugs and cups.

Staff encourage the children to develop their social skills. Older children work well together as a team when they pack away outdoor equipment. They each hold a part of the balancing stones, so they stack together. Staff role model how to take turns with younger children. They use games, such as rolling balls to each other, as opportunities to help them to practise waiting or for their friends to have a turn. Children are kind and caring and are developing friendships. They help each other by pouring drinks for those who have spilt theirs.

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

• The manager and staff team are dedicated to supporting children and their families. Managers support staff effectively. Staff report their well-being is a high priority and that working at the nursery feels like being with their families. Managers meet with staff regularly and provide opportunities for them to develop their practice. However, this does not always focus sharply on staff's teaching skills so that the impact can be seen in interactions.
• Staff know the children very well. They understand that children can learn a range of skills from the activities they plan, to meet their individual needs. Regular assessments of children's development help staff understand what children already know and can do. However, older children do not always receive rigorously challenging opportunities to stretch their thinking skills.
• There is a clear focus on building children's speaking and listening skills. Staff understand the importance of this and engage in the children's play. They listen hard to understand what younger children are trying to express and model clear language. As a result, babies and young children vocalise and use gestures to communicate. Older children listen to stories that staff read with expression. They join in the familiar phrases and experience the rhythm of language.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. They receive regular updates about their child's development, such as the progress check at age two. Staff give parents resources to complete activities at home with their children. This helps provide consistency of learning. Parents also report that they work together with staff and feel comfortable discussing any concerns they may have.
• Staff plan and provide a range of opportunities to help children build strength in their hand and finger muscles. Babies poke and squish play dough. Older children concentrate as they squeeze tweezers to collect toy bears in the sand tray.
• The nursery team support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Managers share information regularly with other professionals during meetings and when they visit the nursery. This important communication helps to support the whole family around the child. Staff have good knowledge of, and implement, focused plans for children, such as care plans and specific activities. Children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Children are gaining awareness of what contributes to a healthy lifestyle. They eat a range of nutritious, freshly cooked meals. They have a choice of a range of fruits and vegetables to eat. They practise balancing, running and throwing beanbags into hoops in the garden area daily. This helps children build their whole-body coordination and control.
• Staff utilise their local area to develop children's knowledge of the world around them. They visit the local bakery and doctor's surgery to meet different people and learn about different services. This helps to foster children's sense of community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff provide more opportunities to further challenge older children
• consider ways to further develop staff teaching skills.