Rising Stars Nursery & Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are kind and welcoming at this nursery. As children arrive, they confidently separate from their parents and carers and are greeted by staff. Staff provide consistent routines that help children settle and feel safe. Children are happy and energetically play and explore. Across the nursery, staff support, encourage and praise children. They promote children's positive attitudes towards their learning effectively. Children learn to concentrate on their chosen activities.

Leaders plan a broad curriculum filled with activities that promote children's developing language, physical agility and self-expression. Staff prepare the outdoor and indoor learning environments with enticing activities. Children enjoy musical, sensory and messy play opportunities. Staff have meaningful interactions with children that foster their curiosity as they play. Babies choose spades and scoops themselves and use them to dig in the sand. They determinedly toddle towards the outdoor climbing and water play equipment. Children show they love being in the open air. Staff have high expectations for children's developing independence. As a result, babies confidently assert themselves, and older children manage aspects of their self-care.

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

• Leaders have successfully addressed the actions set at the previous inspection. Staff are deployed well across the nursery and during children's activities. Leaders have devised a development plan with a sharp focus on improving staff's practice. The recently recruited manager mentors, coaches and models good practice for staff. This has contributed to improvements in the quality of education.
• Children's language and communication skills are supported well. Staff respond to babies' babble and encourage them to repeat simple words and sounds. Older children benefit from conversations with staff. Staff ask questions and introduce new words to increase children's vocabulary.
• Staff provide consistent opportunities for children to develop self-care skills. They stand back and allow children to attempt putting their coats on and fastening their shoes before assisting them. Children wash their hands and serve their portions at mealtimes. They scrape their own plates. Babies competently finger feed and drink from their own beakers and bottles.
• Staff encourage children's physical agility very well. They intentionally create opportunities outdoors that encourage children to take risks as they play. Children master jumping off play equipment. Staff challenge them by placing narrow planks and floor ropes for children to travel across. However, staff's knowledge of how to ensure children have age-appropriate indoor opportunities to manage risks as they play is less strong.
• Staff develop a deep understanding of individual children's interests. They gather detailed information from parents. This helps them understand the best ways to support children, particularly when children are new to the setting.
• Children develop good health and hygiene practices. They learn to wash their hands before eating and after playing outside. Staff talk about foods that are healthy. Mealtimes are social occasions. Children have good appetites and enjoy a good variety of healthy, well-balanced meals.
• Children behave well, and overall, they interact positively with others. Staff revisit the 'golden rules' during circle times. However, staff's support for individual children in the earlier stages of understanding the rules and expectations for behaviour is inconsistent. Consequently, not all children develop the ability to self-regulate their behaviour, in particular during free-play times.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that staff employ effective strategies that help children progress towards their individual targets. Leaders use additional funding appropriately.
• Parents say their children develop strong bonds with staff. They feel leaders are approachable and resolve any issues swiftly. Parents describe staff's daily feedback and communication as detailed. They say staff are caring people who sensitively consider children's individual needs.
• Staff receive a thorough induction and complete mandatory training. They have a good understanding of their overall responsibilities. Staff appreciate the manager's hands-on approach to supporting them. They feel communication among the team is strong, and leaders welcome their ideas. This helps them work well together.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's knowledge of how to promote children's ability to manage age-appropriate risks during their indoor play
• provide consistent support for individual children who are in the earlier stages of understanding the expectations and boundaries so they learn to self-regulate their behaviour.