Shooting Stars Nurseries Worcester

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm and friendly environment for all children. Children develop strong attachments with their key persons, who are nurturing in their approach. Staff place a high emphasis on developing children's emotional resilience to help ensure that they feel safe and secure. They are enthusiastic when they play alongside children, encouraging them to join in with the activities. Children become fascinated when they find different sizes of leaves on the nature hunt. They compare the sizes, helping to develop their awareness of mathematical concepts.

Staff are excellent role models and have high expectations for children. They get down to children's eye level to clearly explain the expectations of their behaviours. Children demonstrate that they understand, and they adapt their behaviour accordingly. During activities, children are considerate of their friends and share their resources so they can join in. Children are curious learners, and staff plan activities to ignite their thirst for learning. Children enthusiastically join in with den building in the garden. They work cooperatively together to help create their den. Staff supervise and guide children well to enable them to take safe risks when moving the large poles into place to create the frame. This helps to develop children's awareness of the personal safety of others, as well as their own.

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

• Managers have a clear vision and good oversight of the nursery. They reflect and evaluate the quality of the nursery and take prompt action, when needed, such as providing training opportunities to support staff's professional development. Staff express positive comments about the support they receive from the managers, which includes well-being support through supervision and attending regular team meetings.
• Staff have a good understanding of the curriculum they intend to provide for children. However, there are times when staff do not always consider how to extend some children's learning further. At times, they are too quick to provide the answer and do not allow children time to respond or extend their knowledge further.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities. She acts promptly to concerns staff share about their key children's development. The SENCo works in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure the right targeted approach is in place. This supports children to make expected progress in their development.
• Generally, children follow routines well. In preparation for lunchtime, children sit with staff for group time and join in with a singing session. Children happily copy actions to familiar songs. However, staff do not consider the length of time younger children sit, and this results in some losing focus. This means children are not always engaged in their learning.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff share updates with parents about their children's progress through regular partnership meetings. Parents express the gratitude they have for the care their children receive. They comment that they know their children enjoy coming because they talk about wanting to come to nursery in the mornings.
• Staff promote an inclusive environment for all children. Children join in with activities to celebrate different cultural events to widen their understanding of the world. Staff develop the environment to include other children's cultural backgrounds, such as introducing cookbooks into the role-play area from their home country. Children develop their awareness of different foods they might eat as they pretend to make these.
• Children enjoy a range of healthy, home-cooked meals and snacks. Staff supervise children effectively during mealtimes. They implement a robust allergy management procedure to ensure that children remain safe during meals.
• Children learn how to celebrate individual children's achievements through carefully planned activities. Staff use a 'gem in a jar' strategy to promote children's self-confidence and self-esteem. Older children nominate one of their friends to award them with a gem. They proudly share their views on what they think one of their friends has done well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to recognise how to extend children's learning even further
• consider the length of group times for younger children and the impact this has on their level of engagement in their learning.