Star Early Years Provision Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff offer children warm greetings and show that they are happy to see them as they arrive for their day at the nursery. They talk to children about their feelings. Staff aim to support children to learn how to talk to a trusted adult if they feel sad or worried. Children attend settling-in sessions to get to know the nursery and staff. These work well and help to ensure that children settle in quickly. Children are excited to play and learn with their friends. They are keen to join in with adult-led group times. Children develop the ability to keep on trying when learning new skills, such as pedalling a tricycle. Positive and enthusiastic interactions from staff support children to be engaged in their play and learning.

Staff support children's behaviour well. They have established a 'calming corner'. This helps children to access a calm space, and resources to support them to regulate their feelings and behaviour. Staff aim to guide children in thinking of ways to solve problems, such as conflict with friends. They encourage children to take turns and share with their friends. Staff use picture cards to promote children's understanding of the nursery's rules and expectations. Children develop a sense of responsibility as they learn to help to tidy the toys away. Staff praise children when they show that they are doing the right thing. These approaches encourage children to learn how to be kind and respectful towards others.

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

• Staff use an online app to monitor children's progress. This helps them to identify gaps in children's learning, and to plan their next steps in development. Staff put in place learning opportunities based on these next steps, and the concepts that they want children to know more about. This supports children to build their knowledge of the world while working towards their next milestones in learning.
• Staff have worked hard to improve their interactions with children. They understand the importance of being on a child's level and making eye contact. Staff join in with and extend children's play and conversations. They provide daily opportunities for songs, stories and group times. These sessions promote children's listening and attention skills. However, on occasion, staff sometimes repeat the incorrect pronunciation of words to children, such as 'horsey' or 'doggy'. This does not fully support children to learn new vocabulary at a more rapid pace.
• Staff support children with regular handwashing after messy play or before eating. They encourage children to serve their own meals. Children happily help to wash up their plates and cutlery after eating. They learn how to chop their fruit at snack time. These routines help children to develop their independence skills.
• Parents and carers are complimentary of the care shown by staff towards children. Staff share newsletters with parents and speak with them on a daily basis. This keeps parents up to date about what children are learning. Staff invite families to share photos of children's learning and experiences at home. This supports staff and parents to build positive relationships. They work together in the interests of children's care and learning.
• Staff develop action plans to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use picture cards or simple sign language to develop children's understanding and communication skills. Staff work with parents to ensure that referrals are made to external agencies. Leaders outline their intentions for staff to carry out training to extend their knowledge of supporting children with SEND.
• Leaders continue to put in place supervision sessions for staff. Leaders and staff have developed a culture of regular feedback and coaching to improve each other's practice. However, there are still some minor inconsistencies in staff's practice. Leaders have not yet considered how to strengthen their evaluations of the provision, to further support them to continue to raise the quality of care and education for all children.
• Leaders explain their plans for staff to carry out training to enhance their understanding of how to plan for and support children's learning. This ensures that the newly improved programme of activities and experiences for children continues to be developed. However, leaders have not refined ways to review the impact of training, to support them to identify future targeted professional development opportunities to continue to raise staff's skills and knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to model the correct vocabulary when children are developing their speaking and communication skills
• further develop methods of evaluating staff's practice, to swiftly identify inconsistencies and areas for improvement, and continue to raise the quality and care for all children
• review and evaluate the impact of the planned programme of training, to precisely target any future support and professional development opportunities for staff.