Starchild Nurseries Malton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed at the nursery. They settle quickly with attentive caring staff, who know them well. Children feel valued and respond well to the warm praise that they receive from staff. For example, children demonstrate their caring nature and imaginations as they pretend to bath dolls. They carefully hold the dolls' heads, then wrap them in towels. Children build a bed for their dolls, then create a roof to stop them getting wet. Staff praise their good imaginations and construction skills. Children understand what is expected of them and as a result their behaviour is very good.

Children of all ages enjoy their time playing and exploring in the stimulating environment. Babies explore the sensory feeling of playing and making marks in flour. Older children explore and investigate inside the wonderful 'sand room'. They use their physical skills to dig and move the sand around. Children experience the sensory feel of the sand by burying their toes into it and pouring it through their fingers. Children learn about and experience the world around them. For example, they visit the local cattle market and talk to local farmers. Children travel by train and bus to visit local attractions, such as the local train museum and animal park.

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

• Partnership with parents is very good. Staff offer their expertise to parents, to help them to expand their children's knowledge and understanding. They keep parents up to date with daily conversations or via the settings electronic app. Parents comment that the nursery is part of the local community. They appreciate the visits their children go on, such as to local shops and businesses to purchase provisions.
• Staff encourage children to count and recognise amounts and quantities through their play. Children confidently count out sticks to recreate patterns. They match numbers and colours to the corresponding bowls. Children correctly complete jigsaws of increasing difficulty. They confidently use number, shape and measurement in their play.
• Staff know children well and assess their development accurately. Children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff join in with children's play successfully to support, extend and guide their learning. For example, when children are building a train track, staff talk about how they can get the train over the road, to encourage children to make a bridge. However, staff do not consistently focus on the intended learning of all planned activities and children sometimes get a bit distracted and lose focus.
• Staff support children to develop good communication skills. Children communicate with confidence and share their thoughts and ideas in play. For example, children talk about going to the orchard field to run fast and kick leaves into the air. Staff support children to learn new words through exciting storytelling. They encourage children to recall the endings of each page. Staff playfully encourage children to predict the correct words in the story.
• Children wash their hands independently before and after eating. Children learn how to maintain healthy teeth. They practise brushing a giant set of teeth. Children help themselves to wonderful nutritious home-cooked meals. However, at busy times, staff do not consistently support children to learn about the importance of following a healthy lifestyle. For example, on occasions, children drop cutlery then use it again, and children attempt to feed each other.
• The manager ensures that staff are supported well through robust supervision sessions. She closely monitors the good-quality care and teaching that staff provide. The manager routinely observes staff interacting with children and provides them with feedback to support their teaching. She offers staff support and guidance around their well-being.
• The manager and staff work in partnership with other professionals. This helps children to reach their full potential, especially children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make sure that the intended learning of planned activities is clear and all children are fully engaged in their learning
• support staff to help children to understand about the importance of following healthy lifestyles.