Stargazers Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this warm and welcoming nursery. New children benefit from gradual settling-in sessions, which staff tailor to meet the child's individual needs. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They form close bonds with staff and each other. Staff consistently praise and encourage children as they play. Children take turns to be a 'special helper' and enjoy assisting in tasks, such as the preparation and serving of snacks to their friends. They follow the routines of the nursery well. For example, they know to start tidying away toys when the five-minute timer ends. When children achieve 'wow' moments, the whole group celebrates by clapping and singing a celebratory song. Children demonstrate high levels of self-esteem and confidence for their age. They develop independence well and attend to their own personal care needs with increasing efficiency.

Staff place a high priority on helping children develop strong physical and communication skills. Babies are supported to crawl and take first steps under the kind and supportive supervision of staff. Older children enjoy running, hopping and climbing. They engage in a variety of activities to develop their small-muscle skills in preparation for writing. Children skilfully pick up pom-poms with tweezers and enjoy making marks with paint. They persevere to fix train tracks and construction pieces together. Children listen attentively to staff as they read stories and enjoy singing new songs in preparation for their Christmas show.

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

• Managers are aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the children and families who attend the nursery. A strong focus has been placed on implementing a comprehensive policy to help prevent the spread of any infections, including COVID-19. This has been highly effective in keeping children safe.
• The managers and staff work well together as an enthusiastic and dedicated team. Staff benefit from regular supervision and training to develop their skills further. They report that they are happy and staff morale is high.
• The managers ensure that staff implement a strong curriculum to help children make progress in their education. Part of this curriculum includes carefully chosen 'aspirations' based on the early years foundation stage. Staff aim for children to achieve these aspirations to ensure they are ready to start school. Staff know children well. They know what the children enjoy playing with, what they are capable of and what they need to learn next.
• Key persons skilfully incorporate teaching around individual children's next steps into daily activities and experiences. Planning in the pre-school room focuses closely on the curriculum aims. However, planned activities for younger children are not always as strong. During planned creative activities, staff place too much focus on the end product children are making rather than helping children to achieve the planned learning intentions.
• Staff provide a range of stimulating resources, which ignite children's imaginations and motivates them to explore, investigate and experiment.
• Staff have high expectations for children and are swift to identify and promote learning for children who may need additional support. They work well with other professionals involved in children's care. Staff implement specific plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in receipt of additional funding.
• Overall, children behave well. There are sound strategies in place to support staff in behaviour management. Some staff follow these strategies very well. However, not all staff follow a consistent approach when managing children's, occasional, negative behaviour. This means children do not quickly learn what is expected of them.
• Children develop effective language and communication skills. Staff constantly narrate what children are doing, provide new words, and ask questions. They use simple sign language throughout the day to aid children's communication.
• Staff regularly share books and stories with children. They use storytelling to help children to learn about different cultures and festivals to promote their understanding of difference. Children look at a book about Diwali which staff had read to them previously. They point to the patterns in the book and explain it is called 'Rangoli'.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff take time to get to know children and their parents and build strong and trusting relationships. They consider children's interests and prior learning when planning activities. Parents comment how happy their children are attending the nursery. They state that staff communicate well with them. Staff share daily information about their child's day, and they share assessment information, which helps to support children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to consistently implement the agreed strategies for behaviour management
• review planned creative activities for younger children, to focus more precisely on learning intentions rather than on creating an end product.