Starjumps Nursery, Creche and Out of School Provision

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed by cheerful staff who help them to settle quickly into their day. Staff help children feel safe and secure through the strong key-person relationships that are in place. Children demonstrate growing friendships as they play together, taking turns to look after the 'baby'. When children face difficulties with sharing, staff help them to manage their emotions. Together, they seek solutions, such as finding a bigger space to draw. This enables all children to take part and have their own space to work. Children behave well. Staff set clear expectations for behaviour. They praise children for making positive choices, such as walking when inside.

The ambitious curriculum provides children with a rich set of experiences that broaden and develop their knowledge of the wider world. Children enjoy swimming lessons and make regular visits to the local woods. They engage in a variety of physical sessions, such as gymnastics and football. This helps them to be physically active and develop their large motor skills. Staff ensure that children make the best use of their available environments, capitalising on as much learning as possible. For example, children become 'maths detectives' as they search for numbers that staff have hidden in the soft-play area.

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

• The well-considered curriculum supports all children to build on their prior knowledge and skills. Staff use their knowledge of children to plan exciting activities that stretch and challenge children's learning and development. Children work through problems, such as how much water to add to sand to make it 'mouldable'.
• Staff support children to become capable communicators. Children engage in favourite stories, songs and rhymes. They listen intently as staff engage them in a creative story session outside. Children learn new and interesting words as staff describe puddles in the sand tray as 'streams' and use the word 'combine' when children mix materials together. Staff use questioning that provokes children's thinking. However, staff do not always give children enough time to listen to and respond to the question.
• Children are developing their fine motor skills. They make marks outside using large chalks, showing their emerging drawing skills. Inside, children make snowmen from dough. Staff ask them what features a snowman has, and children use materials such as sticks to make arms. Children remember that using the dough helps them to develop strong fingers.
• Children are learning about what makes them unique. They create self-portraits and learn about festivals, such as Christmas and Diwali. Visits to the local community help children to understand about people who help them, such as the staff in the local supermarket.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. Leaders and staff have ensured that children receive personalised support that meets their individual needs. Staff know the children incredibly well and tailor their teaching to support every child to make the progress they are capable of. Effective observation and assessment identify what children already know and can do. This helps staff plan appropriate next steps in children's learning that link to children's interests and ideas.
• Children have positive attitudes. Staff set clear and consistent expectations, which means that children behave well. They plan well-thought-out environments that support children to become engaged in their play and learning. Children focus as they match the correct number of dinosaurs to the numeral. They concentrate as they wash the dolls' hair. However, during small-group time, the noise levels mean that some children lose concentration and become disengaged for a short period.
• The driven leaders use evaluation well. They have a clear vision and work hard to make continuous improvements to the curriculum and quality of teaching. This is supported by a commitment to staff supervision sessions and professional development. Staff well-being is a high priority and leaders ensure that staff receive meaningful support.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and staff. They comment that they feel valued and supported. Parents are delighted by the range of opportunities that children have. They say that communication is excellent and the nursery helps them to network with other families and access support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their questioning skills that allow children more time to think about and respond to questions
• review the arrangements for group activities, particularly in relation to noise levels, to ensure that all children are able to focus and concentrate during the sessions.