Stellar Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have worked hard to make changes and improve the quality of the provision. They have reviewed risk assessments and activities to ensure that they are safe and meet the needs of all children, including the youngest. Recruitment procedures have been strengthened, and relevant suitability checks are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the setting and strive for continuous improvement. The curriculum builds and enhances children's skills and abilities ready for the next stage of their learning. Staff gather in-depth information about the children and their families. They then use this information to plan settling-in sessions that are unique to the child's needs. This helps children feel safe and settle quickly.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They are good role models, and children behave well. Staff encourage children to share and take turns through a range of games and activities. Children happily help to tidy up and understand the importance of keeping their spaces tidy. They play well alongside and with each other. For example, older children chatter happily as they dress up and talk about the role they will play in their game.

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

• Children's communication and language is supported well. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations that make them think and recall previous learning and events. Staff repeat words of animals to younger children, who then develop their language skills as they repeat them back. As a result, children are confident communicators.
• Staff plan and provide opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills. For example, staff count with children and support them with sorting activities. However, this is not fully embedded, and not all staff have considered how they can further extend children in this area of learning. This means that, although children gain some maths skills through their play, their development in mathematics is not as secure.
• Overall, children are supported well as they play and learn. Staff plan a wide range of activities to engage children and extend their learning. However, at times, staff are quick to find solutions for children rather than encouraging them to solve problems for themselves. This means that children are not always able to think through challenges independently.
• Children's physical development is supported well through a range of activities. They spend time outside, where they explore water and sand. They skilfully navigate the space on bikes. Indoors, children smile and laugh as they take part in the 'wake-up' dance. With support from staff they carefully follow the instructions and stretch and move in a variety of ways that enhance and introduce new ways of moving.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their learning and development. Staff work together with other agencies to help ensure that individual plans and strategies target the specific needs of children. Regular meetings with parents help to ensure that children have consistency between home and the nursery and a good start in their educational journey.
• Staff support children in learning important self-care habits, such as covering their mouths when coughing, washing their hands and brushing their teeth. For example, children use props to learn how to clean their teeth. They concentrate as they use toothbrushes to practise cleaning pictures of teeth. Staff talk to them about healthy foods and the importance of oral hygiene. This helps children become more confident and independent in taking care of themselves.
• There is a strong emphasis on parent partnerships. Parents are happy with the care provided for their children and appreciate the time staff take to get to know them as a family. Staff provide parents with regular feedback and updates about their child's progress. Parents are also invited in for special events, such as Mother's Day and stay-and-play sessions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to promote children's mathematical development further
• strengthen staff's interactions during activities to challenge children's thinking and problem-solving skills to fully enhance their learning.