Twinkle Stars Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and arrive eager to start their day. They receive a warm welcome from the friendly and caring staff team. This nurturing approach helps children to feel at ease and settle in quickly. Children behave well. Staff have high expectations of all children and manage their behaviour in a calm manner. Children learn how to share and take turns, with staff offering support when they need it.

Children become enthusiastic and deeply engaged in their play. For example, younger children smile and giggle as they explore the play dough. Older children show a fascination with the world around them. For instance, they show immense pride at the potato that they have grown in the growing patch outside. They carefully place the potato on a plate and serve it to the inspector to study.

Children enjoy spending time outdoors and demonstrate strong physical development. For instance, they climb the climbing frame, hop back and forth in baskets, and run around, laughing and smiling constantly. Staff spend a great deal of time learning what makes each child unique and the ways in which they learn. All children make good progress from their starting points in learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in receipt of additional funding.

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

• The manager has a clear and aspirational vision for the nursery. She regularly observes and monitors staff's practice. Staff feel valued and supported. The manager has created a warm, empowering and nurturing environment for children, parents and staff.
• Staff develop children's love of books extremely well throughout the setting. Children demonstrate a great deal of learning from the weekly focus story. For example, younger children who are still developing their language, confidently recognise and name a 'caterpillar' and a 'butterfly' in the sand tray, linked to the story that they have been recently learning about.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and the staff. They praise the strong relationships that the manager and staff have built with their families, and the support which they have received. Parents comment that their children have learned many skills, especially in literacy and language. They value the systems in place to support their children's learning at home. For example, parents appreciate the 'lending library', where their children can bring books home and read with their family.
• Overall, staff plan activities well. All children are learning to engage as part of a group on the carpet, in readiness for school, and to come together to share ideas and opinions. However, on occasion, these carpet times can be too long, especially for younger children, who begin to lose focus and become restless.
• Staff place a key focus on children's communication. They spend a lot of time talking to children and create a language-rich environment. Staff introduce new words and model their correct usage. They use every opportunity to develop children's vocabulary, for example, by repeating words to children who are still developing their language.
• Children of all ages are highly independent. For example, as soon as they hear the tidy-up song, they promptly put toys away. Younger children wash their own hands and collect their own water bottles. Older children confidently suggest future learning topics and activities.
• Overall, staff have a good understanding of how to promote children's learning. They interact well with children, supporting their learning effectively. Occasionally, staff do not follow children's lead in their play and when children show a desire to learn more. This is when they do not consistently extend children's learning even further.
• Children learn about the importance of good health and the benefits of regular toothbrushing, eating a balanced diet and physical activity. The provider works with parents to ensure that the packed lunches which children bring meet their dietary needs.
• Staff help children to learn about and respect differences. For instance, they teach about special cultural or religious festivals, such as Diwali. Children have access to books, puzzles and dressing-up clothes which represent different races and cultures. This helps children to understand and respect others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop effective interactions with children, to help them to extend children's learning to the highest level
• consider how to better organise group activities, to help children remain engaged in their learning.