Starlings Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery offers an inviting, engaging and stimulating environment, both inside and outside. Children arrive with confidence and excitement.

They greet staff with enthusiasm and quickly settle into activities. Staff know the children who may need extra support. Children approach staff readily when they need more reassurance.

This helps children to feel valued and supports their emotional well-being effectively.Staff have adapted their curriculum appropriately to take account of what children need. They recognise that some children find managing their emotions more difficult.

Leaders have prioritised the supp...ort staff offer children. Funding has been used wisely to purchase specialist resources to help children recognise how to cope with their feelings and regulate their behaviour. Staff have also completed training in how to interact with children and gently guide them to feel calm and engage positively with others.

These measures work well and enable children to quickly refocus and benefit from the wide range of exciting activities available. Teaching is personal to every child. Staff know the children particularly well.

They quickly recognise when some children might need extra help and work closely with other professionals, such as health visitors, to agree positive strategies. The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is particularly good. Specialist advisors have also commended the work that leaders and staff do in supporting inclusion within the the nursery.

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

The nursery owner and senior leadership team work tirelessly to ensure that the setting's curriculum is relevant to what every child needs to learn. Staff assess children accurately and clearly identify what children need to learn to help them become ready for starting school. Since the pandemic, leaders have recognised that some children need extra support when starting nursery and separating from parents.

Staff work sensitively with all families to make sure every child follows a routine that is personal to them and helps them feel at ease quickly.Staff interact with children closely and offer gentle support. They introduce new words to children as they play and help children to hear the rhyming patterns in some words, which children excitedly repeat and use freely in their play.

Group times are managed well, so every child can take part. Children delight in responding in their own way to the morning register, and staff value every child's efforts and input.Every child is valued for their unique qualities.

Staff welcome every child and family into the nursery and take time to get to know them individually. Staff plan the nursery curriculum well to take account of the cultural diversity of children, staff and families. For example, children delight in learning about colours and patterns as they make Rangoli lanterns in preparation for their Diwali celebrations.

Children develop a very positive attitude towards learning. Staff create a vibrant and exciting learning environment. Children develop their love of books and stories as they snuggle up with a staff member in the 'Book Nook'.

They play imaginatively with their friends in the well-resourced 'Starling house' and 'Starling office' role-play areas, which are inspiring and used well by the children.Staff prepare children well for starting school. Leaders make full use of the host school's facilities, and children make regular trips into the school building.

They become familiar with the Reception class teachers, who visit regularly and form good links with the nursery team. This helps children to feel emotionally secure within the environment and contributes well towards how easily children transfer on to school.Staff know the children well and plan activities that build on their learning.

For example, children thoroughly enjoy making their own play dough. Staff use this activity well. They help children recall the process and practise a range of physical skills, such as pouring, stirring and kneading.

Overall, teaching is good. However, very occasionally, staff respond too quickly when they have asked children a question. This does not allow children sufficient time to think for themselves and recall what they already know.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Children's safety is given the highest priority. Staff are very knowledgeable about local safeguarding procedures and know exactly what to do if they have concerns about a child or family.

Leaders make sure that robust recruitment procedures are followed when new staff are employed. Ongoing suitability checks mean that any concerns about the staff team are quickly followed up, if needed. Staff are vigilant in supervising children closely.

They check the premises daily and make sure that children learn how to keep themselves safe when using specific tools and equipment. For example, younger children learn how to handle scissors carefully to prevent injuries occurring, as staff teach them how to do this.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove teaching further to allow children more opportunities to reflect on what they already know and respond to questions in greater detail.

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