Mini Stars Childcare LTD

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They settle happily at activities and separate from their carers confidently.

Staff ensure that children are safe in their surroundings. They help children to understand how to take risks safely. For example, staff support children outside to create challenging obstacle courses.

Children recognise the importance of waiting for their friends to finish before they begin their turn so that nobody gets hurt. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong and targeted support. Staff work closely with other professionals to meet children's individua...l needs well.

They receive relevant training, such as learning how to change vital medical equipment. Staff swiftly provide highly focused teaching to children who need additional support. This minimises any gaps in children's learning.

Children enjoy activities that support their speaking skills. These are tailored to their individual stages of learning. For instance, babies babble with delight as they listen to staff singing familiar nursery rhymes.

Toddlers confidently join in with familiar phrases. Older children begin to use more adventurous language. Staff model appropriately how to use this language in sentences.

This helps children to become more confident communicators.

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

The well-qualified staff communicate effectively with one another. The manager and owner proactively ensure that any gaps in their workforce are swiftly addressed.

They support staff to provide a strong handover to other members of the team. As a result, there is minimal disruption to children's routines and the level of provision that is offered, for example, when staff go on maternity leave.The manager and owner work tirelessly to continue to improve the provision and service they provide.

They are highly reflective leaders. The manager actively seeks out opportunities to involve herself in the wider professional community. Leaders engage positively with the local authority and are keen to involve themselves in new local initiatives, such as speech and language programmes.

Children develop a passion for stories and books from an early age. Staff have thoughtfully considered the layout of the nursery so that children can access books independently. For instance, babies select age-appropriate books and concentrate as they study the pictures.

Staff talk to them about what they can see and babies respond positively. Staff read to older children enthusiastically. Children learn how to handle books appropriately.

For example, they turn the pages carefully when asked. Staff differentiate activities well, for example, for children with SEND. They use props to support children to retell familiar stories.

For instance, children thread wooden beads with food pictures onto string to retell a story about a caterpillar.All children become independent in meeting their own needs. For example, toddlers learn to use forks and spoons to feed themselves successfully.

Older children serve themselves from large dishes at lunchtime. They scrape their own plates and line up for a healthy dessert, carrying their plates independently. These skills all contribute towards children being prepared for their move to school.

Staff know the children they care for extremely well. They visit children and their families at home before they join the nursery. This helps them to gain relevant information before children start and form trusting relationships with parents and children.

They use the information they gain effectively to extend and enhance children's experiences. For instance, children visit the pet shop and learn how to care for animals. This helps them to look after the nursery's pet turtles.

Children vote to name the turtles. They develop the ability to consider other people's views and respect their opinions.Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress.

Staff hold regular discussions with them about their children's development and welfare. Parents are pleased with the level of service that is provided. However, staff do not currently provide parents with enough support to extend their children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff implement the nursery's safeguarding policy effectively. They are fully aware of the possible signs of abuse and neglect.

Staff also have strong knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, such as identifying those children who may be at risk of exposure to extreme views and behaviour. They place children's welfare at the forefront of their practice. The manager regularly assesses staff's safeguarding knowledge.

Staff attend relevant training to ensure that their knowledge is fully up to date. They are confident in the process to follow to raise concerns, including any concerns that may arise regarding the staff team.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend the support provided to parents so that they can continue to build on their children's learning at home even further.