Petite Starz Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children develop secure and nurturing relationships with staff at this welcoming nursery. Staff ensure that children feel safe from the moment they settle in, and this helps them to become confident learners. They are excited to explore the inviting and spacious environment from the moment they arrive.

Staff plan a varied and stimulating curriculum that builds on children's knowledge over time. Children benefit from exciting themes that reflect their interests. They remember their trips out on the bus and to the train station during transport week, and retell the story of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' with confidence.

...The environment is organised and children select activities and concentrate very well. They maintain their attention for long periods of time when exploring containers in the water tray, building tracks for roads and cars, and jumping with two feet across sensory floor tiles. Staff interact well with children and help to engage them and extend their learning.

They look at photos of real bridges and build them out of blocks, sharing their ideas and testing them out. Children are motivated to learn, and they work cooperatively with their friends. They are developing independence as they wash their own hands, prepare for snack time, and put on their own coats at home time.

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

Staff track and monitor children's learning effectively. They know the children very well and ensure that they have accurate starting points once children have settled into nursery. Staff recognise children's strengths and areas for development, and put next steps in place to narrow any gaps in their learning.

Children develop good mathematical skills. Staff make the most of everyday opportunities to teach children how to count. For instance, children count the fruit shapes into the correct coloured bowl and find the number to match it.

They measure the ingredients for the play-dough recipe and use mathematical language.The promotion of physical development is a real strength of the nursery. The outdoor area is spacious and provides good opportunities for children to develop balancing and jumping skills.

They use bikes and scooters with coordination and negotiate the large space. Children enjoy the indoor climbing frame and develop their skills further during weekly yoga sessions.Children benefit from a wide range of mark-making experiences.

Staff focus on strengthening children's fine motor skills to prepare them for writing in the future. Children demonstrate skill and confidence in threading activities, and are able to use spray bottles outside to reach a target.Overall, staff are working hard to support children's personal, social and emotional development.

They discuss how children are feeling and are positive and consistent in their messages about behaviour expectations. They remind children to share, take turns and be kind to one another. However, on occasion, staff require further skills to help children to manage their own feelings and behaviour and make the most of learning opportunities.

Parent partnerships are strong. Parents describe staff as friendly and caring, and feel that they are kept well informed of their children's progress. Staff give parents ideas for activities to carry out at home, and keep them informed with regular updates, daily feedback and a parent newsletter.

Staff effectively support children's communication skills and ensure that all children are learning new words. They use songs and rhymes to develop children's understanding of common words and language patterns. They speak slowly and clearly to children, repeating words and modelling sentences, so that they hear the correct way to say them.

Children who speak English as an additional language are encouraged to speak their home language and staff use words and phrases to encourage them.The leaders and managers are dedicated to improving outcomes for the children in their care. They identify the strengths and weaknesses of practice through regular evaluation and set clear goals for improvement.

For example, they are developing the curriculum further to meet individual children's needs and promote the best outcomes for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe.

They carry out daily cleaning and safety checks, covering all aspects of the nursery to reduce the risk of hazards. Staff are vigilant about children's safety outdoors. They complete thorough risk assessments to ensure that children are protected from harm.

Leaders and managers carry out comprehensive background checks on all staff as part of the recruitment process. Staff have a good safeguarding knowledge. They are aware of possible signs that a child might be at risk of abuse.

Staff know the procedures to follow to report their concerns to keep children safe. They attend regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date and know where to seek advice and find information.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nuse a wider range of strategies to help children to understand their feelings and better manage their own behaviour.

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