Shooting Stars Nurseries Kings Norton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in this well-resourced, calming environment. Staff have organised their rooms to support children to be curious and inquisitive.

Children have vast opportunities to play outdoors. Staff support and encourage children to take risks and to develop their physical skills as they balance and climb over crates and wooden bridges. Staff working with older children inspire children's learning as they enthusiastically encourage them to go on an autumn hunt.

Pre-school children use picture charts on clipboards to look for the items, and tick off their pictures as they find them. Older toddlers exci...tedly fill their bags with autumn items and take them back inside to explore at the sensory table. Children articulate themselves well as they talk about the different items they have found.

Babies and toddlers are nurtured and staff offer warm, caring interactions that support their emotional well-being. Staff support children's independence, and the sequence of learning can be seen throughout the nursery. Babies and children of all ages enjoy sociable mealtimes.

Babies are supported to master drinking from a lidded cup and move on to drinking from a small open cup. Younger toddlers begin to use a knife and fork and older toddlers and pre-school children self-serve their food and clean away their plates. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported to make good progress.

Staff use what they know about children to plan a range of experiences that help them to prepare for their next stage in learning. Swift action is taken when any gaps are identified. Children are supported to become resilient and to manage conflict.

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

The leadership team is passionate about providing children with the very best start in life. Area managers have worked closely with the new manager and existing deputy manager to ensure the standards of practice remain high after being faced with several staffing changes. They are proactive and have clear plans in place to continue to raise the quality of the provision.

Staff's ongoing development is a key focus. They are provided with effective support, coaching and training. The leadership team invests in staff to continue to raise the quality and to empower them to develop within their roles.

Staff well-being is given the highest regard and the leadership team has worked incredibly hard to lift staff morale and develop a team whose members are committed and collaborate well together.Parent partnership is a strength of the nursery. Parents spoken to talk about the changes the nursery has gone through.

They say that they are happy with the communication they receive and that their children are making good progress.Parents talk about parent partnership meetings, where they can discuss how they can work together to provide continuity at home and in nursery.Staff plan activities based on children's interests and next steps for learning.

For example, children enjoy using a range of tools as they mould clay, paint with natural materials and peel and chop vegetables. However, some staff working with the younger toddlers do not consistently implement the curriculum, particularly when they take the children outdoors, to provide every child with the very best learning opportunities to maximise the progress they make.The support for children with SEND is very strong.

The passionate, knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator, who has completed her level 3 SEND training, ensures that any additional needs are identified quickly. She works in partnership with parents and other agencies to put targeted support in place to help close gaps in children's learning. Children who begin at the setting with identified needs are provided with an inclusive environment that helps them to make swift progress from their starting points.

Children behave well. Staff are positive role models. They help children to understand their emotions and teach them to self-regulate and become resilient learners.

Most children show a real thirst for learning and engage well in activities. However, on occasions, some staff's teaching is not as strong as others and they do not consider how to adapt activities to help every child to remain highly engaged in their learning.Children's communication and language are promoted well.

Staff read to children and they use story-based activities to enhance children's literacy and communication development. Children recall what they know, and enjoy relating learning back to stories they have read. Babies babble with delight and staff respond to this well, which helps to encourage early language.

Back-and-forth conversations allow children to develop and express their own ideas.Children benefit from a key person who gets to know them well. Key persons gain detailed information when children first start and when they transition between rooms.

This helps children to settle quickly and to become confident. Key persons attend to children's intimate care needs and support children when they are toilet training, in partnership with parents.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safer recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. The rigorous induction means that all staff, including those employed by an agency, have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. All staff spoken to, including managers and the designated safeguarding lead, demonstrate a good understanding of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care, or if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

Staff confidently talk about the whistle-blowing procedures and the steps they would take if they had any concerns about practice in the nursery. Managers ensure ratios are consistently met and staff are deployed effectively to meet the needs of all children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to consistently implement the curriculum, particularly in the toddler rooms, to provide every child with the very best learning opportunities to maximise the progress they make nenhance the quality of teaching so that every child is supported to remain highly engaged in their learning.

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