Star Early Years Provision Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

There are significant weaknesses in staff's practice that impact greatly on children's care, learning and development.

There has a been a change of manager, of which Ofsted has not been informed. Overall, staff do not have a secure knowledge of safeguarding. This impacts on their ability to maintain children's safety.

The new manager is aware of what needs to be done to address the weaknesses. However, as she is currently coaching the deputy manager and other staff, she has little support to put matters right. Despite this, children arrive to the nursery happy and leave their parents with ease.

When the ...number of children in the nursery is low, children enjoy participating in a range of activities that follow their interests. For example, staff sit and let children brush their hair as they play hairdressers. However, some staff have no awareness of how they can use the activities to enhance children's individual next steps in learning.

Additionally, there is little interaction from some staff, and they sit idly by as children play. When the number of children in the nursery increases, play becomes chaotic. Children flit from one activity to another or they engage in rough and tumble play, which becomes unsafe.

Noise levels rise. Staff do not implement appropriate strategies to help children to regulate their own behaviour. They do not model the behaviour they wish to see.

Instead, staff raise their voice to be heard by the children.

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

Some staff have a basic awareness of the possible signs and symptoms of neglect. However, knowledge overall of the different types and wide range of indicators of abuse is poor.

This impacts greatly on children's well-being. Records of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are not available to those who have a right to see them.There is no induction training in place for those stepping up to management positions to ensure they have the skills to take charge in the manager's absence.

Induction procedures have been carried out for staff. However, monitoring of their practice has not taken place to ensure they understand their role and responsibilities.Staff provide children with activities to participate in both indoors and outdoors.

While children enjoy these, they are not purposeful and do not build on their prior knowledge and skills. Assessments to understand where children are in their learning and development have not been carried out for many children. That said, the manager is supporting staff to begin to assess some children.

This will provide staff with a firm basis on which to support children's future learning and development. However, currently there is no curriculum in place. This means staff do not build effectively on what children already know and can do.

Staff do not consider the individual needs, age and development of each child during circle time activities. Children lose interest and stamp their feet. Where some children try to respond to questions, other children shout out, talk over them, and hold conversations with their peers.

This interferes with the quality and opportunity of talk that takes place and goes unaddressed by staff. This does not prepare children well for their future education.Staff do not identify risks to children, such as the large rug which creates a trip hazard.

Staff are not aware of children walking around the room with scissors in their hand. They do not speak to the children to reinforce safety rules. Staff are not aware of children running up and down the slide.

Furthermore, they do not notice two-year-old children who leave the table and walk around the room eating a banana. Staff are not vigilant to the possible risks to children, such as choking.Children put cups and their water bottles on their head at mealtimes.

Cups are snatched out of children's hands by staff and placed on the table. There is a lack of support between staff to manage children's behaviour. Staff frustrations rise and this leads to inappropriate de-escalation techniques being used to return children to their seat at the table.

The manager acted immediately following this incident and reported it to the provider and the relevant agency.Organisation and grouping of children during daily activities, mealtimes and self-care does not support their personal, social and emotional development. Children's independence and self-care skills are not consistently supported.

Staff direct all 20 children to go and wash their hands, even though there is only space for two. This also happens when children get ready to go and play outside. Children become restless while they wait for their turn.

Staff are also unaware of some children in the toilet who need support to get dressed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date ensure all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, so that they are able to identify possible signs of abuse at the earliest opportunity and respond in a timely way 22/07/2024 ensure records of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for staff are available to those who have a right to see them 22/07/2024 ensure induction is effective so that all staff have the required skills and knowledge to undertake their roles successfully and keep children safe 22/07/2024 implement effective supervision for all staff and provide coaching and support to improve staff's personal effectiveness to benefit children 22/07/2024 deploy staff effectively so that children are adequately supervised at mealtimes, and unwanted behaviour is addressed quickly so that children learn good table manners 22/07/2024 ensure staff understand how to identify and remove risks to children, with specific regard to the rug and the use of scissors 22/07/2024 support staff to understand and manage children's behaviour consistently and in an appropriate way.22/07/2024 To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date support staff to consider the curriculum for children's personal, social and emotional development, to benefit children's self-care, independence and self-regulation 10/09/2024 develop a curriculum that takes into account children's interests and next steps, and help children to develop, consolidate and deepen their knowledge and understanding across all areas of learning 10/09/2024 ensure staff monitor children's progress, so they understand each child's level of achievement and interests and then use this information to plan purposeful learning experiences which build on children's prior knowledge and skills.

10/09/2024