Little Shining Stars

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's health, hygiene and safety are not sufficiently promoted. Weaknesses in the leadership and management of the setting do not safeguard children or ensure their well-being.

Leaders and staff do not adequately carry out risk assessments of activities and resources. As a result, some activities that children play with are not safe or appropriate for their age or stage of development. Leaders and staff do not ensure that the outdoor play equipment is cleaned and maintained to an acceptable standard.

This compromises children's good health and safety. Furthermore, leaders have poor oversight over staffing ar...rangements. Children are collected from school by staff members who are not qualified to administer paediatric first aid.

This has an impact on children's safety during school collection times. Nonetheless, children build good relationships with others. They laugh and giggle together as they play and explore.

Children enjoy finding out about how a magnet works. Staff encourage children to develop their sense of curiosity as they explore the nursery to find magnetic objects. Children are excited and say, 'it's magnetic!' when their magnet sticks to an item.

Children are praised for their efforts. For example, staff give children a 'high five' when they do something well. This promotes children's self-esteem.

Staff step in at appropriate times to provide support for children if needed. For instance, toddlers are encouraged and guided as they begin to use a jug to pour their own cups of milk during snack time. This helps children to develop confidence in their abilities as they learn new skills.

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

The processes for carrying out risk assessments are not robust enough to safeguard children in the nursery. Leaders and staff have a poor understanding of how to carry out risk assessments for resources and activities that are accessed by children. Leaders and staff do not check that resources are safe and appropriate for babies to play with.

Babies play with small beads that are not intended for children of their age. These may pose a choking hazard or cause injury if inserted into their nose and mouth. However, leaders took action to remove these resources and prevent their future use once this was highlighted to them by the inspector.

Leaders and staff do not ensure that children's outdoor play equipment is regularly cleaned or maintained. Babies play on outdoor toys that are muddy and dirty. This is a repeated breach of requirements that has been raised with the nursery leaders previously and does not promote children's good health and hygiene.

Leaders do not have good oversight over staffing arrangements and staff deployment. During the inspection, the manager was unaware that a staff member, who does not hold a paediatric first-aid qualification, collected children from school to attend the nursery's after-school club. The staff member was not trained or qualified to provide paediatric first aid in the event of a medical emergency.

This compromises children's safety.Staff read books and stories to the pre-school children with enthusiasm. They ask questions to promote conversation and encourage older children to speak in sentences.

Staff ask questions to each other to demonstrate good speaking skills to children. However, staff working in the baby room do not always use the correct words when modelling new vocabulary to babies. For example, staff say 'nana' instead of 'banana'.

Babies repeat the incorrect word back to staff. This does not fully support babies' speech and language development.Daily routines help children know what is happening next.

Children know that they need to wash their hands before they eat and eagerly sit down as they wait for their food. Staff say 'thank you' to support children's understanding of when to use good manners. Children follow instructions from staff and help to tidy away the nursery resources.

Leaders use funding to provide experiences for children that they might not receive elsewhere. For instance, leaders and staff take children to the theatre to watch a live performance of a familiar story. This builds on children's prior knowledge and experiences and helps to enhance their learning.

Parents and carers appreciate the regular communication and updates from the nursery staff about their children's experiences. The nursery staff update a private social media page to keep parents informed about the activities on offer and the topics that children are learning about. Parents say that their children learn new skills, such as putting on their own coats and shoes, which in turn helps them to be ready to start school.

Leaders carry out robust checks of staff to ensure their suitability. They provide regular supervision sessions for staff to support their practice and well-being. Staff access training to enhance their skills and knowledge.

For example, staff who work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities carry out training to support them in this work.

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 improve staff's and leaders' awareness of how to risk assess the activities and resources provided for children, to ensure that resources are safe and appropriate for children's ages and stages of development 14/03/2024 maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of play equipment in the outdoor play area 14/03/2024 ensure that leaders have clear oversight of staff deployment to ensure children's safety during school collection and drop off times 14/03/2024 ensure that staffing arrangements allow for at least one member of staff who holds an up-to-date paediatric first aid qualification to be present to supervise children during school drop off and collection times.14/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that staff use the correct vocabulary when modelling words to babies to support their early language skills.

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