Shooting Stars Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The manager, who is also the owner, has taken effective steps to address most of the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection to ensure she is meeting statutory requirements.

For example, she has recruited new staff and now ensures that there are enough qualified staff to work with the children. She provides staff with appropriate support through induction, supervision and training. This helps staff to understand their roles and responsibilities.

However, although steps have been taken to address other weaknesses, the planned changes have not been implemented fully. For example, sometimes children with special edu...cational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not supported well to play with other children at the nursery. Furthermore, additional weaknesses in the quality of education mean the nursery's curriculum is not well thought out.

As a result, children do not consistently make good levels of progress. Staff welcome children to the nursery with a smile. Children show that they feel safe and happy with staff, such as when they sit on their knee or snuggle close to staff at group story time.

They make many friends at the nursery. Staff help children to develop their imagination, for instance when pretending to cook, building with blocks or dressing up. Generally, children behave well.

Staff help children to learn to use their manners and to be kind to others.

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

The manager does not have effective oversight of the nursery. As a result, there are still gaps in the curriculum.

This leads to inconsistency in staff's teaching of the curriculum.Despite her best efforts, the manager has not been able to recruit a deputy manager. This means that she is not able to focus her attention enough on making some of the improvements needed to the quality of the nursery.

At times, she is overwhelmed by her many responsibilities.Overall, the manager knows what she wants children to learn in her curriculum. For example, she wants children to be ready for school, communicate well and be confident using numbers.

However, the manager has not given enough careful thought to helping children to learn the curriculum in a logical order. Staff do not help children to build on their previous learning. This means that children do not learn some of the essential information that they need to know before moving on.

Staff sing at every opportunity with children. For example, they sing with children during nappy change and as they play. Children learn a large repertoire of songs and are keen to practise.

This develops children's communication and language well.The manager has taken effective steps to ensure that staff provide a clean environment where children play and learn. Staff model washing their own hands.

They encourage children to wash their own hands before eating. Staff provide healthy snacks and drinks for the children, such as fresh fruits, water or milk. Children learn about the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle.

The manager helps children to understand about differences between themselves and other people. She helps the children to make choices, for instance about who they want to play with. This helps children to begin to understand their own rights as well as about being respectful towards others.

Staff do not provide children with enough opportunities to develop their independence. For example, sometimes staff step in too soon to help, before giving children the opportunity to try for themselves. This impacts on children developing skills that promote their independence, competence and resilience.

The manager ensures that she knows the needs of children with SEND. She works with other professionals effectively to gain the expert help that children need. However, sometimes, she does not ensure that staff implement children's learning plans fully, such as helping children to play with others.

Children with SEND do not receive a consistent approach to helping them learn and make progress.Parents and carers appreciate the work of the nursery with their child. They look forward to hearing and reading about what their children have been doing at nursery from the communication they receive from staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has recently attended designated safeguarding leader training to improve her own knowledge and understanding of keeping children safe. This has helped her to provide the guidance and support to staff to ensure that they understand the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedures.

The manager has recently employed two new staff to the nursery. She has provided adequate induction training and supervision to help them to understand their roles and responsibilities at the nursery. All staff demonstrate a good understanding of the child protection procedures to follow should they become concerned about a child's welfare.

They are clear what action they must take if they are worried about a colleague's behaviour towards children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure that a named deputy is in place to take charge in the event of the manager's absence 31/01/2024 ensure effective arrangements are in place for children with SEND so that staff follow the support plans to meet their needs.31/01/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen performance management arrangements to help staff build on their practice nimprove knowledge of the curriculum to identify more clearly the building blocks of knowledge that children will learn and when support staff to understand the curriculum for personal development so that children become competent and confident in their own abilities.