Little Stars Education Limited

Little Stars Day Nursery 39 Penn Hill Avenue, Poole, Dorset, BH14 9LU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 January 2015 27 March 2013

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Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Staff do not consistently monitor children's development well enough. This means they do not always have a clear picture of children's starting points, the progress they make and the next steps in their learning.  Children's individual learning needs are not fully considered when staff plan activities. Therefore, some children do not receive the support and challenge they need to help them all make good progress.  Staff do not ensure the record of children's attendance includes accurate times of children's arrival and departure. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements.  Staff working with pre-school children do not always make the best use of play space to ensure children have room to become fully engaged in their play.  Sometimes, staff working with the two- and three-year-old children do not provide them with enough opportunities to make choices about how they play.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff provide children with emotional support and encouragement, which helps them to settle and feel safe and secure.  Effective deployment of staff helps to ensure familiar staff supervise children appropriately at all times.  Children benefit from opportunities to increase their physical skills as they play indoors and outdoors, and take part in activities, such as swimming and gymnastics.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve the way in which children's progress is monitored to help identify their next steps; use this information to plan and provide activities that target children's individual learning needs and help them make good progress  maintain a daily record of the names of children being cared for and the hours of their attendance.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the organisation and use of space for the pre-school children, to improve their engagement in play  provide more opportunities for two- and three-year-old children to make choices about how they play.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 maintain a daily record of the names of children looked after on the premises and the hours of their attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  maintain a daily record of the names of children looked after on the premises and the hours of their attendance (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspection took place following information received by Ofsted that raised concerns about meeting children's individual needs, including younger children and those with additional needs, and the use of documentation to safeguard children's welfare.  The inspectors observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environments. They completed a joint observation and held meetings at appropriate times with the registered person and the assistant manager.  The inspectors looked at children's assessment records, planning documents and sampled welfare records.  The inspectors checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.  The inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection, and talked to staff and children at appropriate times.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Children access a broad range of activities throughout the day that generally reflect their interests. Older children are able to make suggestions about ideas for activities. However, sometimes staff move younger children on to routines, such as snack time, before they have finished an activity to their satisfaction. The monitoring of children's progress is inconsistent. Some staff do not have an accurate awareness of all children's stage of development or next steps. Staff do not always fully consider individual children's learning needs when they plan group activities. Therefore, not all children receive the challenge they need during their play to make good progress. Areas used by the children are welcoming. However, staff do not always make the best use of space to promote children's learning. For example, at the start of the session, the pre-school rooms are very busy and children often have to step over others as they play floor games. Staff meet

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who attend. This requires improvement

regularly with parents to discuss children's progress. Parents can see their child's development records so they feel involved. Homework books provide parents with ideas of activities to support their children's learning further at home.

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requires improvement

Children receive consistent support from the staff, which helps them to feel emotionally secure and gain confidence. For example, babies receive one-to-one support to help them settle. Staff teach children skills to gain independence when managing their personal care needs, which helps to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. For example, two- year-olds are encouraged to have a go at putting on their own coats and pre-school children use knives and forks to eat their lunch. Staff deployment is effective to help ensure children are safe. Children develop an increasing awareness of how to stay healthy as they talk about foods that are good for them and develop physical skills through their activities. Overall, practices and procedures help to keep children safe.

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provision requires improvement

Suitable arrangements are in place for recruitment, induction and staff appraisals. Staff are vetted appropriately and aware of their individual roles and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding. Overall, staff use most documentation appropriately to help keep children safe. They generally maintain a record that details which children are present, but this does not always includes accurate times of their attendance. There are arrangements in place that help the nursery to identify and address some areas for improvement, including seeking feedback from children and parents. The manager provides training and enables staff to develop their skills to help improve outcomes for children. Staff make adequate links with professionals and early years providers to help promote consistency.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY219327 Local authority Poole Inspection number 1003508 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 77 Number of children on roll 180 Name of provider Little Stars Education Ltd Date of previous inspection 27 March 2013 Telephone number 01202 741437

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Setting details

Little Stars Day Nursery has been registered since 2002 and is situated in a residential area of Lower Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. The nursery is privately owned and operates from a large detached house that has been adapted to accommodate the nursery. The accommodation consists of seven playrooms, set on several different levels. Outdoor play areas are available for all age groups. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.45am until 6pm all year round, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. In addition to the manager, who is a qualified teacher and holds Early Years Professional Status, there are 25 staff. One member of staff has a foundation degree in early years, 19 hold a level 3 qualification in childcare and four hold level 2 qualifications. Several staff are currently working towards higher qualifications.

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Setting details

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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