Little Stars Nursery

Little Stars Nursery Unit 3 Centurion Park, Caesars Way, Folkestone, CT19 4AH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 May 2017 10 June 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff provide a stimulating environment, indoors and outdoors, ensuring activities motivate and interest children. For example, they encourage children's imagination as they drive through a 'car wash' outdoors.  Management provides regular support, supervision and continuous professional opportunities for staff to increase their knowledge and skills. This supports staff to provide good-quality learning experiences.  Children's emotional needs are well supported. They develop a close bond with their key person, which helps them to feel secure and increases their well-being.  There is a strong partnership with parents where the sharing of detailed information is effective. This helps staff to know each child's home care routine and supports with learning at home. Parents feel valued and spoke highly of staff 'where nothing is too much trouble'.  Staff complete regular observations and assessment of the children. They use these to

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This provision is good

plan interesting activities. Children make good progress from their starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not do not make the best use of opportunities to build on children's curiosity and understanding of the natural world.  Some parts of the day are not organised as well as possible, to support children's individual needs and develop their learning even further.

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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

 provide children with more opportunities to explore and develop their curiosity, senses and understanding of the natural world  review and improve some daily routines, particularly lunchtimes, to ensure they extend learning and support the needs of all the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including key policies and procedures, the self-evaluation form and children's development records.  The inspector took account of parents' views through discussions.  The inspector spoke to the provider, members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector and manager observed and discussed a planned activity, and held meetings to discuss children's progress, staff supervision, training, safeguarding and how management evaluated the practice.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff attend regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date. For example, they know the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare. The manager has strengthened the support for staff to develop their knowledge and skills further to ensure children receive good-quality learning experiences. She carries out one-to-one meetings to discuss staff performance and training needs. For example, staff attended a course to develop their knowledge of how to use signing to support younger children's speech and language. Staff communicate well with other early years settings that children attend and this helps to provide consistency in their care and learning. The manager gathers feedback from staff and parents to help her evaluate and identify any improvements. Management reviews and helps staff to identify and close learning gaps for individuals and groups of children to ensure all children,

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

including children with additional funding, make good progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have made changes to planning, observation and assessment, which has had a positive impact on outcomes for children, helping them to make good progress. For example, staff plan interesting learning activities from the children's current interests within the environment, rather than planned activities that did not always hold their interest. Staff extend babies' understanding of early reading skills, for example, they cuddle up to read books and show their enjoyment as they listen to nursery rhymes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

The caring staff dedicate time to getting to know children and their parents from the start. They support children well when they move to the next age group. Children develop a good understanding of other people's similarities and differences within the nursery and in the wider world. For example, they see writing in different languages and play with dolls from different cultures. Children of all ages are independent, for instance, older children serve their own snacks. Staff use gentle reminders during children's play to help children to share and take turns. Children enjoy being in the outdoors area. For example, older children ride bicycles and toddlers climb steps to develop their physical skills.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points and develop the necessary skills for the next stage in their learning and for school. For example, older children recognise their written names and younger children listen to stories and follow simple instructions. Older children learn to use non-fiction books to find out about their current interests, such as using a dinosaur book to find out their names. Younger children develop their creativity and small muscles as they, for example, explore shaving foam.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY484432 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1095695 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 79 Number of children on roll 128 Name of registered person Kidz Planet Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 June 2016 Telephone number 01303 277773 (option 3)

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reference number

Little Stars Nursery registered in 2015 and operates in Folkestone, Kent. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm, for most of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 18 members of staff, 17 of whom hold childcare qualifications at level 2 or above, including two staff with childcare degrees.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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