Little Stars

Little Stars Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 October 2017 28 November 2013

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff provide a highly stimulating environment that enables children to explore and investigate freely. Children flourish and benefit from a very wide range of high-quality resources across all rooms and outdoor areas of the nursery.  Management and staff have the highest expectations for themselves and every child. Parents and children are consulted during the evaluation process to identify ambitious targets for development.  Children are very happy and settled. Staff are particularly warm and caring and form exceptional relationships with children. They teach children to be kind to each other and they meet their individual needs exceptionally well. Children's behaviour is excellent.  The quality of teaching is consistently outstanding. All children, including those learning English as an additional language, make excellent progress. Staff assess children's progress precisely and ensure activities provide optimum challenge.

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff provide excellent support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They forge exemplary links with other professionals to fully support children's welfare and all-round development.  Staff are exceptionally good at involving parents in their children's learning. For example, some parents join in reading sessions and read stories from different countries in different languages.

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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

 continue to extend children's interest in recognising numerals in all environments, to enhance their play and learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed activities and resources in all rooms and garden areas, and assessed the impact these have on children's well-being and learning.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and a senior manager representing the provider, and spoke to staff, children and parents.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's records, safeguarding procedures, written policies and procedures.  The inspector conducted several joint observations with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents as well as their written comments.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. All staff have an in-depth understanding and robust practice in keeping children safe. They meticulously implement policies, procedures and risk assessments to ensure children are safe at all times. Managers have established rigorous methods for monitoring teaching practice and there is a highly targeted programme of professional development. Managers skilfully track the progress of individuals and groups of children. This helps them to understand if any areas of teaching and learning need further enhancement. The nursery manager has identified the potential to increase opportunities for children to identify numerals, such as in the outdoor area, during the building expansion.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff stimulate children's communication and problem-solving skills extremely well. For example, staff skilfully model language as they encourage babies to discover hidden toy animals in the exciting sensory play tray. Babies quickly copy the words they hear and include them in their play. Children of all ages have excellent opportunities to explore different materials. For example, toddlers pull, push and shape clay or find the best real vegetables to use when printing with thick paint. Older children carefully use different containers, including toy pipettes, to find out about different quantities of water. Staff extend children's short sentences and skilfully introduce new mathematical vocabulary.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children energetically explore the exciting and exceptionally well-resourced outdoor play area. Babies develop very good control of their movements. For example, they clamber up small slopes while older children tackle larger climbing equipment. Children play an active role in assessing risks and develop confidence in their own abilities. Staff place the utmost priority on children's comfort and well-being. Babies are relaxed and secure with the caring staff, and settle to sleep easily. Staff raise children's awareness of people and communities exceptionally well. For example, pre-school children created their own flags after learning about the flags of some countries they had visited.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children acquire an impressive set of skills in preparation for future learning and school. Children's communication, literacy and mathematical skills develop exceptionally well. Children of all ages show an exceptional interest in books. Pre-school children recognise some sounds and letters and can write their names and other familiar words. They learn to count from an early age. For example, older babies count actions as they bang on large drums. Children conduct experiments that inspire their curiosity. For instance, they find out what happens when they mix powders, such as cornflour with water. Children learn about nature, such as during forest school, and visit space exhibitions held on the site.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY394125 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1062285 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 63 Number of children on roll 95 Name of registered person Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2013 Telephone number 01235 446828

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reference number

Little Stars nursery is part of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd and registered in 2009. It operates from specially adapted premises on the site of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire. Priority for places is given to employees of the site, although other families can use the facility if places are available. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm all year. The nursery employs 23 staff, of whom 15 hold a relevant early years qualification at level 3 or above.

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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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