Saddleworth Stars

Inspection of Saddleworth Stars 1193 Huddersfield Road, Scouthead, Oldham OL4 4AG

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Staff form exceptionally warm and trusting relationships with children. They create a nurturing environment where emotional well-being is prioritised. Staff know the children incredibly well. They listen carefully to children and respond effectively demonstrating the value they have for children's ideas. Children feel secure, build strong attachments and demonstrate high levels of emotional resilience and self- regulation. The large outdoor environment is expertly designed to promote children's physical well-being. The wide range of challenging and engaging activities provide children with continuous opportunities to climb, dig, build with large-scale materials and grow vegetables. Children learn how to manage their own risks through navigating a wealth of climbing apparatus. Children develop excellent physical coordination, strength and confidence, while also learning how to stay active and healthy. Children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning.

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The provision is outstanding

The curriculum is carefully designed, ambitious and challenging for all children. Staff expertly extend children's knowledge and understanding. They use real-life materials to skilfully stretch children's levels of understanding. For instance, children use mud and real ingredients like corn, cabbage and pasta to mix potions and role play. Children show deep levels of engagement, high levels of language and confidence in expressing their ideas through play. Staff support children to develop excellent levels of thinking and understanding. For instance, young children explain how the magnifying glass they are using makes things big. Children are highly engaged and confidently apply and consolidate their existing knowledge in a range of learning experiences. For example, older children use their prior knowledge of shapes to talk about how they will make a pentagon with five sides out of coloured sticks.

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need to do better?

n The leadership team provide highly effective and inspirational support to staff. They offer sharply focused supervisions and ongoing professional development. Leaders provide coaching and reflective feedback through peer observations. This helps staff to be a highly skilled team who continually improve their teaching practice. Staff provide children with high quality learning experiences. n The nursery delivers a consistently high-quality education and an ambitious and meticulously planned curriculum. Staff plan rich, meaningful experiences that build on children's interests and stages of development. Children are highly engaged and demonstrate a deep love of learning. n Staff are highly effective in ensuring children are very well-prepared for their next stage in learning. They encourage exploration, problem-solving and perseverance. Children engage in activities such as building with natural materials, measuring with everyday objects and experimenting with textures and

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need to do better?

15 May 2025 sounds. Children are independent, resilient learners who approach challenges with high levels of curiosity and confidence. n The curriculum is very well thought through and carefully sequenced. Staff use detailed and precise assessments to ensure all children build on their individual starting points. Staff expertly implement the curriculum, so children continuously develop new knowledge and skills. This helps all children to make rapid progress in their learning and development. n Staff skilfully support children's communication and language development across all age groups. They use songs, props and storytelling to introduce and reinforce vocabulary in highly engaging ways. They engage children in puppet shows and provide an environment rich in communication opportunities. For example, children play in purposefully built castles and use language to explain their ideas. Children are highly confident communicators and use expressive

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need to do better?

language to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences. n The setting builds exceptionally strong partnerships with parents to support and extend children's learning and development. Staff provide home learning activities linked to the things children need to learn next. They invite parents in for stay and play sessions and gather parental feedback on the things they can improve. Staff provide training for parents on children's first-aid. This fully consistent approach between home and nursery enhances children's progress and strengthens family engagement. n Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They provide consistent routines and are positive role models. Staff use visual aids, emotion cards and puppets to help children recognise and express their feelings. Children independently negotiate with others, share and resolve conflicts. Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour, show empathy towards others and

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need to do better?

confidently manage their own emotions and actions. n Staff are excellent at promoting children's confidence and independence. They consistently offer warm, responsive interactions and encourage children to take ownership of routines, such as self-serving snacks and managing personal hygiene. Children feel secure, self-assured and demonstrate high levels of motivation and resilience. n Staff are highly effective in supporting children who speak English as an additional language. They create a language-rich environment that celebrates diversity. Staff use dual-language books and create an environment that represents the individual background of each child. All children develop strong communication skills, feel a deep sense of belonging and make rapid progress in their language development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY479558 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 10388315 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 109 Number of children on roll 118 Name of registered person Saddleworth Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01457874553 Date of previous inspection 5 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Saddleworth Stars registered in 2014. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, four members of staff hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 6, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 4, 11 staff hold qualifications at level 3 and two members of staff holds a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides government funded childcare.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents, carers and grandparents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

15 May 2025 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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