Little Stars Childcare Leek Beresford

Little Stars Childcare Leek Beresford

Unique reference number (URN): 2778006 Address: Staffordshire County Council, Beresford Memorial C Of E First School, Novi Lane, Leek, ST13 6NR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 23/01/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Little Stars Childcare Staffordshire Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally make progress across the areas of learning from their starting points. They develop key skills, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and early communication, as they play and interact with others. For example, children engage in role play, making links with their own experiences as they pretend to cook and serve food. They gain an understanding of the world and social development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning are, in the main, supported to make progress. They benefit from targeted support and adapted approaches which help them to develop important skills and engage in learning alongside their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children develop some of the skills they need for their next stage of learning, including early mark making, counting and recognising familiar sounds. However, progress across all areas is not always consistently built on through precisely planned experiences. As a result, some children do not always deepen their knowledge and skills as securely over time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

In the main, leaders set clear, inclusive expectations for behaviour and children respond positively to these. Children develop secure relationships with staff, who are warm and attentive. Staff help children to understand daily routines. For example, in the toddler room, staff use visual prompts to help children recognise what they have just completed and what they will be doing next.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote positive attitudes to learning and children are typically motivated to explore, particularly in the outdoor environment where they are active and engaged. Children demonstrate curiosity and enjoyment as they take part in a range of experiences. However, leaders have not identified that the organisation of some aspects of lunchtime routines, particularly for older children, results in extended waiting times. This means opportunities to maximise every moment of the day for learning are not always fully realised.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of attendance and generally promote this well. They track children's attendance closely and take proactive steps to maintain regular patterns. For example, they organise attendance across the week to reduce gaps between sessions and maintain continuity for children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing and typically ensure that care practices meet children's individual needs. Children develop secure attachments with staff, who know them well and respond sensitively during daily routines, such as feeding, sleeping and nappy changing. This helps children to feel safe, settled and supported in their environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff support children's physical health and wellbeing through appropriate routines and care practices. For example, they work closely with families to meet children's dietary and medical needs, adapting provision, where necessary. Staff support children to develop independence in their self care, such as feeding themselves and managing simple routines. Leaders and staff promote healthy practices, including supporting oral hygiene, encouraging children to stay hydrated and following hygiene routines to minimise the spread of infection.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children with additional or complex needs receive appropriate care and support. They ensure that staff are trained to meet children's specific medical needs. Staff follow clear care plans and apply this knowledge in practice, helping to ensure children's safety and inclusion. Leaders work with other professionals and families to support children's wellbeing and development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff have an overview of the curriculum and generally understand what they want children to learn. They plan experiences that reflect children's interests, such as linking mark making to stories or sensory play. However, the use of observations and assessment is not yet precise enough to consistently inform planning and teaching. Therefore, learning experiences do not consistently build on what children already know and can do over time, including for those who may need additional support.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff interact positively with children and typically enhance their play through commentary, modelling and joining in. In the toddler room, staff use interactive learning experiences and interventions to introduce and reinforce language. They encourage children to use words, such as stop, go, fast and pop, during play. In the main, teaching supports children's development across the areas of learning, particularly through opportunities for physical development and early communication. It is generally inclusive of children's differing needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders provide environments that offer choice and opportunities to explore. Outdoor areas are generally well planned and engaging, supporting children's motivation and involvement. However, staff do not always plan and organise the learning environment to consistently provide clear progression across all areas of learning, particularly as children get older. At times, resources and experiences are not used with sufficient intent to build on children's prior knowledge. As a result, there is a reduced focus on maximising every moment for learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders create an inclusive environment. They typically identify and understand children's needs. They generally use assessment information, including progress checks, alongside ongoing observations to recognise where children may need additional support. They take action to address identified needs. In the main, leaders and staff provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through individual plans and coordinated input from external professionals. This helps to reduce barriers, such as supporting children to develop their communication and physical skills. However, variability in the precision of assessment means some children who need additional support do not consistently receive sharply targeted input.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders generally support disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to their learning or wellbeing, through flexible approaches. Leaders use funding, such as early years pupil premium, to help reduce barriers, improve children's experiences, increase access to sessions and provide tailored support. They typically make adjustments to attendance patterns and offer additional hours where needed, helping children to attend more regularly. Leaders support children known to social care through partnership working with other agencies, careful monitoring and clear recording. They ensure that children's needs are understood and responded to sensitively. Leaders ensure that staff have access to relevant training and guidance to meet children's needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders generally demonstrate an understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They reflect on practice and have identified priorities, such as developing the outdoor environment, strengthening planning 'in the moment' and improving staff's confidence. However, leaders' monitoring and evaluation are not yet sufficiently precise to ensure that identified priorities consistently lead to improvements in teaching and children's learning over time. This includes ensuring that assessment is used sharply enough to inform planning and that staff consistently use the learning environment and routines with clear intent to support progression.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders support staff wellbeing and consider workload in their decision making. They provide regular supervision and opportunities for staff to discuss their wellbeing and focus on team building across settings to support staff during periods of change. Staff benefit from a range of professional development opportunities, including training linked to teaching and learning, such as early communication approaches and specialist baby-room practice. Leaders ensure that training is relevant to children's needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with families and the wider community. They respond to the needs of the local community and take practical steps to reduce barriers for families. For example, they offer additional sessions, adapting attendance patterns and provide access to resources, such as food and clothing. Leaders work closely with other professionals and agencies to support children and families, particularly those facing challenges.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive to a warm and welcoming environment where staff know them well and respond sensitively to their needs. Babies and toddlers form secure relationships with staff, who offer reassurance, encouragement and close attention during play and care routines. This helps children feel safe and confident to explore their surroundings. Children and babies choose and move freely between indoors and outdoors, returning to familiar adults for comfort and interaction, showing a secure sense of belonging.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children generally enjoy their play and are motivated by the experiences available to them, particularly outdoors where the environment is engaging and well organised. They explore with curiosity, such as making marks in sensory materials, climbing or using ride-on toys. Staff interact positively with children, joining their play and supporting them to explore ideas further. Through these experiences, children develop their physical skills and coordination. They begin to understand cause and effect through filling, pouring and experimenting with materials.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children develop friendships and enjoy playing alongside one another. Pre-school children gather mark-making resources and choose to sit together on the floor, sharing ideas as they explore early writing. They begin to share and take turns, responding to simple expectations, such as tidying away. Babies and toddlers show growing independence as they find their own belongings and attempt to dress themselves. They follow familiar routines and show understanding of what happens next in the day.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive personalised care and attention that supports their individual needs. They benefit from coordinated support that helps them to overcome barriers, such as developing their physical skills and communication. As a result, children typically make progress from their starting points and develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the use of observations and assessment so staff consistently use what they know about children to inform planning and build on children's prior learning over time. Leaders should enhance the planning of the learning environment to ensure clear progression in learning experiences that build on children's development across all areas of learning. Leaders should review and adapt daily routines, particularly at lunch time, to minimise waiting times and maximise children's engagement, independence and learning throughout the day. Leaders should strengthen monitoring and evaluation of staff's practice to identify inconsistencies promptly and ensure actions lead to improved teaching and better outcomes for children over time.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, children, parents and carers during the inspection.

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Address:

Staffordshire County Council Beresford Memorial C Of E First School, Novi Lane Leek ST13 6NR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Little Stars Childcare Staffordshire Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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0 to 11

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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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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