Starlings Nursery

Starlings Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2821993 Address: Britannia Community Centre, 2 Britannia Road, LONDON, N12 9RU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/11/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Starlings Education 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders embed a harmonious and respectful culture. They set high expectations for children's behaviour, manners and relationships. Staff model kindness and respect consistently, and children respond positively. Children play cooperatively, show care for one another and form warm relationships with staff. Children feel safe and valued. They confidently seek out staff to share their achievements and enjoy receiving praise from them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff remain calm and softly spoken throughout the day. This creates a settled and positive atmosphere. Children understand daily routines and respond well to them. Staff give children clear notice of what will happen next and adapt routines to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children sustain their focus for long periods and become deeply engaged in their play and learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff manage children's behaviour appropriately and maintain high expectations for every child. They provide additional support for children who need help to manage their behaviour. Leaders work with families to promote regular attendance and punctuality. This helps children to access the full range of learning and social opportunities available to them. Children demonstrate confidence, kindness and respect in their interactions. They build positive relationships with adults and peers and participate enthusiastically in daily activities. Their positive attitudes and behaviours help them to develop the skills and confidence they need for their next stage of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders implement highly effective systems that support children's welfare and wellbeing. Tailored settling-in sessions ensure that children settle quickly and form highly secure relationships with staff. Children run to staff to give goodbye hugs and seek them out when they need reassurance. Some simply sit close to their key persons or rest a hand on their shoulder. Staff respond with warmth and sensitivity, creating a deeply nurturing environment where children feel secure, valued and emotionally supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff are highly responsive to children's individual needs and adapt routines thoughtfully. They help children to recognise, name and manage their feelings. Staff give children time and space when they need it and provide sensitive reassurance when required. Group sessions reinforce these approaches and give children regular opportunities to explore emotions and develop skills to regulate their feelings. These strategies are fully embedded and have a significant impact on children's emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children have daily access to outdoor play and learn about the importance of exercise and fresh air. Staff promote healthy habits through everyday routines and conversations. Children enjoy calm and sociable mealtimes where staff promote positive manners and implement safe eating practices. Staff follow safe sleep practices and supervise babies appropriately. Highly effective hygiene practices are fully embedded, creating clean and

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Expected standard

welcoming spaces. Children develop independence in their personal care from an early age, confidently managing tasks such as wiping their noses and disposing of tissues.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children and babies sustain focus for long periods and engage well in their play. Children from different starting points generally make effective progress in their communication and language. They develop the skills and knowledge they need for their next stage of learning. Children develop mathematical understanding through engaging play. They use mathematical language naturally as they sort and group teddies by colour. Children develop a love of books and stories. Babies and young children enjoy taking on the role of the teacher and retelling familiar stories to adults. They imitate page turning and use familiar language from the stories.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children who face barriers to learning typically receive the support they need to work towards their individual goals. However, some children do not benefit from the use of additional strategies to help them engage in all aspects of the day. As a result, these children do not always access the full range of learning and social experiences. This limits opportunities for children to develop the skills and confidence they need for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders implement a curriculum that focuses on the key skills and knowledge children need for their next stage of learning. Staff use this to inform their weekly planning. However, planning does not yet consistently reflect children's individual targets. At times, activities are not sufficiently matched to children's age and stage of development. For example, staff expect young children to hold a pencil correctly before they have fully developed the fine motor skills needed to do this.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use effective teaching strategies and interactions across the day. They narrate children's play, extend conversations and introduce new vocabulary. Communication and language are key priorities. Children enjoy a rich range of books and stories, which foster a love of reading and develop their vocabulary and listening skills. Staff build on children's interests and adapt their approach in the moment. For example, they turn a pretend tea party into a picnic. Children choose a doll and count how many they need. This develops their language and mathematical understanding through play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff reinforce key knowledge and skills throughout the day, making the most of everyday experiences and interactions to extend children's learning. Staff promote diversity by celebrating children's home backgrounds. They create a respectful and tolerant environment where children learn about, and value, differences. Personal, social and emotional development remains a key focus. Staff help children to feel happy, safe and well cared for. They also prioritise children's physical development through regular opportunities outdoors. Children develop their physical skills and confidence through active play.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for every child. They work closely with families to understand children's individual needs and provide appropriate support. Regular assessment enables staff to identify children's emerging needs at an early stage and implement appropriate additional support. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) carefully during transitions, such as accompanying them on school visits. They work with families and schools to prepare children for their next stage. Leaders also work with external agencies to secure additional support and funding where needed. Leaders use additional funding according to children's individual needs. For example, they purchase large garden equipment to develop children's physical skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children who speak English as an additional language receive appropriate support. Staff use effective strategies to develop children's understanding and communication. They use simple sentences, repetition and key words from children's home languages. Staff adapt routines and approaches to meet individual needs. They adjust supervision and provide additional support for children with SEND. These strategies help children to access learning and take part in nursery life. However, staff do not consistently use additional strategies to support children's understanding. For example, they do not consistently use visual prompts to help children understand what is expected of them. As a result, some children do not consistently access the full range of curriculum and social experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the setting well and have identified appropriate areas for improvement. Regular communication between staff keeps everyone informed and contributes to a cohesive team. Staff work very well together and appreciate the kind and supportive culture. Leaders consider staff's workload carefully and respond to the needs of their team. Regular supervision sessions give staff opportunities to discuss their work, share feedback and raise concerns. Leaders use these discussions to promote staff's emotional wellbeing and respond to individual needs. Staff feel valued and enjoy their roles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers comment that staff listen to their views and keep them well informed about their child's journey. They appreciate the kind and approachable team and the way staff involve them in their child's learning and development. Leaders ensure that staff complete mandatory training and provide opportunities for further training. Although staff have access to continuing professional development, this is not yet consistently matched to individual staff's needs. As a result, these opportunities do not yet have a consistent impact on practice and the quality of provision. Leaders encourage staff to contribute ideas and provide feedback. This helps to maintain a positive working environment where staff feel able to share their views and contribute to ongoing improvement.

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

Children are welcomed, happy and secure in this warm and caring nursery. They develop positive relationships with staff and confidently seek their support when needed. Staff take time to understand children and their families. They use information shared by parents and carers to help children settle confidently. Children enjoy a harmonious and respectful environment where they feel valued and develop a sense of belonging. They understand what is expected of them and respond positively to consistent expectations for behaviour. As a result, children behave very well and confidently engage in their learning and play.

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

Children see their interests and experiences reflected in the curriculum. Staff build on what children already know. They use familiar stories and much-loved toys to make learning meaningful. For example, children use familiar figures in play-dough experiences. This encourages younger children to communicate, develop their conversation skills and use new vocabulary as they talk about familiar characters and experiences. Children enjoy a rich range of stories, songs and daily conversations. They listen attentively, learn new words and increasingly communicate their ideas, needs and interests with confidence.

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

Children make typical progress from their individual starting points. Staff regularly consider what children know and can do and identify their next steps in their learning. Children who face barriers to learning enjoy being involved in nursery life. They develop communication, physical and social skills along their individual pathways. Children who speak English as an additional language receive support to develop their communication and language skills through carefully adapted conversations and interactions. Children enjoy sharing books, singing songs and talking with staff and friends throughout the day.

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

Regular attendance and punctuality enable children to benefit from the full range of experiences available. Children enjoy exploring, learning and playing alongside others. They confidently try new experiences and know that their ideas and interests are valued. Children typically develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to move successfully to their next stage in education.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop staff training and coaching so that professional development leads to consistently high-quality provision and practice across the nursery. Leaders should consider further ways to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that children who face barriers to learning can access the full curriculum and participate fully in daily routines.

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Address:

Britannia Community Centre 2 Britannia Road LONDON N12 9RU

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Starlings Education Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 16:45

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum so that it is of a consistently high quality and incorporates appropriate goals for all children to achieve.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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. This data is from 17 September 2026

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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. 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

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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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