Smart Stars Nursery

In June 2025, books borrowed for home and conversations about toy animals illustrated Smart Stars Nursery's emphasis on helping children find words for their experiences. This Hall Green setting has capacity for 59 children.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strengths came with practical improvements to make: indoor activities sometimes became crowded, and adult-led learning did not consistently take children beyond familiar knowledge.

In June 2025, communication and language shaped the curriculum. Children took books home, then discussed the stories with staff, linking family reading with opportunities to remember events and practise vocabulary.

The book borrowing gave family reading a place in nursery activities: a story shared at home became something children could discuss with practitioners. Remembering what happened and explaining it aloud brought recall and language practice together. Speaking was only part of the emphasis. Opportunities to listen and develop vocabulary also featured, making communication relevant both to expressing an idea and to understanding what someone else was saying.

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. In June 2025, this included creative activities, conversation and exploration: children discussed their paper creations, while garden play with toy animals prompted talk about the natural world.

The garden example combined physical exploration with conversation. Children investigated the animals in water and reproduced their movements and sounds; staff added discussion about their habitats. This gave the play a connection to the world beyond the toys themselves. Tissue-paper and paper-plate creations offered another starting point for speaking, with children explaining what they had made rather than leaving the finished object to speak for them.

A morning wake up, shake up session involved copying movements and getting muscles working. Cultural activities also connected children's own backgrounds with those of their friends, giving them opportunities to encounter different traditions.

The indoor arrangement needed more attention. In June 2025, crowded table-top activities sometimes interrupted concentration; some adult-led activities also stopped short of extending learning. The improvement priorities were better use of indoor space and more precise teaching.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found strong support for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, with individual plans developed alongside families and professionals and closely monitored for progress.

In June 2025, reassurance helped unsettled children, while staff discussed behaviour at children's eye level. Children were learning to manage disagreements themselves. Parent workshops and regular developmental updates connected home and nursery, giving families more than a brief account of the day's activities.

Those behaviour conversations addressed the effect a child's actions could have on other people. The emphasis was on helping children understand their feelings and their interactions, with growing independence in dealing with conflict. Comfort also had a practical place: cuddles and reassurance supported children who felt uncertain. Together, these examples describe how staff responded to immediate emotions as well as helping children develop ways to handle later disagreements.

Daily routines included conversations about handwashing and healthy choices, alongside balanced meals. Staff also received support through supervision and professional development.

In June 2025, that staff support included individual development targets and follow-up after supervision meetings. It connected discussions about practitioners' work with continuing professional learning, rather than treating supervision as a standalone conversation.

The address is 1143 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8AU.

In June 2025, children attending were aged two to four. Opening hours then ran from 7.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with bank holidays excluded. Funded early education was provided at that date. These arrangements describe the inspection period.

• Indoor concentration. Crowding affected some table-top activities in June 2025. On a visit, look at how resources and activity spaces now allow children to concentrate.
• Extending learning. Some adult-led activities did not build sufficiently on existing knowledge in June 2025. Ask how staff now adapt an activity when a child already understands it.
• Attendance and costs. The June 2025 arrangements were term-time opening and funded early education. What attendance options and written charge terms apply to your child's proposed start?

Smart Stars Nursery merits consideration for families who prioritise language development, links between home and nursery, and individual support. Its June 2025 account combines books, movement and outdoor exploration with responsive care. The practical test is how convincingly the indoor organisation and teaching now address the two improvement priorities.