Starlights Daycare Nursery

Storybooks, water play and pretend everyday situations involving money shaped the August 2023 inspection picture of Starlights Daycare Nursery. At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with children making good progress across their learning.

Based at Link House on Bolton Road in Kearsley, the nursery has capacity for 66 children aged 3 to 60 months. The inspection picture is of children choosing activities and staff helping them build confidence, alongside two specific areas needing attention: individual learning targets and staff development.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, the August 2023 examples show how play brought language, creativity and early mathematics into the day. Babies searched for ducks in water while staff sang Five Little Ducks. Toddlers made characters inspired by The Gingerbread Man using discarded materials, while preschool children explored money through pretend everyday situations.

Books also connected activities. In August 2023, younger children supplied familiar sentence endings from We're Going on a Bear Hunt, and older children linked Supertato to conversation over dinner. These examples give parents a concrete picture of stories extending beyond a single reading session.

Outdoor equipment gave babies opportunities to practise moving independently in August 2023. Older children made marks in sand, exercising the smaller movements needed for handling tools and drawing.

In August 2023, staff built relationships with children and parents that helped children settle. They spoke with children at their level and offered choices. Behaviour support involved explaining how actions affected other people, with children practising sharing and taking turns.

Healthy routines were part of the same month's daily experiences: toddlers explored fruit and vegetables at snack time, and preschool children connected handwashing with removing germs. These are useful examples of care routines becoming learning opportunities.

Individual attention was less consistent during adult-led activities in August 2023. Staff understood the intended learning, but sometimes concentrated on the activity's general outcome rather than each child's next step. Staff observation also needed to become more consistent so professional development targets could address practice more precisely.

The address is Link House, Bolton Road, Kearsley, BL4 9BT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

In August 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That describes the funding offer at that time.

• Individual learning. August 2023 activities did not consistently address each child's next steps. During a visit, ask how staff now adapt a shared activity for children learning at different stages.
• Staff development. In August 2023, observation of staff practice needed greater consistency. This matters because useful feedback helps practitioners refine the experiences they plan.
• Attendance pattern. The opening window runs from 7.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays. Which booking pattern would fit your child's routine within those hours?

Starlights suits families who value stories, imaginative play and everyday learning experiences. Its August 2023 examples are concrete and varied. The decision points are equally clear: how individually activities are planned and how staff receive feedback on their practice deserve attention when choosing it.