Little Stars Nursery

A separate sleep room for babies and weekly Forest Schools for preschool children give Little Stars Nursery two clear points of character: space for the youngest children to rest, and outdoor learning that becomes a regular part of the older children's week. Forest Schools uses children's interests to shape practical learning outdoors. Its dedicated area is on the nursery site, so this provision has a physical home of its own.

Little Stars occupies Coleford House on Boxbush Road in Coleford, GL16 8DN, and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. There were also two clear improvements to make: stretch the most able children further in activities directed by adults, and give parents more useful guidance for continuing learning at home.

Term-time-only and full-time contracts serve different family routines. Baby routines carried over from home and resources children can reach themselves add practical appeal.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room combines natural play materials and movement space with adjacent play and sleep rooms connected by a monitoring hatch, allowing babies to rest separately from active play.

Toddler Room emphasises relationships, pretend play and conversation with practitioners, helping children express themselves and play together; their questions shape what staff explore next.

Two’s Room combines natural materials children can choose themselves, a role play area and daily circle time with early mark making, while potties and its bathroom support toilet training in partnership with parents.

Three’s Room develops number, communication, imagination and early writing through children's interests, while introducing a more structured routine and occasional mixing with preschool children. Preschool Room combines early literacy and exploration of children's ideas with natural materials, cosy spaces and free access between indoors and outdoors. Together, these arrangements offer gradual changes in expectations as children move through the setting, rather than making school preparation a separate exercise at the end.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage connects learning, development and care: children build language, physical skills, relationships and early understanding through play and planned activities. Within that framework, practitioners observe what interests each child and use those observations to decide the next experiences to offer. Parents' information also contributes to planning for babies, keeping home interests in the picture.

In April 2025, babies explored sensory activities, toddlers investigated water and sand, and preschool children talked about the shapes and colours of the blocks they were using. Singing and stories gave toddlers further opportunities to practise words. These examples show how familiar play materials can carry several purposes: movement for babies, exploration for toddlers and increasingly detailed conversation for older children.

The limitation was challenge. In April 2025, activities directed by adults did not consistently give children with higher levels of ability more demanding tasks or opportunities to think further. Families whose child quickly masters an activity should weigh that finding alongside the nursery's interest-led planning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Weekly Forest Schools gives preschool children a recurring opportunity for child-led outdoor learning, supported by a dedicated on-site area and two leaders. Practitioners observe the children's interests and review sessions to plan what follows. This adds a regular outdoor strand to the room-based day, with children's choices helping shape the activity.

Preschool children also take trips into the local community. Separately, Big Stars Holiday Club serves children aged 4 to 12 and includes opportunities to use the Forest School area for cooking, camp fires and tools. Those activities belong to the holiday club offer; they should not be read as the routine for babies or toddlers.

Relationships and Communication

Parents share their baby's usual routine, giving care a familiar starting point; daily care sheets carry updates home.

Across the nursery, daily handovers provide immediate updates, while parents evenings twice yearly allow fuller discussions about development. Observations guide planning around individual interests, and parents contribute information too.

Communication about home learning still needed work in April 2025. Some parents wanted clearer planning and more direct involvement in activities they could continue outside nursery. The distinction is useful: regular contact was happening, but contact alone did not always give families enough practical direction for supporting the next stage of learning.

Where possible, a familiar practitioner accompanies children moving from Two’s Room to Three’s Room. Occasional mixing with preschool children also helps prepare the older group for its next stage.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff supported children with SEND effectively, using individual help, communication aids and sensory resources while working with families and outside agencies. During music, visual prompts and gestures helped children with speech delays participate. The practical value is participation in the activity itself, with support adapted to the child.

The team includes SENCO and designated safeguarding lead roles, alongside practitioners with paediatric first aid certificates. These are identifiable support arrangements, rather than a general promise about care. For babies, the separate sleep space and monitoring hatch make rest arrangements concrete; for older children, access to personal-care resources supports growing independence.

In April 2025, children practised washing their hands, putting on coats and helping prepare for snacks; preschool children also practised toothbrushing. Staff responded calmly to a toddler disagreement and helped the children explain their feelings. Everyday routines therefore contributed to both practical skills and learning to manage relationships.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation apart from bank holidays and Christmas. The contract choices are term-time-only and full-time. These are attendance arrangements; the opening window describes when the nursery operates.

For privately paid term-time contracts, a retainer applies during holidays, including summer, while funding-only children are exempt. Missed attendance through sickness or holidays remains payable under that contract. Full-time contracts include two weeks of holiday concessions, with one week free and another at a reduced charge; further holidays and sickness absences remain payable. Families using that holiday allowance are asked to give two weeks' notice where possible.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. The address is Coleford House, Boxbush Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 8DN.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15/30 hours for 3 & 4 year olds and 30 hours for eligible 9 months +. Entitlements can be taken term-time or stretched across 50 weeks, and funded time follows the child's attendance rather than a separate fixed funding window. Hours beyond the entitlement are charged privately. Eligibility conditions still apply.

A chef prepares meals on site using a three-week menu rotation, with dietary alternatives at no extra charge. Breakfast and morning snack are free; private hourly fees include meals subject to the separate optional lunch and tea charge for children using funding alone or paying privately for fewer than four hours, and families declining hot meals may supply a lunchbox.

Tax-Free Childcare payments are accepted. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the contracts and costs page explains the attendance and funding structure.

• Challenge for quick learners. In April 2025, activities directed by adults needed better adaptation for the most able children. At a visit, ask how staff extend an activity once a child has mastered it.
• Learning beyond nursery. April 2025 feedback called for clearer guidance for parents. Ask for an example of how a current learning priority becomes something manageable to practise at home.
• Choosing a contract. Term-time-only and full-time agreements treat holidays differently, and funded-only children are exempt from the term-time retainer. Match the written terms to your family's working year before committing.

Little Stars suits families comparing term-time-only attendance with a full-time contract, especially those who value continuity in baby routines and a regular outdoor programme for preschool children. The separate baby sleep space, accessible resources and weekly Forest Schools provide concrete reasons to consider it.

The April 2025 Good judgement comes with cautions about challenge for advanced learners and guidance for learning at home. Those are the counterweights to its practical strengths.