Shooting Stars Childcare, Newcastle upon Tyne

Tunnels for crawling babies and number games in water give this Walkergate nursery a practical, playful character in its January 2022 snapshot. Shooting Stars Childcare, Newcastle upon Tyne has capacity for 36 children, from birth to 60 months, at Benfield Road, NE6 4NU.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 11 January 2022 inspection. Its strengths sat alongside two clear priorities: giving babies more chances to develop speech and helping older children stay attentive when routines changed.

In January 2022, babies practised rolling and crawling with carefully chosen resources, including tunnels. These gave physical development a concrete place in the day. Older children matched numerals with quantities during water play and shared reading, and practised writing their names and forming letters.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the January 2022 examples show how those requirements translated into movement, conversation, books and early number work.

Stories threaded through that day's activities. Two-year-olds joined familiar passages from We're Going on a Bear Hunt, while babies handled board books and explored their textures with a key person. The same activity took different forms for different stages of development.

At the January 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) making very good progress through targeted plans and work with other professionals. That judgement belongs to the inspection date.

In January 2022, settling arrangements included additional visits, giving children more opportunities to build relationships with staff. Key-person contact included shared books for older children and close comfort for children needing help to sleep. Parents valued staff listening to their concerns and the communication they received.

Freshly prepared food was also part of the January 2022 day: a cook supplied balanced meals, and staff responded to children's dietary preferences. These observations describe care at that time.

The nursery's address is Benfield Road, Walkergate, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 4NU. It opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, across the year, closing for bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas.

In January 2022, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated description of participation rather than a promise of a funded place today.

• Babies' communication. In January 2022, some adult language was too complex to help babies build vocabulary consistently. On a visit, ask how practitioners now encourage babies to respond and express themselves.
• Changes between activities. In January 2022, excitement around tidying sometimes carried into story time and disrupted concentration. Ask how staff now make those changes calmer.
• Funded attendance. Funding covered two-, three- and four-year-olds in January 2022. What funded attendance arrangements and associated charges would apply to your child now?

Shooting Stars suits families seeking care for babies and young children, with a January 2022 picture built around physical exploration, shared stories and close key-person relationships. The Good judgement gives that dated picture weight; the language and concentration priorities give families specific points to explore when choosing care.