Little Starz Day Nursery

Close relationships and learning woven into everyday routines give Little Starz Day Nursery its character in the September 2022 account: children practised counting with lunch spoons and brought their own collections of leaves into activities. Small experiences carried the learning.

At its 1 September 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and recognised good progress, with additional resources and specialist staff supporting children’s needs. The nursery now has capacity for 61 children, with an accepted age range of 3 to 60 months.

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children’s learning, development and care; here, the September 2022 examples show learning through play and ordinary tasks. Counting accompanied physical play, while stories and songs helped children practise listening and remembering. Children recalled how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, connecting language with understanding the world.

In September 2022, the interior was bright and arranged so children could move freely. Staff incorporated children’s pine cones and leaves into activities, giving their interests a practical place in the day. Bus outings reached shops and the library, while walks took children to a local park. These experiences extended learning beyond the nursery building.

There were limits to that approach. In September 2022, some staff were unclear about what activities were intended to teach, and children sometimes needed greater challenge to think through problems. Those are useful priorities for families assessing the learning on offer.

In September 2022, children had strong relationships with their key persons, and staff responded sensitively to their emotions. Familiar routines helped children settle. Everyday independence received attention too: babies practised the steps of handwashing, and toddlers received help with cutlery.

Communication in September 2022 included photographs and updates about children’s interests, an online tool for messages from home and parents’ evenings. Families could contribute information as well as receive it. For children approaching school, opportunities to meet a Reception teacher and become familiar with a local primary school helped prepare for the change; staff attended school-entry meetings to maintain support for children with additional needs.

89 Ebdon Road, Worle, Weston Super Mare, BS22 6US is the nursery’s address. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for one week between Christmas and New Year.

In September 2022, the nursery received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position rather than a promise of an entitlement for an individual family.

• Learning challenge. The September 2022 improvement priorities concerned activity purpose and problem-solving. On a visit, ask how staff now choose activities and extend a child’s thinking.
• Christmas closure. The annual pattern includes a week’s closure between Christmas and New Year. Families needing care then will need to plan around it.

Little Starz suits families seeking weekday care across the year. Its September 2022 inspection account highlighted relationships, communication and practical independence. Its September 2022 account contains convincing everyday examples, alongside clear learning priorities. The strongest decision rests on how that relationship-based care and those teaching priorities translate into a child’s experience today.