Little Stars Childcare

Screen-free play, a garden for growing vegetables and a dedicated baby sleep room give Little Stars Childcare a clear character. This Thornaby nursery puts children's choices into everyday practice: resources are within reach, toddlers help themselves at mealtimes, and older children take responsibility for their belongings. The emphasis is practical independence, with quiet areas alongside active play.

At its 2 March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Little Stars Good overall and found safeguarding effective, while requiring improvements to key-person arrangements, the condition of books and staff guidance on behaviour. Those qualifications matter alongside the grade. They concern the everyday relationships and interactions that parents depend on.

Little Stars has 48 places in total, with its youngest accepted age recorded as 3 months; the Baby Room starts from 6 months and continues until children are walking. Full Day, Half Day and Midi Day bookings give families several attendance patterns. The nursery operates across 51 weeks, closing for Bank Holidays and a week over Christmas.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room provision combines sensory experiences with resources positioned low enough for babies to reach, while a dedicated sleep room has cots and blinds and curtains to darken the space. Feeding, sleeping and play are arranged around individual routines. The minimum Baby Room staffing ratio for under-twos is one adult to three babies, the legal minimum. Separating sleep from the play room gives rest its own physical space rather than making it another activity within a busy room.

Toddler Room learning centres on conversation, songs, making things and imaginative play, supported by accessible shelves, space for group activities and quieter areas. Choosing resources, tidying and using cutlery give children everyday opportunities to act for themselves.

The Pre-School Room combines early science, maths, storytelling and physical activities with a mixture of guided play and children's own choices, with cosy areas for quiet reflection. Managing belongings and taking decisions form part of preparation for school. This is preparation through daily habits as well as learning activities, rather than a promise about admission to any school.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing communication, physical development and learning through play into the nursery day. Little Stars adds The Curiosity Approach through open-ended resources, natural materials and screen-free exploration. Its Hygge principles shape the surroundings through soft colours, natural light and cosy places to pause. Both approaches have a concrete expression here.

Wood and fabric give children materials to investigate and use imaginatively, leaving room for different uses rather than prescribing a finished result.

In March 2023, children helped arrange dinosaur play in sand, and adults joined them at their level, using questions about texture to extend the activity. Number learning also came through ordinary play, including counting with finger puppets and exploring what happens when another is added. These examples show how an interest chosen by a child can become an opportunity for conversation or mathematical thinking.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Play Garden includes grassy space, cars and trikes, a climbing structure, raised sand and water pits, and a wooden den. It gives active play several forms: movement, climbing, imaginative games and hands-on exploration. The enclosed rear garden is private, adding a substantial outdoor counterpart to the quieter indoor spaces.

A separate Vegetable & Flower Garden has raised beds where children help grow and harvest produce, including carrots and autumn pumpkins. Caring for a crop gives an everyday reason to notice change and see where food comes from. Outdoor play is planned twice daily, except in extreme weather that would make it unsafe; wet-weather clothing and wellies support that routine when conditions are less inviting.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts with two free sessions lasting two hours each, arranged near the child's starting date. These provide a defined introduction to nursery life before the usual attendance pattern begins. In the Baby Room, time with parents and key workers at either end of the day supports the exchange of information about routines and development.

Famly carries photographs, development observations and updates on sleep, activities and food, giving parents a fuller account of the day than a brief handover.

In March 2023, settling visits were adapted to children's emotional needs and staff knew their individual interests, but some children had no allocated key person to build a continuing relationship with them and their parents.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that assessments, including the progress check at age two, helped staff identify developmental gaps, but books needing repair and inconsistent explanations about behaviour limited aspects of children's learning. The practical concerns were specific: damaged interactive books could frustrate children, and adults did not consistently explain why taking another child's toy was a problem. These are useful points to explore alongside the nursery's current emphasis on language and social skills.

For preschool children, simple breathing exercises and quiet periods sit alongside dancing and outdoor movement. Cosy spaces allow children to take a pause within the room. The balance matters for families seeking both active play and an explicit place for children to manage their feelings.

The nursery cook makes food fresh each day and adjusts meals for dietary needs; families may also send a packed lunch or particular snacks. Little Stars has a peanut-free policy, which allergy-affected families should discuss before deciding whether the arrangements meet their child's needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Unit 4, Martinet Road, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 0AS. Enquiries and booking requests can be made through the contact form, by email at littlestarsthornaby@outlook.com or by telephone on 01642 133 630, with place enquiries directed to the manager or deputy manager.

Full Day bookings run from 7am to 6pm. Half Days run either from 7am to 12.45pm or from 12.45pm to 6pm, while Midi Day runs from 9am to 3pm.

The main attendance arrangements run Monday to Friday across 51 weeks, with Bank Holiday closures and a one-week Christmas break. The Christmas closure deserves space in a family's annual childcare plan. Little Stars does not provide before- or after-school sessions.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted under the 15 hours and 30 hours funding structures. Funded hours can be used between 7am and 5pm, with time after 5pm charged separately. Full Day, Half Day and Midi Day funded bookings carry additional session charges; separate sessions from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm have no extra costs. The distinction is important when comparing a funded booking with the attendance pattern a family actually needs.

Meals and snacks are included in the cost of care, except that lunch is excluded from an afternoon half-day booking because it has already been served. There is no registration charge. Payment is monthly in advance, due on the first of the month, and bank transfers and Tax-Free Childcare payments are accepted. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding information explains the session structure.

• Relationships and learning resources. The March 2023 improvement points covered key-person allocation, damaged books and explanations of behaviour. During a visit, explore how a key person is assigned, how books are maintained and how adults help children understand sharing.
• Early starts. The main opening and session arrangements begin at 7am, but the contact details give a 7.30am opening. Resolve that difference before relying on an early booking.
• Youngest children. The accepted age range begins at 3 months, while Baby Room provision starts at 6 months. For a younger baby, ask which room and care arrangement would apply.
• Allergies. Freshly cooked meals and a peanut-free policy sit alongside permission to bring food from home. Confirm the current allergy procedures and how food brought by families is managed.

Little Stars suits families who want screen-free, child-led play with accessible resources, purposeful gardening and quiet spaces, and who need a Full Day, a morning or afternoon Half Day, or the shorter Midi Day pattern. The baby sleep room and daily Famly updates add practical substance to that offer.

The Good judgement from March 2023 provides a positive inspection position, but the relationship, book-quality and behaviour-guidance concerns deserve attention in choosing the nursery. For funded families, the useful comparison is between the no-extra-cost shorter sessions and the additional charges attached to other booking patterns.