'A welcoming home-from-home nursery' -- Ofsted praise for Sutton childcare service
A popular nursery in Sutton has been lauded by Ofsted inspectors as “home from home” for children, who “enjoy their time” there.
Bright Stars Childcare Services Ltd, which runs the nursery on Brook Street, has been rated ‘Good’, both overall and in all four individual categories, after its first inspection by the education watchdog.
Those categories cover quality of education, behaviour and attitudes of children, personal development of children, and leadership and management.
“Staff make sure children are provided with a wide range of interesting activities, both inside and outside, to support their learning,” the inspectors’ report said.
"Staff plan and implement a curriculum to help children build on their skills and gain new knowledge.
"Children have a very positive attitude to learning, and their communication and language development is supported very well. Babies learn new words, toddlers demonstrate their memory skills and older children engage in conversation with adults.
“Children enjoy their time at this welcoming, home-from-home nursery.”
Bright Stars has 132 children, aged four and under, on its books. It employs 22 members of childcare staff and is open Mondays to Fridays (7.30 am to 5.30 pm).
Ofsted found that staff “help children to develop their imaginative skills”, and “make sure their self-esteem and confidence are nurtured effectively”.
"They praise children on their attempts and perseverance during their play and learning,” the report went on. ”Staff provide clear messages about what is expected of children’s behaviour. Children spontaneously say please and thankyou during their play.
"Staff also identify children who require extra support. They work sensitively with parents and seek advice from external professionals.”
The inspectors reported that “staff help children learn and understand how to safely express their emotions”, while also “encouraging them to develop their independence skills” and “confidently manage their self-care needs”.
The partnership with parents was “strong” and they were kept “up to speed with with their child’s learning and development”.
The manager was also “clear on her role as designated safeguarding lead”, with staff regularly completing child protection training.
Only two areas were pinpointed for improvement at Bright Stars. Staff needed to quickly “identify and rectify any minor hazards” at the nursery that posed a risk to children, while help was needed for some staff to “build the confidence and understanding of what they want children to learn”.