About Us

At Little Stars we aim to provide outstanding care for each child.

 

Every child is unique.
Every child has individual needs.
Every child develops and learns in different ways.

 

At Little Stars we nurture each child by:-

  • establishing caring, personal and positive relationships
  • creating a safe, but stimulating environment
  • providing ‘next step’, active learning and development opportunities
  • ensuring that the wide choice of activities meets the needs of all children,

 

Leading to enjoyment, fun, praise and success

 

The progress that children make between birth and five is amazing and leaving your child in the care of others is one of the most difficult choices a parent has to make. It will be our privilege to work in partnership with you to support your child in becoming an independent, happy, confident and enquiring learner, laying a firm foundation for future well-being and success.

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, first issued by the department for education and skills in 2007, sets the standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five. It has been revised over time [most recently in 2012, updated in 2014] and remains the statutory, legal framework for all registered childcare settings, forming the basis of Ofsted inspections.

 

This framework, and its non-statutory guidance, underpins all aspects of the outstanding practice which we aim to offer at Little Stars Day Nursery. Below are the 4 over-arching principles and aims which shaped the framework and guide each aspect of our care:-

  • Each Unique Child learns constantly, leading to resilience, confidence and self-belief.
  • Positive Relationships ensure that children become independent learners.
  • Enabling Environments offer learning experiences which respond to individual needs, informed by a strong partnership between practitioners and parents or carers
  • Learning and Development planning understands that all children learn and develop at different rates, responding to individual need to support each child’s next steps

 

How do we ensure that we meet every standard at Little Stars?

Your Unique Child

  • You are your child’s first and most important care-giver. You know your child better than anyone. From your first visit, and throughout the time that we share that care, we will value and respond to the interests, accomplishments, needs or concerns that you share with us.
  • One of our greatest strengths is our staff. As parents ourselves, we know clearly the personal qualities we seek – qualities which would give us confidence to leave our own children in their care, with confidence that their individual needs will be understood and supported.
  • We warmly welcome all children and their families. Diversity is valued and respected and enriches all children’s lives. Children with Special Educational Needs or disabilities are nurtured and supported in their learning within a fully inclusive environment, where external professionals, parents and practitioners work together to meet their needs
  • Keeping your child safe, both physically and in their overall well-being, is of paramount importance. Our warm, responsive care aims to help children to consistently feel secure and valued, so that as they develop they can understand and help to contribute to rules, knowing that fairness lets everyone feel happier.
  • We encourage healthy eating, with a weekly menu choice and healthy activity, both inside and outside, as well as providing opportunities to relax and rest to meet your child’s individual needs

Positive Relationships

  • On entry, a named ‘key person’ will be introduced to you and your child. Overall responsibility for your child’s well-being, safety and learning rests with this practitioner, although other practitioners in the Nursery will work, play and interact with children in each room. Having a key person enables a close, personal relationship to be formed, developing reassurance and confidence, in order to encourage independent exploration and learning. The key person will work in close partnership with you, sharing day to day information, development and progress as a 2-way process.
  • If you are happy and your child is happy, then we are meeting our aims. Please tell us at any time if you have concerns – even small ones. At times we will share learning opportunities that you may wish to re-inforce at home. We would also be very happy to liaise with you If ever you would like further information about how to support your child’s learning and development
  • Children learn best when they feel confident, encouraged and supported. Building warm, trusting relationships with each child allows us to extend their curiosity, concentration and positive response to challenge. Knowing each child well means that skills are developed at an appropriate time, learning becomes fun and children are proud of their individual successes.

 

Enabling Environment

Our rich and varied environment has been established to meet children’s differing needs. Many areas will remain similar during the year, as particularly our very youngest children feel more secure when their environment is constant, but with challenging experiences regularly introduced to add variety and excitement, as well as meeting individual interests.

 

In our 0-2 year room the ratio of one adult to every three children ensures there is good supervision at all times, as our youngest children have not yet developed their own strategies for avoiding danger. They are safely partitioned from the older children, but still able to see them and join in their activities when appropriate.

 

Time for relaxation and sleep is balanced with multi-sensory activities, both indoors and in the outdoor play area. One-to-one and small group communication opportunities are a key focus, as would be the case at home, thus supporting language development.

 

Two separate large rooms and a secure outdoor play area are set up to offer a wide range of imaginative and creative learning opportunities for the 2 – 3 year olds and the 3 – 5 year olds. Learning is largely through play and exploration, with key workers monitoring the progress of each child, so that planning can reflect developing needs.

 

When your child first comes to Little Stars we are very happy for you to visit the Nursery several times with your child, so that they gradually feel confident to be there without you [and you feel confident to leave them!!]

 

During the year we also offer workshops and activity days, where you can learn more about our active learning opportunities.

 

Regular meetings with you ensure that you are kept fully informed about your child’s progress, as well as sharing your own observations.

 

Learning and Development

 

Young children learn best when they are actively involved and stimulated.

 

Interacting with other children, objects, ideas and events allows children to explore and extend their own interests.

 

When physical and mental challenges are built in and play and creativity is encouraged in a variety of situations, with a variety of resources, connections are made and learning and understanding is extended.

 

When an adult listens, responds, questions and supports, children’s learning is enriched and enhanced.

 

These principles underpin all aspects of our planning for learning and development, so that each child is enabled to reach their own full potential. We refer closely to the non-statutory guidance published by the British Association for Early Childhood Education which offers support to all settings in ensuring that they understand how to effectively develop high quality learning experiences. The tables below come from that publication.

 

Characteristics of Effective Learning
Playing and exploring – engagementFinding out and exploring
Playing with what they know
Being willing to ‘have a go’
Being involved and concentrating – motivationBeing involved and concentrating
Keeping trying
Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Creating and thinking critically – thinkingHaving their own ideas
Making links
Choosing ways to do things

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage framework separates areas of learning and development into the Prime Areas and the Specific Areas, as shown below. We believe in holistic learning, where activities build on a child’s current development across a range of these areas. Initially, in the 0 – 2 room, our planning will focus on the Prime Areas, integrating more of the specific areas as appropriate for each child.

 

Children develop at their own rates, and in their own ways. There are development statements in the non-statutory guidance which suggest a typical range of development, along with how adults can support next steps in learning. Their order is not taken as necessary steps for individual children, but as an overview. For further information please click on the ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)’ link on our website

 

Area of Learning and Development
Personal, Social and Emotional DevelopmentMaking relationships
Self-confidence and self-awareness
Managing feelings and behaviour
Physical DevelopmentMoving and handling
Health and self-care
Communication and LanguageListening and attention
Understanding
Speaking

 

Specific Areas of Learning
LiteracyReading and writing
MathematicsNumbers
Shape, space and measures
Understanding the WorldPeople and communities
The world
Technology
Expressive Arts and DesignExploring and using media and materials
Being imaginative