URN EY372057 · Inspected 2026-06-16 · Published 2026-08-05 · Inspector: Suzanne Taylor
Little Stars Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY372057 Address: Old Farm Road, Mancetter, Atherstone, Warwickshire, CV9 1QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2008 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Foalyard Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 16 June 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard Children become self-motivated learners. They are excited to join in play with their friends. For example, they sit to make marks and talk about their drawings with their friends. They are animated and excited to talk about a rocket they have drawn and point out where the fire is when it is ready to launch. Pre-school children show very positive and kind behaviours. For example, they show care and concern for their friends, asking each other, 'Are you ok, do you need anything?' Toddlers know when to use their manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you', for example. They respond well to gentle reminders and praise when they behave well. All children develop a wide vocabulary and understanding of words over time. They hear many words spoken clearly and repeated in context. For instance, babies name the toy animals they find. They giggle when staff make the animal sounds and tickle them while singing well-known rhymes. Children respond well to questions, taking time and using their own thoughts and ideas. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive specific support while they engage in play and conversation with others. Over time, they gain confidence and begin to build their vocabulary and use the words they know. This helps children to express themselves well to adults and their peers in preparation for their next stage of learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders work with staff to make adaptations for individual children, for example, to create calm and inviting open spaces where they can become engrossed in play and learning. They ensure that each child's day is filled with high-quality learning experiences. Staff use well-established routines alongside play activities to ensure children develop the skills and understanding they need. Children learn to manage their personal care and self-help tasks, have fun and develop positive attitudes to learning. This helps to raise their self-esteem and ensure positive wellbeing. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, they learn the importance of hygiene routines through the guidance and explanations provided by staff. Close relationships between children and staff are evident. Children are eager to speak with staff and involve them in their games. Children's achievements are regularly celebrated in the setting and with their families. Staff keep parents and carers updated about what needs to come next in their children's learning. Leaders support families to bring their children to nursery regularly and promptly so they gain the most from the experiences on offer. Parents comment on how much their children enjoy attending. They particularly mention the dedicated forest school area, where children learn about growing food and caring for plants and wildlife. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders design a programme of events for each family before children start. This helps to build relationships from the outset. Staff know children and their families extremely well. They understand children's likes, dislikes and preferences for play. Staff use this knowledge to make adaptations to their interactions with each child. This helps to ensure children's understanding and sustains their engagement in purposeful play and learning. For children who face barriers to learning, staff plan exciting experiences to help engage and involve them alongside their peers. They support children to engage comfortably and talk about what they see in the pictures of a favourite book. This helps to remove anxieties and helps to develop children's confidence and self-esteem as they find learning to be fun. Older children make friends and play cooperatively and imaginatively together. For example, they ride a shared bicycle, taking others on a journey around the garden. Children recognise when it becomes difficult and instinctively seek to help by climbing down to help push the vehicle around the garden. Staff support children with reminders that help them to understand how to keep themselves safe. All children enjoy singing together, with enthusiastic support from staff. Children make choices about the songs they sing and the animals that they include in the songs. They excitedly roar and follow the actions that staff demonstrate in a familiar song. Babies enjoy looking at books independently and with staff. They pat the pages excitedly when they find the objects that staff talk about. This helps to build young children's enjoyment and love of books and stories. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard The curriculum for children's learning is fully embedded and designed precisely to meet the learning needs of each child. Staff have a secure knowledge of child development and have high expectations for what children can achieve. Adaptations are made to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged, those that are known or previously known to children's social care and those who face other barriers to learning, gain the most from their time in the nursery. Staff make effective use of the information they gain from parents and carers when children first start. They use this information, along with their own observations, to find out what children already know and can do. This helps staff to make precise decisions about what children are ready to be taught, which builds on their prior learning and experiences. Staff are innovative in their approach. They are dedicated to providing consistently high-quality teaching, which helps build on children's experiences, skills and understanding. For example, during routine tasks, staff consistently promote children's independence, such as during mealtimes, handwashing and removing outdoor clothing. Staff provide repetition, time, clear explanations and demonstration at the level that each child needs. They know and understand the importance of sequencing learning that builds on children's skills over time. For example, when dressing in clothing step by step, children begin to do this instinctively for themselves, receiving praise for their achievements. This helps to build on their self-esteem. As a result, children often exceed typical developmental expectations to manage self-help tasks for themselves. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders highly prioritise the individual needs of children. They identify needs early on in relation to special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), where children are known or have been known to children's social care or where they may face other barriers to their learning and wellbeing. This helps to ensure inclusive provision for all children. Consistent monitoring of children's progress helps staff to quickly assess individual learning needs. They make precise decisions about what children are ready to learn and what they intend to teach. Where children are disadvantaged or in receipt of additional funding, careful consideration ensures that funding is spent to support them in the best way possible. Funding is used to purchase resources to engage children in learning, develop their understanding of emotions and learn the words to express themselves, for instance. This has had a particularly positive impact on the behaviour of some children. Staff make focused adaptations, considering activities and routines, so that all children can access these and be involved. This helps to reduce barriers to their learning, development and progress. Staff have a wealth of knowledge and experience, gained through high-quality and extensive training. They understand the pathways for referral and where to seek support. Through effective liaison with parents, carers and other professionals, staff with responsibility for SEND expertly advise and provide colleagues and families with guidance. For instance, they offer support on the use of additional programmes to help children make as much progress as possible. As a result, children make excellent and rapid progress from their starting points. For instance, some children no longer require additional support in communication and language due to these successful interventions. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders use their knowledge of children and their families to make informed professional decisions, ensuring the welfare of all children. They provide tailored experiences, enabling every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known to children's services and those facing other barriers to their learning, to receive high levels of care and education. Leaders consult with parents, carers and staff and hold regular events for parents to attend and be involved in their children's learning and development. Leaders are committed to supporting staff's progression. They have developed a reflective and supportive culture within the staff team. Staff are consistently given time to reflect on their practice, support to try innovative approaches and time to reflect and discuss amendments needed to further benefit children. Leaders consider staff's wellbeing and workload as a high priority. Staff consistently complete mandatory training and additional training to support their practice. For instance, new initiatives help broaden their understanding and strengthen their skills and approaches. Staff receive the support they need to continue their professional development and expertise in the direction of their interests, such as in management, safeguarding and SEND. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children arrive happily at this warm and nurturing nursery environment. They settle quickly to play with their friends. Children are eager to greet familiar staff, who offer lots of smiles and cuddles, which children readily receive. This helps children to feel safe and secure in their care. Children are eager to explore the well-considered resources that are specifically set out for them to engage with. Babies independently access a range of toys that ignite their interest. Their eyes widen when they investigate a box of coloured eggs, turning each one over in Inspector: Suzanne Taylor their hands. Toddlers stand back proudly to view the marks they make on the pathways, using water and large paint brushes. They grin in response to staff's comments about their marks. Pre-school children have fun and become engrossed in activities, working together to make 'potions', for instance. They select from various natural outdoor resources to add to their potions, stirring gently and adding coloured water to their mixture. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the precise support they need early on. This helps these children to make the progress they are capable of. Parents, carers and other professionals involved in children's care work together closely. This ensures support is tailored to each child's needs so they are thoughtfully included in all aspects of nursery life. Parents comment that they feel staff are welcoming and supportive and work hard to listen to and accommodate their children's needs. Leaders ensure a flexible approach to ensure that children's attendance is regular and they gain the most from their experiences in the nursery. All children behave extremely well in the calm atmosphere at the nursery. They listen well to staff, who model expectations and give reminders of how to be kind, patient and when to use their manners. As a result, children know and understand the behaviours expected of them. Older children use their voices and their increasing vocabulary to express themselves and resolve minor disagreements themselves. All children gain the skills and understanding they need to prepare them for their next stage of learning and their eventual move on to school. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, children, parents and carers during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY372057 Address: Old Farm Road Mancetter Atherstone Warwickshire CV9 1QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 01/08/2008 Registered person: Foalyard Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Warwickshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 16 June 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 56 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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