URN 2605079 · Inspected 2026-01-21 · Published 2026-04-10 · Inspector: Kayte Farrell
Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley Unique reference number (URN): 2605079 Address: Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley, 144 Castle Street, Stockport, SK3 9JH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/10/2020 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley Ltd Inspection report: 21 January 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. Needs attention Achievement Needs attention Children make some progress from their individual starting points. They learn to sing familiar songs and recall stories with their friends. Children have good physical skills. They use balance bicycles with ease and demonstrate good coordination when kicking a ball. However, overall progress is slow and inconsistent. This is because the curriculum and teaching are not targeted and focused on what children already know and what they need to learn next. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is particularly inconsistent. These children spend a lot of time in solitary play, flitting around the areas. They are not supported to develop the skills identified in their learning plans. This does not help to prepare children for the next stage of their learning, such as their move to school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Leaders have identified that staff need support to implement consistent routines and transitions within the nursery. They have introduced visual timetables and flash cards to support children. However, these are not being used consistently by staff, and therefore, the impact cannot be determined. Children behave positively and get along well with one another. They have formed lovely relationships with their peers and the staff team. Staff generally have appropriate expectations for behaviour. They engage children in group activities to help them learn about sharing and turn-taking. However, they do not consider how to include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them learn the routines and expectations of the nursery. Leaders have clear procedures in place for recording and monitoring children's attendance. They work with parents to promote punctuality and contact those who do not attend. This helps parents to understand the importance of attendance and the impact this has on attainment. Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention Leaders do not ensure that staff follow good hygiene procedures. Children are allowed to share foods, despite being poorly. Staff wipe their own and children's noses without washing their hands. This increases the spread of infection and does not help children to learn how to keep themselves healthy. Leaders have devised some risk assessments for the nursery. However, some do not consider all the hazards in the environment, such as hanging wires and cleaning products in children's reach. Furthermore, although leaders have taken some steps to improve the risk assessments for mealtimes, they are not fully understood by staff. For instance, not all staff know the correct procedures to follow when serving foods to children with allergies. Consequently, children have been given a food they cannot have. The key-person system is well embedded, and staff get to know children very well. They have formed trusting relationships, which helps children to feel emotionally secure. Staff in the baby room get to know babies' routines well. They are kind and nurturing, offering lots of cuddles and reassurance to babies. Staff working with older children encourage them to take part in activities to express their emotions. Children tell staff if they are feeling happy or sad and why they feel this way. They are confident and very well settled at the nursery. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders recognise that the curriculum design and implementation are not good enough. They have recently started to take some action, such as sourcing training for themselves and staff, but it is too soon to determine the impact. Leaders do not have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They do not adapt and sequence the curriculum to consider the differing needs of the children that attend, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff make attempts to promote children's communication and language development through singing and reading stories. However, they do not all recognise the impact that unnecessary dummy use has on children's emerging speaking skills. At times, staff engage children in lovely interactions. They speak kindly and sensitively to children, supporting their emotional wellbeing. They encourage children to play cooperatively together in small groups, promoting their social skills. Although staff use assessment to identify children's specific next steps in learning, these are not then considered during their play and interactions. This means the majority of learning is incidental, rather than by design. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders recognise when children are at risk of falling behind and work with outside agencies. They make referrals in a timely manner and contribute to support plans. However, although there are support plans in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), these are not implemented. Children with SEND spend a lot of time wandering around, not engaged in play or learning of any purpose. Strategies suggested by leaders, such as visual timetables and objects of reference, are not used consistently. This means children are not supported to access the curriculum in ways suited to their learning style. Staff do not receive high-quality training on the graduated approach, and consequently, teaching is very variable. Not all staff have a good understanding of how to adapt their teaching and the curriculum for children who have barriers to their learning, such as those who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND. Leaders use additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, to enhance the environment for children. However, this is not targeted at the individual needs of those it is allocated to, and therefore, the impact cannot be monitored. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders have identified some of the weaknesses of the nursery and are beginning to take steps to make improvements. However, there are aspects that have not been identified, resulting in numerous breaches to requirements. Leaders identified that a child had been served their allergen but failed to notify Ofsted. They have started to implement some procedures to prevent a recurrence, but these are not yet effective. There have been some changes to the leadership team since the last inspection, and this has created a period of challenge. However, the registered person has taken steps to play a more active role in the day-to-day running of the nursery to help support the leaders. This acts in the best interests of children. Leaders have started to implement a programme of professional development for staff. They have provided training on the curriculum along with special educational needs but are not yet monitoring the impact on children. Staff receive some supervision from leaders; however, feedback on their practice is not targeted on their individual areas for development. Consequently, there are significant inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. 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 Overall, children do not access a well-planned and sequenced curriculum that prepares them for future learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning do not benefit from a consistent approach to teaching. Strategies to help them are not implemented well, which hinders their learning and progress. Leaders and staff do not consider what children already know and can do when planning activities, and consequently, some learning is pitched too high. For example, babies under 2 years old are encouraged to complete jigsaws that have too many pieces. They become frustrated when they are unsuccessful and lose interest. This does not help children to develop a positive attitude to learning. Younger babies have a different experience. They delight in accessing sensory experiences, such as building with blocks and foam. Staff narrate to babies, introducing new words and encouraging them to copy. Babies play well with one another, practising new skills, such as sharing and turn-taking. Reassurance and praise from staff help babies to feel confident and self-assured. Children typically demonstrate that they feel happy and well settled. They attend regularly and therefore separate from parents with ease. Children have lovely relationships with staff who get to know them and their families well. However, gaps in staff training and the procedures for managing risk compromise children's wellbeing. Although leaders have started to take steps to address these, they are not yet effective. Children enjoy the outdoor area and access a variety of resources. Staff support children to use mark-making tools to draw themselves and others. They point out key characteristics and the things that make children the same and different. This helps children to foster a sense of identity and learn about what makes them unique. Inspector: Kayte Farrell About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2605079 Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date implement robust procedures for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities 06/03/2026 plan and implement an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do 06/03/2026 ensure staff implement robust hygiene procedures that promote children's health and wellbeing 20/02/2026 ensure risk assessments include all potential hazards and are clearly understood by staff 20/02/2026 implement a targeted programme for professional development that helps staff to improve their skills and knowledge. 06/03/2026 About this inspection We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and children 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. Address: Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley 144 Castle Street Stockport SK3 9JH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/10/2020 Registered person: Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Stockport Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 21 January 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. 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