URN EY375145 · Inspected 2026-03-04 · Published 2026-10-02 · Inspector: Joanne Goldsmith
Stars Day Nurseries Ltd t/a Little Stars DayNursery Unique reference number (URN): EY375145 Address: 124-128 Dogsthorpe Road, PETERBOROUGH, PE1 3AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/04/2008 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Stars Day Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 4 March 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Strong standard 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. Inclusion Strong standard The setting has created an inclusive culture that reflects the diverse community in which the children live. Highly effective leadership embeds inclusivity across the setting. Staff closely monitor children's progress and very quickly identify when they need support and where to access relevant training or guidance. Leaders regularly review assessments and hold reflective discussions to decide on any interventions, involving parents and carers. Staff take time to understand each child's background, strengths and needs, which helps them to plan support that is both personalised and consistent. Staff who lead work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are highly experienced and make swift referrals to other professionals and maintain clear communication to ensure a consistently coordinated approach. Staff use individual plans to guide their support for children with SEND and proactively review these regularly to reflect all children's emerging needs. Leaders are quick to identify a range of different barriers to children's learning or wellbeing. These may relate to changes to children's home life or cultural celebrations. Leaders monitor every child's progress carefully and use additional funding thoughtfully to support disadvantaged children, those with SEND, those known to children's social care, and children facing wider barriers in discussion with the parents, focusing on the children's needs and interests. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. Emotional security is prioritised, particularly in the baby room, where positive attachments are nurtured. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported, such as through objects of reference or help from bilingual staff. This helps to ensure that every child can express themselves confidently. Children are curious and show determination when faced with challenges. They collaborate well, for example, when programming a remote-controlled dog and taking turns. Children gain a love of books and enjoy shared reading and engage in monthly nursery-wide topics. Children also enjoy being active, whether balancing, running with staff, or digging in the sand. These physical experiences build strength, coordination, and resilience, helping to prepare all children for the next stage of learning, including school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children behave well throughout the setting. They benefit from the caring and stimulating environment that the staff nurture. Routines are firmly established from the baby room through to pre-school, with children understanding expectations and responding attentively to adults. In the garden, the children join in with staff, clapping and singing to indicate tidy-up time, then work together to put the resources away. Staff teach children the language of feelings, helping them to develop their emotional literacy appropriately. Staff's in-depth knowledge of their key children helps to ensure that each child is cared for in accordance with their individual needs. They are very responsive to the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff provide a consistent approach and apply individual strategies so that each child can take part and feel secure. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to learning. Staff build effective partnerships with parents, helping babies and children to develop secure, positive attachments with their key person. Leaders help families to keep their children attending regularly and offer support when family situations change, so that children can continue receiving consistent care and education. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders have a thorough and well-embedded understanding of how to support children's welfare and wellbeing. The effective key-person system ensures that staff know each child extremely well and their family circumstances. Bespoke settling-in arrangements, including personalised sessions, enable staff to respond immediately to individual needs. As a result, new babies feel safe, secure and self-assured, and willingly follow well-established routines, such as sleep schedules. Staff foster children's independence, starting in the baby room, where they find their own shoes in a basket. This continues through to the other rooms, where children gain the skills to do more for themselves, such as managing their personal hygiene. Staff very carefully adapt the learning environment and activities effectively to meet the specific needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. During lunchtime routines, children consistently demonstrate independence skills as they are encouraged to self-serve, pour their own drinks and feed themselves. Children learn good handwashing skills and understand how this helps to keep them safe and healthy. They are supported to recognise and manage their feelings, thereby developing emotional and social skills. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff plan a curriculum that helps children to build on what they know and can do and achieve well. They create an environment and activities that spark curiosity, where children can explore freely and build on their learning. For instance, staff engage children to explore sustainability and recycling while using old boxes to make robots. Staff gather information from parents when children first start, which helps them to understand children's prior learning and experiences. They use this information to plan each child's next step in learning and regularly observe and assess children's progress. Staff help children do things for themselves. For example, children self-serve meals and drinks, and help to clear away their plates. Staff purposely teach children about mathematics. They encourage children to discuss the shapes they can identify when drawing their homes or when using a remote-controlled toy. Children confidently use wheeled toys in the outside play area, showing appropriate spatial awareness as they move safely around others. Staff support children's physical skills. For example, they encourage them to put on the doctor's outfit and wrap a bandage around the staff member's arm. However, the curriculum for communication and language is not as well planned and taught as other areas. For example, staff do not consistently introduce new vocabulary or model language during play, the manager has highlighted communication and language as a priority within the setting. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders demonstrate real perseverance in ensuring that every child receives a high standard of education and care, and they hold ambitious expectations for all. They invest considerable effort in building positive, effective relationships with parents, carers, and external professionals so that children can flourish, whatever their starting points, backgrounds, or abilities. Their shared vision is clear, and children remain at the heart of every decision they make. Leaders are reflective in their practice. They use a range of activities to ensure that practice is continually reviewed and refined. This drives high standards across the nursery and ensures that decisions benefit all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff report high levels of wellbeing and support for their individual circumstances. Appraisals are held frequently, providing an opportunity for staff to identify any professional development they would like to pursue. They place a clear focus on staff professional development, ensuring staff are well supported in their roles. This demonstrates they are an effective, well-established team. This has a positive impact on children as they are surrounded by respectful and empathetic staff. 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 at the setting confidently and happily, demonstrating a firm sense of security and belonging. They separate from their parents or carers with ease, showing that trusting relationships with staff have been firmly established. The welcoming environment, consistent routines, and warm interactions help children to feel safe, valued, and ready to explore and learn. Children choose from the broad range of experiences available to them in well-designed environments, both indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy spending time with staff, inviting them into their play. For instance, in the baby room, the babies and staff fully immerse themselves in the painting experience, exploring paint with their hands, feet, and brushes. Children are deeply nurtured and cared for by dedicated staff. Staff know children and their families extremely well. During the settling-in process, staff gather detailed information about each child and their family's circumstances. This means that any barriers to learning can be swiftly identified and actions implemented so that children can develop to their full abilities. Bilingual staff provide highly effective support for children who speak English as an additional language. Parents report that this has led to a positive increase in their children's language development when speaking both their home language and English. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this highly inclusive and nurturing setting. Leaders and staff are ambitious for all children to develop to their full potential, with a curriculum that focuses on what children should learn and on how staff can support individual children's learning and development, ensuring that every child is ready for their next step in life. Partnerships with parents are effective. Leaders work closely with families to help children reach their full potential. They help parents understand that regular attendance supports children's emotional security, learning, progress, and school readiness. Next steps Leaders should fully embed a consistent and ambitious approach to language development across all age groups within the nursery, ensuring that high-quality communication and language practice is evident in every room and throughout daily routines. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, the designated safeguarding lead, the special educational needs coordinator, practitioners, children and parents 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 Inspector: Joanne Goldsmith About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY375145 Address: 124-128 Dogsthorpe Road PETERBOROUGH PE1 3AL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 21/04/2008 Registered person: Stars Day Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Peterborough Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 4 March 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 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. 95 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? 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