URN 2846706 · Inspected 2026-09-15 · Published 2026-10-13 · Inspector: Heidi Kurjan
Shining Stars Day Nursery (HYDE) Ltd Unique reference number (URN): 2846706 Address: Lumn Road, Hyde, SK14 1QA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/08/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Shining Stars Day Nursery (Hyde) Ltd Inspection report: 15 September 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 Expected standard Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and practitioners implement a consistently effective approach to inclusion. They know children and their families well and promptly identify children's emerging or changing needs. Leaders use information from observations, assessments and discussions with parents to identify potential barriers to children's learning, development and wellbeing. They take effective action to reduce these. Leaders closely monitor children's progress and regularly review the impact of additional support. They involve parents and carers from the outset and work effectively with external professionals when children require further help. This joined-up approach enables support to be adapted promptly as children's needs change. For example, children with communication and language needs benefit from targeted strategies, including visual prompts, modelling and the repetition of vocabulary. Leaders provide families with resources and practical strategies to continue this support at home. As a result, children benefit from a consistent approach that helps them to communicate, participate fully and make progress from their starting points. Leaders recognise that barriers to children's achievement and wellbeing extend beyond special educational needs and/or disabilities. They understand the circumstances affecting children and families, and make effective use of community organisations, charities and local support services. This helps families to access appropriate support and reduces barriers that may otherwise affect children's participation, wellbeing and achievement. Achievement Expected standard Children make appropriate progress and develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning. They build their communication and language effectively. During stories and play, children confidently recall familiar words and phrases, respond to questions and use newly introduced vocabulary in conversation. Younger children increasingly use words, gestures and facial expressions confidently to communicate what they want. Children who need additional help make appropriate progress from their individual starting points. Children with communication and language needs increasingly imitate words, make choices and initiate interactions with familiar adults. Those who find communication more difficult increasingly express themselves and participate in experiences. Children develop confidence in communicating their needs and increasingly apply their developing skills during everyday interactions. Children develop confidence, curiosity and positive attitudes towards learning. They make purposeful choices, sustain their interest and increasingly use what they have learned in different situations. Children confidently revisit familiar experiences, share their ideas with others and show pride in what they achieve. They persevere when experiences require greater effort, and seek support appropriately when needed. Overall, children build securely on what they know and can do and are appropriately prepared for their next stage of learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children are happy, settled and secure in the setting. They form warm, trusting relationships with practitioners and confidently seek familiar practitioners for reassurance, help and comfort when needed. Practitioners know children well and generally respond sensitively to their individual cues and emotions. When children need reassurance, practitioners offer appropriate comfort, talk calmly and help them re-engage in play. This supports children to feel safe and develop a sense of belonging. Children generally behave positively and understand familiar routines and expectations. They respond well when practitioners signal transitions, cooperate with simple requests and increasingly manage familiar routines with confidence. Practitioners calmly reinforce expectations when children need additional guidance. Children typically develop positive relationships with their peers. They play alongside and with others, share resources and increasingly negotiate during their play. Children involve one another in their ideas, take turns with popular resources and enjoy completing activities together. When minor disagreements occur, practitioners intervene appropriately and help children understand how to resolve these and return successfully to their play. Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes towards their experiences. They confidently explore the environment, make choices and become absorbed in activities that interest them. Practitioners recognise children's interests and encourage them to participate, persevere and contribute their own ideas. Overall, children confidently engage, explore, and enjoy their experiences. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships with practitioners who know their individual care and emotional needs well. Children readily seek reassurance from familiar practitioners, who respond sensitively and help them feel safe and secure. Practitioners use information from parents and carers effectively to recognise changes in children's health, behaviour or emotional wellbeing and adapt their care accordingly. Mealtimes are calm and appropriately supervised. Practitioners remain close to children, reinforce safe eating practices and provide support that reflects each child's age and developmental needs. They understand and sensitively accommodate children's individual dietary requirements and difficulties around food. This helps children to feel comfortable and secure during mealtimes and ensures that their individual needs are met. Sleep routines and personal care routines respond effectively to children's individual needs. Practitioners monitor sleeping children appropriately and provide suitable sleeping arrangements. They respond to children's individual sleep cues and provide reassurance when needed. Practitioners manage personal care routines sensitively, maintaining children's dignity and emotional security. However, practitioners do not consistently use everyday situations to develop children's understanding of good respiratory hygiene. They do not consistently encourage children to cover coughs and sneezes, use tissues or clean their hands afterwards. Consequently, children do not consistently learn the healthy practices that help them manage their own hygiene and reduce the spread of infection. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have clear curriculum priorities based on what they know about children's starting points and development. They appropriately prioritise children's communication and language and physical development where assessment shows that children need further support. Practitioners generally understand these priorities and typically use what they know about children to provide purposeful learning experiences. Practitioners typically promote children's communication and language well. They introduce and model vocabulary through play, repeat words and phrases and use visual prompts where appropriate. Practitioners generally follow children's interests and give them time to respond and contribute. Consequently, children are typically motivated to communicate and increasingly use new vocabulary during their play. Practitioners generally introduce mathematical language naturally through children's play and routines. However, they do not consistently extend children's counting to deepen their understanding of number. At times, children recite number sequences without practitioners helping them to connect number names to quantities, or build further on what they already know. Consequently, children do not have consistent opportunities to strengthen their early number knowledge. Younger children's outdoor experiences are generally less varied than those available indoors, and predominantly focus on physical development. Consequently, children do not extend other areas of learning outdoors as consistently. Overall, children typically benefit from purposeful teaching, although the curriculum does not yet consistently build their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders know their provision, children and families well. They have clear plans to improve quality and have identified appropriate priorities. Leaders review these plans and take action to improve children's experiences. For example, they have identified the outdoor provision as an area for further development. They have plans in place to broaden the experiences available and make better use of the outdoor environment to support children's learning. Leaders understand the wider needs of their community. They build effective relationships with parents and carers, professionals and local organisations. They plan to work with local foodbanks and charities to support families experiencing financial hardship, including at Christmas. Leaders recognise when family circumstances create barriers, and help families to access appropriate services. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those experiencing disadvantage receive appropriate support. Parents value the setting and speak positively about the care, guidance and practical support they receive. Practitioner development is a clear priority. Leaders provide regular supervision sessions and use professional discussions and questioning to check practitioners' knowledge. Training is purposeful and responds to identified needs. This has included development around supporting children with SEND and children and families experiencing bereavement. Practitioners value these opportunities and describe leaders as approachable and supportive. Leaders also consider practitioners' wellbeing and workload. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what works well and where further improvement is needed. However, monitoring has not yet ensured that expectations are consistently embedded in all aspects of practice. Some opportunities to strengthen children's learning, independence and healthy practices remain inconsistent. Consequently, leaders' improvement work is having a positive impact, but this is not yet consistently embedded across all aspects of the provision. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are happy, settled and confident. They form warm relationships with practitioners and readily seek them out for comfort and reassurance. Practitioners respond sensitively when children need support and recognise changes in their emotions and behaviour. Children therefore know that practitioners are available when they need them, and feel secure in their care. Children enjoy learning through play. Their communication and language are particularly well supported. During water play, practitioners model words such as 'scoop', 'pour' and 'stir'. Children listen and begin to use this vocabulary themselves. When younger children notice an aeroplane overhead, practitioners follow their interest. They talk about planes, holidays and previous experiences. This helps children to make meaningful connections between what they see and what they already know. Children have valuable opportunities to explore independently. Younger children turn the pages of books while babbling and investigate the different sounds they can make with familiar objects. Practitioners remain nearby without unnecessarily interrupting their exploration. As a result, children sustain their concentration, follow their curiosity and discover things for themselves. Children benefit from physical play and generally show confidence and perseverance when encountering challenges. Practitioners model how to use unfamiliar equipment, such as scooters, and encourage children to keep trying. Children develop their coordination and Inspector: Heidi Kurjan About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2846706 Address: Lumn Road confidence as they practise new physical skills. Children also choose their play, access familiar resources and become absorbed in experiences that interest them. Children understand familiar routines and increasingly take an active role in their day. They confidently locate their belongings and know what happens at different points in the routine. Children enjoy positive interactions with practitioners who know them well and respond appropriately to their individual needs. Consequently, children feel secure, enjoy their experiences and participate confidently in the life of the setting. Next steps Leaders should use everyday routines more consistently to develop children's understanding of positive hygiene and self-care practices. Leaders should develop the outdoor curriculum for younger children so that experiences build progressively on what children know and can do. Leaders should strengthen their use of mathematical language and concepts during everyday play to deepen children's mathematical understanding. Leaders should provide children with more consistent opportunities to develop independence and manage everyday self-care tasks for themselves. About this inspection The inspector spoke with the leader, the deputy leader, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, 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 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. Hyde SK14 1QA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 20/08/2025 Registered person: Shining Stars Day Nursery (Hyde) Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Tameside Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 15 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 3 Total number of places 36 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. 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