URN EY394125 · Inspected 2026-08-11 · Published 2026-10-26 · Inspector: Tracy Bartholomew Sarah-Louise Clements
Little Stars Unique reference number (URN): EY394125 Address: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 28/08/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Inspection report: 11 August 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. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children show that they are happy and enjoy the activities available. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, typically make good progress from their starting points. Children show curiosity in their play and develop early problem-solving skills. For example, babies are encouraged to lift flaps on books that are read to them. Toddlers enjoy experimenting with construction materials, while pre-school children explore creative media, such as paint, sand and collage materials, working out how to join, shape or adapt their creations. Children become confident communicators overall, who enjoy sharing their ideas. They build secure mathematical understanding through counting, recognising shapes and using positional language as they play. They play cooperatively and develop independence, choosing activities that interest them. Children gain a positive sense of wellbeing through experiences that support their social, emotional and physical development. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders recognise the importance of children's attendance and the impact this has on children's learning and development. Children demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes, showing that they feel safe within the nursery. Children arrive happily, settle quickly and engage in activities that interest them. Staff model respectful interactions, helping children understand the expectations and supporting them to manage their feelings. As a result, children show kindness towards one another, take turns and play cooperatively. Children increasingly develop their independence and confidently choose resources they would like to play with. For example, children help themselves to the materials they need, such as tissues to manage simple care tasks. Overall, children respond positively to familiar procedures throughout the day. Group times and tidy-up routines are smoothly implemented, helping children to feel secure and ready to learn. At times, transitions between some activities and care routines are not always as well organised as they could be. For example, some children become momentarily unsettled, as their peers leave to go outside, which can briefly interrupt the flow of learning. Staff provide clear guidance, and children show resilience and perseverance in their play. Children of all ages remain engaged for sustained periods and demonstrate curiosity and motivation during exploration. Leaders ensure that staff have the right skills and confidence to promote children's positive behaviour effectively. Overall, children show enjoyment, confidence and positive attitudes towards learning. They follow simple instructions well, build secure relationships with staff and their peers and demonstrate behaviours that prepare them effectively for their next stage in learning. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders recognise the importance of promoting children's welfare and wellbeing. Children are offered a safe environment where staff carry out regular risk assessments. Clear procedures are in place to protect children from equipment that is not suitable for them, such as medical items, ensuring risks are identified and managed effectively. There are effective settling-in arrangements when children first start and throughout transitions in to different rooms of the nursery. This helps staff to get to know and meet children's individual needs successfully. For example, staff ensure they follow babies' own sleep and feeding routines, giving them a familiar pattern to their day. Leaders and staff offer children meaningful choices, allowing them to select activities that interest them, which in turn supports their focus, play and learning. Staff are deployed well to meet the needs and safety of the children. Staff provide a sensitive approach to supporting children's care needs. For example, they respectfully ask younger children if they can change their nappies and check with older children if they can help them to wipe their noses. Staff recognise the importance of safer sleeping and adapt to children's individual routines. For example, they rock them gently to sleep before placing them down once settled. Staff promote suitable hygiene routines. Children and staff wash their hands at appropriate times, such as before mealtimes. Leaders ensure children's health and wellbeing are promoted well. For example, children receive nutritious meals including fruit and vegetables across the day. Children's health and dietary requirements are understood by staff. Clear labelling and colour coordinated plates are used to ensure allergies and preferences are easily identified, helping to keep children safe. Staff typically provide consistent routines at mealtimes and share some appropriate messages about healthy lifestyles. Children spend plenty of time outdoors and engage in physical activities indoors and outdoors, supporting their physical health and overall wellbeing. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff create an environment where children and families feel valued and welcomed. They actively invite families to share cultural traditions and weave these experiences into wider themes, such as international football competitions, ensuring that each child's uniqueness is recognised. Staff understand the areas of learning and plan activities with clear intent. Staff know what they want children to learn and design experiences that respond to children's curiosity and support them to learn skills safely. For example, as babies investigate furniture around them, staff stay close to offer reassurance and confidence. Staff understand the importance of supporting younger children's strength and coordination and extend these skills through purposeful activities. They encourage children to practise standing by providing them with opportunities to explore movement, such as transferring gloop between containers, which encourages balance, control and sensory exploration. Pre-school children develop hand strength when using litter pickers to collect items in the sand, linking this to their theme of sea creatures and caring for the wildlife. Staff know their key children's learning needs and next steps in learning well. They understand the intended learning behind each activity and generally provide teaching that promotes children's development effectively. At times, some staff do not offer timely interactions clearly enough to build on children's learning further. For instance, they ask questions too rapidly to the children and do not give them sufficient time to think and respond. Leaders and staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For example, children benefit from visiting the local forest school area, where they can enjoy building dens using natural resources, climbing and exploring. The nursery garden is welcoming and designed to support physical development. Toddlers create their own obstacle courses, developing bodily control and confidence, while older children explore sounds by tapping sticks against the fence, learning about cause and effect. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff have high expectations for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. They know each child's needs and backgrounds well overall and use this knowledge appropriately to plan support. Children who speak English as a additional language feel valued as staff plan activities that celebrate their cultures. Children with additional needs are identified early so that support can be put in place. Staff assess what each child needs and removes barriers so they can take part in all activities. Children who need one-to-one support have this provided and the support is generally proactive. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments to identify where children may need extra help. When support is needed, individual plans with clear targets are created and shared with parents and reviewed. Leaders and staff think carefully about children's needs when using any additional funding, to ensure this directly supports their progress. Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to work with parents and share information with specialised and external partners when needed. Staff with key roles in supporting children with additional needs are qualified and understand their responsibilities. They guide parents and key persons when required. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders and staff have suitable policies and procedures in place to protect children's health, wellbeing and learning. Appropriate accident and incident records are maintained in line with requirements. Leaders have effective strategies in place for reviewing these records to identify any patterns and themes. Leaders have a suitable awareness of the strengths within the nursery and understand the areas that require further development. Leaders are working to recruit permanent staff, and while agency staff are currently used, they ensure consistency wherever possible. Recruitment processes are understood and follow safer recruitment expectations. All staff, including agency staff, receive a robust induction, covering safeguarding, technology rules and behaviour management. Staff receive regular one-to-one meetings and have frequent opportunities for professional development to build on their skills and knowledge. Leaders use meetings and ongoing discussions to help staff revisit key policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures to inform staff competences. Staff talk positively about their work and the ongoing support they receive from leaders. They report manageable workloads and feel that their wellbeing is prioritised. Leaders and staff form effective partnerships with parents. They provide regular updates and share information to support children's learning at home. Parents praise the support and guidance they receive and comment that they are well-informed about their child's day. 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 nursery with confidence, moving away from their parents or carers with ease. Staff greet the children with warmth and enthusiasm, opening the door with a friendly welcome and taking a moment to talk about recent events, such as birthdays or holidays. This brief exchange helps staff check in with families and ensures that every child begins their day feeling secure and understood. Throughout the environment, staff create spaces that invite exploration and comfort. Rooms are prepared in advance so that children can immediately engage with activities that spark curiosity. Quiet and cosy areas are available for children, which allows them spaces to rest or have a moment of calm, giving them the freedom to regulate their own energy and emotions. Overall, staff nurture children's communication and language skills well through purposeful interactions. They read stories in ways that capture attention, using puppets to bring characters to life and deepen engagement. Younger children listen intently, then use the puppets to retell parts of the story, strengthening their understanding and expressive learning. All children benefit from singing and rhyming sessions, and overall, staff encourage active participation. Children of all ages join in with the words and actions, that in turn supports their speaking and early-literacy development. Children show they feel settled and content throughout their day. Their individual needs are appropriately supported by staff who really know them well. Children form positive relationships with their peers and show that friendships are developing well. For example, older children are seen to hold their friend's hands, and others seek out familiar friends to join in their play. Children engage in experiences that spark their curiosity and encourages them to try new things. They enjoy learning, connect well with others, and show clear progress as they build skills across different areas. A wide range of activities supports children's physical development. Children move with purpose, taking part in tasks that challenge their coordination and balance. For example, babies enjoy developing and building their core and limb strength as they climb stairs and go down the slope of fixed furniture. However, older children enjoy climbing, running and manipulating small objects, where they show enthusiasm for developing new skills and extending what they can do, especially as they create and explore obstacle courses. Next steps Leaders should focus more precisely on supporting staff to deliver consistently high- quality interactions that extend children's thinking and promotes their ongoing learning and development. Leaders should support staff to strengthen transitions to help children stay engaged and move between activities throughout the day. Inspectors: Tracy Bartholomew Sarah-Louise Clements About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY394125 Address: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Chilton Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0QX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 28/08/2009 Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Oxfordshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and the designated safeguarding lead 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. This data is from 11 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 112 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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