Shining Stars Nursery (Appleby) Ltd

Shining Stars Nursery (Appleby) Ltd
Unique reference number (URN): EY478437
Address: The Gate, Bongate, Appleby, Cumbria, CA16 6LH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 18/08/2014
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Shining Stars Nursery (Appleby) Ltd
Inspection report: 3 February 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 make secure progress across the curriculum. Babies and young children develop
emotional security, which helps them to build confidence as they move on through nursery.
Older children learn to make and manage friendships, learning in the groups they will move
on to school with. Children mix with others of different ages throughout the day. This helps
them to learn about the needs of others as they play outside together. Children develop
confidence in their speech, contributing their thoughts and ideas in group sessions. Children
learn to count and about the relationships between numbers. They use their knowledge and
understanding as they play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make
progress from their starting points. They develop attention skills and learn to focus on their
learning as a result of thoughtful teaching. However, there is not a sharp focus on individual
learning strategies to promote even more rapid progress in their learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff model the positive behaviours they expect from children. The atmosphere is calm and
conducive to children's learning. Staff quietly capture children's attention and use signs and
actions to signal time to sit down or to listen carefully. Children behave well and are typically
engaged in their learning. They have positive attitudes towards their play and towards their
relationships with staff and each other. Children help to tidy up and show respect for the
nursery environment. Staff offer comfort and reassurance for babies and younger children
who are still settling. This supports their emotional development as they manage new
surroundings and new people. Older children include staff in their play, talking about the
collages they have made and the materials they have added, for instance.
Children work together well, negotiating obstacles as they balance and jump in the outdoor
area. They learn that some children need more time and encouragement to complete tasks.
Staff work with parents and carers to promote routine attendance, supporting children's
learning with consistency. However, leaders have not furthered these professional
relationships to enhance consistency in children's development to an even higher level.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff use their understanding from training to manage children's welfare and wellbeing. Their
practice typically promotes children's health and physical development well. Children eat
nutritious food, which supports their growing bodies. They learn social skills from enjoying
meals together. Children learn about oral health and how to keep their teeth clean. Older
children learn key messages about using technology safely. Staff are responsive to
children's needs and build secure bonds with them. Staff help children to learn about their
feelings and to manage their emotional responses and behaviours. This helps to build key
social and personal skills to support children through life.
Staff understand barriers children may have to their learning and adapt routines to suit their
individual needs. For instance, staff plan around the sleeping and feeding routines followed

at home for babies who are settling. Staff typically offer families support with parenting
issues and milestones, such as toilet training. However, there are occasional inconsistencies
in supporting parents' and carers' understanding. For instance, information about how
parents can best support their children's development as children move between different
stages of feeding and weaning is not consistently clear. Leaders understand that this is
important and have plans to enhance this even further.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have oversight of the curriculum and provision and make improvements to benefit
children. For example, they have identified that younger babies could be better supported in
a quieter and calmer environment. Leaders have adapted the room arrangements to reflect
this, helping new babies to settle more quickly. Children's learning is well-planned and
sequenced to build on their knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Children enjoy
stories and songs, which staff choose with purpose to support their learning intent. Staff
have interesting discussions with children and use contextually appropriate words, such as
'grainy' to describe sand, to support children's vocabulary. They weave mathematical
language and understanding through children's activities and play.
Children learn new physical skills and practise their balance and coordination during outdoor
play, for instance. Staff assess children's progress and teach with reference to their age and
stage of development. For example, staff use double-handed scissors while children learn
this skill. Children learn to be sociable and manage friendships well. They learn personal
skills and build their independence gradually. Staff understand barriers to children's learning
and adapt their teaching appropriately. For instance, staff make sure children with
communication issues are close to them and can see their faces while reading a story. While
teaching is typically of high quality, there is not a consistent focus on interventions to help
close gaps in children's learning even more quickly.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders have established a typically inclusive culture where staff understand children's
unique nature and individual needs. Staff get to know children and identify their emerging
needs, assessing where they may require additional support. For instance, where children
have health needs, leaders alter staff ratios to offer more support to reduce barriers to their
learning. Staff monitor children's progress and understand that some children require
learning to be measured in smaller steps. They celebrate all achievements as children make
progress from their starting points.
Staff use the knowledge gained from training to support children's learning and help to
reduce communication barriers. They use simple signs to promote children's communication
needs, for instance. Leaders understand how to use and monitor the impact of any
additional funding to support children to thrive. For instance, they have installed a sensory
space to help some children to regulate their emotions. Leaders work with other
professionals, seeking support to aid children's progress. The interventions that staff provide
while waiting for external support are generally helpful, but are sometimes generic. For
instance, strategies to promote children's developing speech can be applied to all children,

but are not always specific to children with learning needs. These do not have the sharp
focus needed to further enhance the development of children with barriers to their learning.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are evaluative and committed to ongoing improvement to promote the best
outcomes for all children. Their decisions about changes take account of the needs of
children attending. Staff are involved and included, choosing resources that will support their
key children, for instance. Leaders make adaptations where possible to help reduce barriers
to their learning, making spaces for children to go to restore their sense of calm, for
instance.
Leaders consider staff wellbeing and support their personal and professional lives and roles.
Flexible work patterns support staff's home lives. Staff receive time to complete academic
work, which helps to support their professional development. Professional development is
discussed in regular coaching meetings. Leaders support staff's interests when sourcing
training opportunities. Staff who are interested in supporting children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities have taken courses to enhance their knowledge and
understanding, for instance. Leaders work with local schools to manage transitions on to
new settings smoothly for children. Relationships with families are well established.
However, some aspects of the support offered to parents does not help to promote even
more consistency in children's care and learning.
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

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive and prepare for life in the welcoming nursery. Learning is well planned and
purposeful, engaging children's attention and sparking new interests. Staff build on what
children know and can do and respond well to changes in their lives. They plan outings to
opticians and dentists to support all children to learn more about their health. Staff link
children's learning around topics such as these to embed their understanding. Children are
confident and independent learners, who develop the skills and knowledge they need.
Children develop a sense of belonging from the outset. They interact with calm and sensitive
staff, who respond well to their needs. Children enjoy looking at their 'family books' and
discussing the people who live with them with staff and their friends. All children and their
families are welcomed, and their ideas are valued. For instance, leaders have made
changes to food options offered in response to discussions with families. Children now eat
hot lunches in the style of school dinners to help prepare them for their move on to school.
Children learn about how they are each unique. For example, they discuss their eye colours
while they role play as opticians following their visit. Children learn about their community
and local events, such as on walks to the nearby town. Staff use topic-based learning to
help children to understand more about other cultures and different ways of life.
Children with barriers to their learning, such as health issues, receive support to make
progress from their starting points. Leaders identify barriers and make adjustments to the
environment to support inclusive learning. For instance, they lower the height of chalk
boards and other resources so that less-mobile children can access them. Leaders offer
flexible sessions to support children's attendance. This means that all children are
encouraged to attend planned trips and outings.
Next steps
Leaders should consider ways to bridge gaps in children's learning and development in
an even more focused and timely manner.
Leaders should enhance professional relationships with parents and carers to help them
understand ways to promote children's health and wellbeing even further.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers 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.

Inspector:
Amy Johnson
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY478437
Address:
The Gate
Bongate
Appleby
Cumbria
CA16 6LH
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 18/08/2014
Registered person: Shining Stars Nursery (Appleby) Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Westmorland and Furness
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 3 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places

60
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.
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