Stepping Stones Nursery

Stepping Stones Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Stepping Stones Nursery

EY309661 Unique Reference Number 29 September 2006 Inspection date Jane Muriel Laraman Inspector

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Stepping Stones Nursery

Methodist Church, Watling Street South, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 7BH

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E-mail

Stepping Stones Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Stepping Stones Nursery opened in 1995 as a privately owned venture and was re-registered as a committee run provision in 2005. It operates from one room in the Methodist Church Hall in Church Stretton, Shropshire. The nursery serves the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 20 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 09:00 until 12:30 each week during school term times.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 19 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 16 children receive funding for early education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. All children currently attending speak English as their first language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The nursery employs four members of staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in an environment where very good hygiene practices are encouraged. Children learn to maintain good hygiene routines through washing their hands appropriately, such as after using the toilet and before eating. They independently access tissues to wipe their noses and cover their mouths when they sneeze. Older children are able to explain the reasons for washing and drying their hands carefully. For example they say, ‘You have to dry your hands or they will get sore,’ or ‘We have to wash the germs away.’ Staff consistently apply agreed health procedures and have developed a very good awareness of appropriate food handling practices. This ensures that the risk of cross-contamination is minimised and children's health is maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

In the event of accidents, children are treated by staff who have first aid qualifications and access to a suitably stocked first aid box. The accident book is completed accurately and in a confidential manner. Staff maintain written records for each child to ensure their individual health needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's awareness of the benefits of healthy eating is actively promoted at snack and lunch times. Children enjoy a wide variety of healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit and salad items, and learn why some foods are better for our bodies than others through topic work. They are able to choose a drink of water, milk or fruit squash at snack and lunch times. They also have independent access to further drinks throughout the session. Children's cultural and dietary requirements are respected through using information provided by their parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have some opportunities for outside play, but the outdoor space is very limited. Staff compensate for this by offering well-planned indoor physical exercise every day, such as dancing and musical movement. As children move around the room, they begin to explore their body movements and develop their muscles, body control and co-ordination. In addition children have regular opportunities to go on outings to a ‘Forest School’, where they enjoy climbing, balancing on logs and lots of strenuous activity involving larger, more challenging apparatus. Children learn about the effect of exercise on their bodies as staff point out to them the benefits of healthy exercise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, safe and well-maintained environment. Regular risk assessments are undertaken, thus ensuring potential hazards are identified and minimised and children's safety is maintained. Children benefit from having sufficient space to engage in play activities, with areas for active and quiet play. Staff organise space, furniture and equipment effectively

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 to enable children to move freely and independently between different activities and play areas. Consequently, children are confident and feel safe and secure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All toys and play equipment are in good condition and are appropriate for the ages of the children. Children are able to reach toys safely as they are stored at child height. Children learn about safety by being encouraged to handle play equipment with care and helping to tidy away toys to prevent accidents from occurring. All children are developing a good awareness of fire safety as they have regular opportunities to practise emergency evacuation procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Access to the building is carefully monitored and clear procedures are in place for the collection of children by named adults. Consequently, children are well protected. All members of staff have a sound awareness of child protection policies and procedures. Staff are aware of possible signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and know the relevant agencies to contact if they have concerns. As a result, children's welfare is safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive at the setting happy and eager to enjoy their time there. They are greeted by friendly staff who are sensitive towards their individual needs. Staff have developed warm and effective relationships with the children, thus enabling them to feel secure and valued. This leads children to develop confidence and a strong sense of their own self-worth.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Two-year-olds play happily alongside three and four-year-olds and enjoy watching and learning from their older friends. They join in with the various activities on offer, choose what they want to do and take part in physical, social, creative and imaginative play. Staff understand young children's developmental needs and show a commitment to using the 'Birth to three matters' framework. However, this framework has yet to be formally introduced and is not incorporated into the planning and assessment for the younger children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning for nursery education is good. Children are warmly welcomed into the setting by friendly staff and separate happily from their parents or carers. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, showing good levels of attention and interest in the well-organised activities and resources. Children are confident and enjoy very good relationships with the staff and each other, which contribute towards developing high levels of self-esteem and belonging. They become independent as they are encouraged to choose from a very good range of activities and they spontaneously initiate their own purposeful play. Their independence and self-care skills are further developed through day-to-day routines, for example, mealtimes, toiletting and getting ready for going home. Children play co-operatively and chat happily as they play with toys and engage in games. They are helpful and kind, willing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to take turns in using favourite pieces of apparatus and ready to assist at tidy up time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children communicate very well and initiate conversations about their experiences, feelings and opinions. They accurately recall past events and talk about holidays, home and family. Language and communication skills are further developed as a result of the staff engaging

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 children in lively conversation and asking open-ended questions. Children's thoughts and suggestions are listened to and they are encouraged to contribute their ideas when planning topics and associated activities. Excellent use is made of ‘circle time’ to allow children to share news by talking to the whole group and they begin to learn the concept of listening to each other and taking turns to talk when they join in at this special time. Before home time, children also reflect on what they have been doing during the session and what they have learned. Children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories, showing excitement and pleasure by joining in with familiar parts of their favourite stories. They respond enthusiastically to the story-telling skills of staff, who use various visual aids and props to illustrate stories. Chuckles of laughter

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

erupt as the children listen to the tale of ‘Mr Gumpy’, his boat and a crew of unruly animals. Children handle books very well, looking with interest at the pictures and carefully turning over the pages. They take books home to share with their parents and carers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy mark making and use appropriate implements such as pencils, crayons and chalks with increasing control, attributing meanings to marks, such as their names. Effective use is made of the written word in displays and labelling children's work or possessions and this helps them to recognise their names and simple words. Children have many opportunities to sound and identify letters and they are able to link sounds to letters. Good use is made of a ‘Sound Box’, where items beginning with a specified letter are placed and then taken out and named by the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing good attitudes to number work. Counting and number recognition is incorporated very naturally into many of their play activities. Most of the children count up to ten and above and they use number lines and number puzzles to help them to recognise and remember numbers. Children hear staff using mathematical language and begin to develop their own mathematical vocabulary. They regularly sort and match items, for example beads and counters by size and colour. Children correctly use words relating to shape, such as triangle, square and circle. They are able to recognise these shapes when they play with shape sorters and puzzles. Through their participation in number rhymes and songs, children are starting to learn about simple addition and subtraction in a very enjoyable way.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a sound knowledge and understanding of the world as they have good opportunities to learn about their own and the wider world community through well-planned and well-resourced activities. They gain knowledge about different countries and cultures through stories, such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’. They learn about the exotic fruits grown in Handa’s homeland. They talk about going to buy fruit from the shops and begin to realise that some of the fruit they see is grown in a country far away and has to be transported by a ship or aeroplane to this country. Through topics, such as ‘People who help us’, they learn about the lives and work of others. They celebrate festivals of different cultures and traditional events, such as ‘Harvest Festival’. Each day, children discuss past and present events and learn the days of the week, seasons and the months of the year. Changing weather conditions are observed

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and then the children record the changes on a weather board. The living world is explored when children go on outings to a ‘Forest School’, where they enjoy making nature trails and observing insects and small creatures in their natural woodland habitats.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good resources are used by the children to extend their skills in information technology and communication. Children learn about the use of everyday technology as they have access to a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 computer, tape recorders and programmable toys and resources. They enjoy using simple computer games and programmes to support their learning. Through role play, children also use other toys which represent technology in everyday life, such as play telephones, tills and microwaves. Children are adept at making things, handling relevant tools and equipment and they explore freely as they use sand, water, dough and a variety of different natural materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning to express themselves creatively through painting, drawing, musical movement and imaginative role play. Each day they have opportunities to paint using different consistencies of paint with thick or thin brushes, or they use their fingers to explore the properties of the paint before creating pictures with them. They use vegetables to print and make patterns with paint. They take great pride in their creations and their work is valued as it is displayed attractively. Children love their role play activities and are very absorbed and excited as they act out their experiences from home and the wider community. The role play area is developed by the children themselves as they are encouraged by staff to explore topic themes. As children explore the topic of ‘Animals’, they decide to create a Vet’s Surgery. Their imaginative roles are extended as a young fire-fighter rescues a pet and requests help from

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the vet’s assistant. Daily music and movement sessions are enjoyed by the children and they also use a good range of musical instruments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Music and movement as physical activities are used to develop children’s co-ordination and control as they march, clap, dance, skip, wriggle or crawl. Children are enthusiastic when singing rhymes and action songs and show delight as they skilfully use their arms, legs, fingers and toes. Children can access various tools to use for different purposes to help develop their fine motor control skills, for example, scissors for cutting, threading beads and construction sets.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's learning is very well promoted through carefully planned and well-organised topics and activities. The staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage of children’s education and appreciate how children learn. They use effective teaching methods and ensure that the range of relevant activities stimulate and develop children's curiosity and interest. Plans cover all six areas of learning, identify key learning objectives and are linked to specific ‘stepping stones’ towards the early learning goals. Staff know the children well and ensure those requiring more assistance are given lots of opportunities to develop and improve their skills. Children are encouraged to think for themselves and develop their skills through both planned activities and free play. Staff are enthusiastic and ensure children get the most out of activities. As a result, children are making good progress in all areas of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use their observations, evaluations and assessments of children to effectively track children's progress and this information links into planning for the next stage in their development and learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are warmly welcomed into the setting which helps them to feel happy and relaxed. Children benefit from having access to a range of resources which promote positive images of diversity and they also benefit from participating in activities which promote their awareness of different festivals and cultures, such as Diwali, Eid and Chinese New Year. Children have very good opportunities to learn about themselves, other people and the world around them

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 through planned activities, visitors to the setting, such as an optician or police officer, and outings to local places of interest. Children are also introduced to different aspects of diversity through books. The role play area is well-resourced and children really enjoy playing with different play foods and multicultural equipment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's self-esteem is positively promoted in the setting. Special events, such as their birthdays, and achievements are acknowledged. Children's personal drawings and their art work is valued and attractively displayed on circular display boards. Children are actively encouraged to express their ideas and make choices. Staff know the children's characteristics, interests and abilities well, as a result of using their professional observations and assessments.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work effectively with professionals from outside agencies and are skilled at adapting their teaching methods to support children with learning difficulties, disabilities or English as an additional language. As a result of these strategies, all children are positively included and fully participate in all aspects of the provision. This enables them to settle well and develop their sense of belonging.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They are very well behaved and become confident, self-motivated and sociable. They have many opportunities to relate well to others, be independent and make decisions about their play. Children respond very well to the good role models being offered by the staff, who encourage them to share resources and take turns. Furthermore, children’s understanding of right and wrong is increased through gentle reminders to care for their environment, the resources and each other. They are learning to take responsibility for their own actions. Children benefit from having consistent boundaries and their self-esteem is well promoted through praise and encouragement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are made to feel very welcome and receive useful information about the setting through regular newsletters, notice boards, access to policies and verbal exchanges of information and this contributes to children’s well-being. Staff share information about topic themes and activity plans and children benefit from their parents having some good opportunities to be involved in their learning, for example, by bringing in artefacts from home to contribute to topics. Children are able to take books home for shared reading and parents are also encouraged to help with other aspects of their child’s learning, such as in practising counting skills with them. Parents are well informed about how their child is progressing through regular communication and have access to their child's personal assessment records at any time. However, parents are not currently given an opportunity to

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Helping children make a positive contribution

contribute to their child's initial developmental assessment by sharing information about interests and achievements at home. This means children's existing skills and abilities are sometimes not fully taken into account at the outset when planning their individual education programme.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit because the staff are very well qualified and use their knowledge to plan and organise an excellent variety of quality activities and opportunities. Staff make good use of indoor space to maximise play and learning opportunities for all children. The play space is well

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 laid out to ensure children can easily access toys and resources independently. The children also benefit from the support and encouragement of a very able, intuitive and caring staff team who offer high levels of individual attention to the children.

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Organisation

Children and their families enter an inviting setting, where attractive displays reflect children's work, ideas and experiences. Sessions are very well-organised, run smoothly and are fun and enjoyable for the children. They are given ample time to play and learn in a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere.

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Organisation

Records required for the efficient and safe management of the provision and promotion of children's individual welfare, care and learning needs are appropriately kept and policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to reflect the childcare practice of the setting.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is good. Effective recruitment, vetting and induction procedures ensure that staff are suitable and appropriately qualified. The management committee and staff are enthusiastic and work very well together. They continuously strive to provide a high level of care and education for the children and have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and weaknesses. There is an action plan in place to improve the existing good practice. Staff are able to access appropriate training opportunities and are committed to improving their knowledge and understanding, as their self-development is supported and valued by their management committee. This in turn helps to ensure consistent, high-quality care and education for the children. The staff team meet regularly to plan activities and evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Evaluations of activities and the children's responses

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Organisation

are used in planning the next steps in their learning and ensure children's needs and different learning styles are effectively catered for. A recently introduced system for tracking children's progress through the 'stepping stones' of the Foundation Stage will enable parents and staff to work together in assessing children's development and learning.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting was asked to review and improve accident recording procedures to ensure confidentiality and to devise and implement a system for regularly updating policies and procedures in order to ensure they reflect the practice in the nursery. The management committee have changed the procedure for recording accidents and staff now use a completely new page for each entry. The committee have also reviewed and revised all policies and procedures and have included a ‘date for next review’ section on each one. As a result, children's confidential information is now safeguarded and policies and procedures accurately reflect the current practice within the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first nursery education inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • demonstrate in planning and assessment how children under three are able to make progress in relation to the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop the existing partnership with parents and carers to gain knowledge of children's interests, abilities and development on entry to the group and their achievements outside of the group, so that activities can be tailored to meet their individual needs.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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