First Steps Nursery School (Dore) Ltd

First Steps Nursery School First Steps Nursery School, Savage Lane, SHEFFIELD, S17 3GW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff creatively use their extensive knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage to plan a wide range of activities. They ensure children's interests and individual next steps are fully included in the planning. As a result, children are making excellent progress in all areas of their learning and development.  Through well-planned, purposeful activities and the positive engagement of staff in children's play, children are able to be fully creative and think critically. This contributes significantly to them developing excellent communication and language skills.  Management are pro-active, inspirational and highly supportive of staff. They strive for excellence as they drive further improvements to maintain and build on their already high and successful levels of practice.  Excellent partnerships with parents have been formed. They are highly involved in their children's learning and development. Parents of children who have additional needs are

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This provision is outstanding

fully supported by staff and strong links are in place with other professionals and agencies. This ensures appropriate support is implemented, ensuring families and children's individual needs are exceptionally well met.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff practice throughout the setting.

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Inspection activities

 Discussions were held with the owner, staff, parents and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 A selection of documents, children's development records and records relating to the planning of activities were seen by the inspector.

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Information about the setting

First Steps Nursery School was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted school building in Dore, Sheffield. The nursery school serves the local and surrounding area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 14 members of child care staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, four have Qualified Teacher Status, two have Early Years Professional Status and two have a Masters degree in early years. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 45 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 77 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery offers care to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and to those who speak English as an additional language.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 maximise children's independence by, increasing the opportunities for them to do more things for themselves, with specific regard to consistently preparing and serving their own snacks.

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who attend

Staff have extensive knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Detailed information is gathered from parents when children start attending, which provides staff with a baseline for children's learning. Staff make their own initial observations and assessments, which enables them to identify children's individual learning needs and interests. Children's progress and development is observed and monitored extremely well. Progress checks at age two and summaries of children's development in the three prime areas of learning and development are completed and shared with parents. Development records for all children are consistently maintained and assessments of their progress are regularly completed. This enables staff to monitor and fully include children's individual next steps in the planning of further activities. As a result, the activities are matched to children's individual needs and interests, which results in

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who attend

them making excellent progress and fully supporting their future learning. Children's communication and literacy skills are developing extremely well. They enjoy books, listening to stories and singing activities. Through innovative ideas promoted by staff, children and their parents fully engage in extended activities that include using the local community to identify words and logos. Children can easily identify and name numbers on buses, car number plates and numbers greater than 100. They fully engage in a wide range of mathematical and technology activities as they match, sort and subtract objects. They use extensive thought processes to work out solutions. For example, in a planned, purposeful activity they test a variety of materials with water to work out which are absorbent and which let the water through. Staff engage fully with the children in the activity and use appropriate questioning such as, 'which material do you think would let

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who attend

the water through?' This encourages the children to test their ideas and to think critically.

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who attend

Children have many opportunities to freely access an extensive range of toys and resources that enhance their skills through all areas of learning. For example, when children see staff using the computer and ask what they are doing, staff explain they are sending an email. Children are inquisitive and want to know more about emails so staff allow them to write and send an email to another member of staff. Children then anticipate getting a reply and are enthusiastic when they receive one and they eagerly print it off to show their peers. This further enhances children's knowledge and understanding of how technology works.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Staff exchange daily information to ensure parents are informed of daily issues. Staff produce high-quality progress reports for parents, which show children's excellent progress in their learning and development across all seven areas of learning. These reports also provide information on what is identified as the next steps in children's learning. Parents are completely involved in their children's development and contribute fully to their progress and assessments. They undertake observations of the children at home and formally share these with the staff. This enables staff to focus on how children are fully supported to ensure that their excellent progress is maintained and built on further. A book library and 'share and learn' packs are easily available to parents and children. These are packs of various activities, covering all areas of learning. They are put together by staff for parents and children to share at home. For

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who attend

example, a child chooses a pack containing 'Russian Dolls'. The pack contains resources along with a learning objective for parents to follow, such as 'encourage your child to describe and enhance their language by using words such as bigger, smaller, more and less. The packs give parents ideas of how they can extend children's learning by using other resources found around the home and enhancing their language skills.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are very happy and extremely well settled. They are highly confident as they engage in conversations and welcome visitors. Staff routinely offer lots of praise and recognition for children's efforts and achievements. Children have very secure emotional attachments and a strong sense of belonging within the setting as staff are very attentive to them, listen to their requests and ideas, and are fully aware of their individual needs. The nursery is rich in a wealth of age-appropriate toys, games and resources, which children can freely access and request. This promotes their learning and independence exceptionally well. However, there is more scope to further enhance children's independence, especially around snack time. Although children do help to prepare and serve themselves with snacks and drinks, the routine is not always consistent. Safety within the provision is given high priority. Children are unable to leave unattended and the

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

secure entrance prevents anyone entering without the knowledge of staff. All visitors are required to sign in and out. An emergency evacuation plan is in place and fully understood by staff. Regular emergency evacuation is practised with the children, ensuring they are familiar with the procedure and raising their awareness and understanding of how to stay safe. Staff are positive role models for children and this contributes to the development of their independence and good manners.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The setting is fully inclusive as they provide extensive support for children with additional needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Partnerships with parents and other professionals ensure that children's individual learning and welfare needs are met. Visitors to the setting enhance children's knowledge and understanding of the wider world and have included the local fire service, school crossing patrol and an Olympic torch bearer. Children are very well prepared for the next steps in their learning. They are fully supported in their transitions as they move onto school. Staff have built strong partnerships with the local schools where children move on to and share what they know about the children. Teachers from the schools are invited into the setting to meet the children and staff talk to the children about their new school, in preparation for them moving on.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children receive a healthy and well-balanced range of snacks. They enjoy a variety of foods, such as, a range of fresh fruit, raw vegetable sticks, cheese and crackers and rice cakes. Drinks of fresh water are available to children throughout the day. Parents are consulted about the menu and staff encourage parents to offer their ideas and suggestions for additional snacks. Children have packed lunches that are provided by parents and they enjoy a social lunchtime when they sit with their peers and staff. Children demonstrate an excellent awareness and understanding of their own needs and personal hygiene as they know and follow robust hygiene procedures with regard to hand washing before eating and after using the toilet. Outdoor activities are routinely available to children throughout the day and they freely access the outdoor area as they wish. Their physical skills are developing extremely well as they use a wide range of equipment for

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

balancing, riding and climbing. For example, children build a walkway with large wooden bricks and take it in turns to see if they can balance their way to the end without falling off. They initiate their own game and fully demonstrate how they play cooperatively as they decide that if you fall off half way you have to start from the beginning again.

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provision

Comprehensive policies and procedures to promote children's health, safety and welfare are fully in place and effectively implemented. Staff have attended safeguarding training and are very secure in their knowledge of child protection. All staff are aware of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and of the setting's procedures. The designated safeguarding officer for the setting has a very clear understanding of her role. Robust risk assessments, which are regularly monitored and updated further, assure children's safety.

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provision

Management is highly involved in the practices of the setting. The management takes great interest in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in how staff are implementing it within the nursery. This is robustly monitored through their regular, focused monitoring of staff practice. Appraisals are held for all staff, and the observations made by management of staff performance clearly focus on their professional development. This ensures they are able to maintain and improve their already excellent knowledge and practice. Leaders inspire staff as they drive for further improvements and achievements to ensure their high levels of practice are maintained. They constantly pursue excellence within all areas of the setting. All staff are included in the evaluation of the provision and parents are regularly asked for their opinions and ideas through termly newsletters and questionnaires. Parents' thoughts and opinions are highly regarded by the staff. Any concerns or ideas are quickly

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provision

acted upon, ensuring their views are valued and appreciated. For example, when parents are asked for suggestions for new snacks, their positive response helps staff to devise a menu that fits with parents' ideas and wishes.

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provision

Staff make spontaneous observations and formative assessments of children's individual learning. They use these to clearly identify children's next steps and to plan activities to continue to extend their learning and development. Through the use of documents, such as Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff are able to pinpoint the development bands for each area of learning for all children. Management and staff have built up professional partnerships with schools where children move onto and with other providers children attend. This ensures consistency in their care and well-being. Partnerships with other professionals are also highly effective. Children are extremely well supported by the excellent partnerships that have been formed with the local authority inclusion team. This ensures targeted and appropriate support is implemented to effectively meet children's individual needs.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY448429 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 882515

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider First Steps Nursery School (Dore) Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0114 235 3801

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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