Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Little Acorns Nursery 135 Wood Lane, Rothwell, LEEDS, LS26 0ph

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/01/2014 04/04/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The management team has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and successfully include them in the organisation of the provision to maintain children's safety and security.  Practitioners work well to foster partnerships with parents and support them in extending their children's learning at home.  Children are confident and able to express their feelings, and independently serve themselves at lunchtime, because their independence is supported well.  Since the last inspection the provision has made steady progress in addressing their previous actions and recommendations. This demonstrates a sound capacity to improve.

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It is not yet good because

 Information about the next steps in children's learning is not always used to inform teaching, which means that some aspects of children's learning are less well promoted and planned for.  The key person system is not always effective, which means that some aspects of children's care and learning are not fully tailored to their needs at all times and in all circumstances.  The quality of teaching is not always monitored well enough to support practitioners in promoting the different ways that children learn.

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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 compulsory part 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 the quality of teaching and activities in the play area and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and information from the assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the management team and conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation, checked evidence of appropriate training and Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and also checked the online self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Little Acorns Nursery was registered in 2009. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the Rothwell area of Leeds and is one of many private settings owned and managed by Little Acorns Group Ltd. It operates from a converted property with playrooms on two levels. There is no lift facility. The nursery serves the local area and a fully enclosed area is available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 43 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 embed a consistent key person system that effectively tailors the children's care and learning in all circumstances

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must:

 use information about the next steps in children's learning and their learning styles to inform how activities are delivered to promote the best progress for individual children.

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

 strengthen the monitoring of the quality of teaching to better support practitioners in promoting the different ways that children learn by observing their practice and planning appropriate training sessions.

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who attend

Children are regularly observed as they play, to identify the next steps in their learning and development. However, the personalised learning plan does not always reflect the different ways that children learn, well enough for practitioners to plan for children's interests or their learning styles. This means that children who display schemas, such as 'transporting' do not always have programmes of activities to support or develop the skills associated with their schema. In addition, practitioners do not always support or plan for children's next steps in learning well enough to deepen and strengthen their current learning. For example, during a brick building activity, the practitioner interacting with the children was not aware of children's next steps in their learning. This is because these are not always included in the planning or shared between staff, so are not known by all staff caring for the children at any given time. As a result, opportunities to provide

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who attend

individualised learning experiences, are not consistently well used so that individual children make best progress.

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who attend

The educational programme provides enough stimulating resources to cover the seven areas of learning. Practitioners use these resources to provide suitable learning opportunities for the children. For example, during a small group activity in the preschool room, practitioners motivate children's learning using a 'feely bag' activity to stimulate their communication and language. Practitioners ask open-ended questions to challenge children's thinking and encourage them to listen to each other. They also introduce new vocabulary. For example, children are encouraged to discuss subjects, such as trains, to build on their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This means that children are equipped with a sound range of skills that they need for school, or their next stage of learning. Children also explore and play with a range of media and materials, such as straw, to stuff items of clothing with to create a scarecrow. However, the quality

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who attend

of teaching throughout the nursery is variable. For example, not all practitioners in the baby room know the children well enough to judge when they are ready to be taught new skills. Therefore, any challenges set do not always encourage them to develop their own ideas. Furthermore, during a mark-making activity in the toddler room, practitioners draw pictures for children who are capable of doing it for themselves.

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who attend

Practitioners consistently include parents in their children's learning. They encourage them to share what their children show interest in at home and include it in the planning. Parents are also encouraged to share information about their child when they first start to attend and this information is used to form the children's starting points. In addition to this, parents are invited into the nursery to discuss the progress check at age two and information is shared about what they can do to guide their children's development at home. This means children's learning is effectively supported and continued at home.

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

The settling-in procedures are generally well thought out and include sharing details of children's care needs, such as words they are familiar with, and their likes and dislikes to support their welfare. However, the key person system is not well established in all rooms. This is because practitioners are preparing to transfer to other rooms in the middle of the settling-in process. This means that babies have not formed close enough attachments to build their confidence. In addition to this, young children in the baby room become bored because their care and learning is not always tailored to meet their individual needs. As a result, there are incidents of unwanted behaviour. Older children are familiar with the routine of the nursery, which means that they know what is expected of them, and behave accordingly.

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

Children's health is adequately promoted through regular fresh air and exercise. For example, children have access to bikes and slides to support their physical development. Children in the pre-school room show that they have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe because practitioners teach them about possible dangers and how to protect themselves from harm. As a result, children independently do their own risk assessments when they enter the garden. Mealtimes are a social occasion where children talk about their day and learn about table manners. For example, children in the preschool room children set the tables as part of the jobs they choose to do for the day. Children in the toddler room confidently serve themselves, using a serving spoon. This means that children's independence is promoted well across the nursery.

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

Children are beginning to build relationships with each other. They also learn to share and take turns, for example, as they each take a turn to feel inside the 'feely bag' in the pre- school room. As a result, children are beginning to develop confidence in their own abilities. Children leaving for school are encouraged to dress themselves and care for their personal hygiene. This means that children are physically and emotionally prepared for their move to school.

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provision

The management team has suitable arrangements in place to monitor the delivery of the educational programme and the assessments of children's learning. For example, these are tracked through audits. This means gaps in the children's learning and development are generally identified to enable practitioners to support children who are underachieving and to value children who speak English as an additional language, by including familiar words to support them. Practitioners attend appraisals to identify their training needs and support them in developing their practice. As a result, the person taking the lead in behaviour management has attended an appropriate training course. The management team also encourage practitioners to have room meetings; this supports practitioners who are new to the room. However, information shared at this time does not include information relating to individual children's learning and development. This means that the

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provision

next steps in children's learning are not always promoted during play, to help them make best progress.

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provision

The managers understand their responsibility to meet the safeguarding requirements well. Therefore, the lead person for child protection has a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities. She makes sure that all staff have a secure knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know who to report any concerns to. In addition, practitioners receive up to date training in safeguarding, which means that children are well protected while at the nursery. The management team are vigilant in promoting safety in the nursery. Therefore, the recruitment procedures are thorough, which means that all new practitioners have to be cleared by the Disclosure and Barring Service to ensure their suitability. In addition, all new practitioners go through an induction, which includes familiarising themselves with the policy and procedures of the setting and attending training linked to these, such as health and safety. They also have a mentor to support

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provision

them until they are more familiar with the nursery routine. As a result, all adults working in the nursery are able to implement these policies to ensure that the good safety and security arrangements in place are implemented.

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provision

The management team work well in partnership with parents. For example, parents receive newsletters to inform them of events in the nursery, such as visits to the neighbouring elderly people's home. They are also invited to parent meetings and open evenings. The management team understand the importance of partnership working and have enlisted the support of the company's Early Years and Business Development Manager to support them in developing their practice. They also liaise with other settings that children attend to share the children's learning and development. In addition, the management team has had monitoring visits from the local authority since their last inspection to support them. These visits include how to use joint observations to strengthen practitioners' practice. The management team aspires to improve and have evaluated the nursery to include an overview of the strengths and weaknesses. They have

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provision

also successfully addressed the actions and recommendations from the last inspection. For example, several practitioners have attended training in paediatric first aid and there is now a named practitioner responsible for behaviour management. This demonstrates that the management team are able to make and sustain improvements.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY403285 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 918184

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Little Acorns Group Limited Date of previous inspection 04/04/2013 Telephone number 01132 822038

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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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