Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Out of School Club

Stepping Stones Boroughbridge Primary School, York Road, BOROUGHBRIDGE, York, North Yorkshire, YO51 9EB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/02/2014 16/05/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staffs' planning of activities and effective teaching is systematically based on each child's individual needs and interests. This shows children's learning is personalised and more meaningful to guide and support each one to make good progress.  Good emphasis is placed on developing children's communication skills and celebrating their acheivments, particularly through the lively conversations staff hold with children.  The robust key person system helps children to form secure attachments with their special person. It promotes effective relationship building between staff and parents so that information is regularly exchanged to ensure children's individual needs are well met.  Staff knowledge of how to safeguard children is secure. Effective policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure they reflect best practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The progress check at age two, specifically in the areas of personal, social, emotional, communication, language and physical development, is not consistently detailed enough to provide a thorough overview to share with parents.  Ways in which parents continue their child's learning at home and are encouraged to contribute to their child's learning records are not highly successful.  Space for children to independently display their creative work is not provided to enhance their levels of responsibility and further raise their self-esteem.

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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 conducted a tour of all of the nursery areas accompanied by the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, staff, grandparents, the manager and the registered provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children during a varied range of indoor and outdoor activities.

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Inspection activities

 A discussion and a joint observation of children's group story time was carried out by the inspector and the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and a telephone conversation with the owner/provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed with the manager priorities for development of the nursery and looked at a range of documents, including evidence of the suitability of staff to work with children, a sample of children's files, policies, procedures and other records.

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Information about the setting

Stepping Stones children's day nursery registered in January 2006. It is one of three settings in the locality owned by the same private provider. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is located in a single-storey building within the grounds of Boroughbridge Primary School, in Boroughbridge near York. The nursery serves the local community of Boroughbridge and the surrounding areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 51 children on roll, of whom 18 are in the early years age range. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery is open from 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year around, except for public holidays and a week at Christmas. The nursery also operates a creche facility to support parents who are attending courses in the local children's centre, as well providing a before and after school club.

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Information about the setting

There are five members of staff, including the owner and the manager. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting receives support from the local authority. Fish are kept as nursery pets.

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

 enhance existing systems to further improve the written summary, shared with parents, for children aged between two- and three-years-old

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

 develop existing information available to parents to help them continue their child's learning at home and more effectively encourage them to contribute towards their child's learning records

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

 provide areas where children can independently display their creative work, enhancing their levels of responsibility and further raising their self-esteem.

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who attend

Staff confidently plan and provide a wide and varied range of play and learning experiences for children. The planning of activities is systematically based on each child's individual learning needs and interests. This shows learning for children is personalised and therefore more meaningful to guide and support each one to make good progress. There are a wide range of planned and spontaneous opportunities for children to learn by being inside the nursery and outdoors. This is because staff understand how to promote the development of young children through a rich variety of learning experiences that includes the natural environment. It shows they appreciate that children learn in different ways. Staff ask lots of questions during their lively conversations with children encouraging them to think, share their ideas and solve problems. Staff are particularly good at providing children with positive, motivating praise. For instance, they frequently

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who attend

use words in their dialogue, such as 'well done', 'fantastic' and 'super'. This provides children with tremendous encouragement by staff promptly celebrating their achievements as they play and learn. It also means children are likely to be inspired to repeat the good learning or positive behaviour again. Staff know the children in the group very well. They challenge the more able children to learn and move forwards in their learning and observe the 'quieter' children closely to ensure they are fully involved and engaged and are not getting left behind. As a result, the quality of teaching and children's learning is good.

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who attend

Parents are provided with lots of information that is shared, for example, by frequent conversations and access to children's records. This includes a written daily account in the 'home to nursery' book that each child is provided with. In addition, there is a great deal of information for parents displayed around the setting. Ted, the nursery bear, and his suitcase of personal belongings, goes home with each child at some point in time. Parents are encouraged to take photographs of him with their child and family and record events about his adventures in his personal diary to share with others at the nursery. Parents are invited to contribute to their child's learning records to promote continuity of learning between home and the nursery, but the approach staff currently use is not always highly successful. Staff regularly observe all children and make assessments of their progress. They take photographs, keep examples of work and record information in children's

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who attend

individual files that staff call 'learning journeys'. These records provide a clear picture of the stage children are at and the progress they are making. Staff assess children's progress when they are aged between two- to three-years-old, as required, and they share details of their findings with parents. They look at the child's development across the seven areas of learning. Information includes children's progress in their personal, social, emotional, communication, language and physical development, known as the prime areas. These areas of development form a sound base for children's current and future learning but information is brief and is not yet sharp enough.

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who attend

Staff encourage all children, including babies, to learn through their senses. They arouse children's natural curiosity by encouraging them to explore and investigate a variety of exciting textures. For example, they use shells, wood, mud, sand, water, jelly and corn flour. Children express themselves through access to arts and crafts, imaginative play, songs, stories and music. There are a number of resources available that help children learn to use everyday items that are linked to information and communication technology. For instance, they use toy cash registers, mobile phones, calculators, cameras and the remote control for the music player so that they can skip between songs according to choice. Children are confident at completing puzzles, some being quite complex, drawing their ideas and making their own resources. For example, creating paper bat wings they colour, cut out and stick onto their backs so that they can 'fly' following a story and lively

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who attend

discussion about a scary castle, monsters and bats. Children are encouraged to be confident and independent. They are encouraged to practise, repeat and refine a large number of skills they will need to be well prepared for their future learning.

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

Children enjoy their time outdoors and understand the routine of putting on their coats, which most do independently and finding their wellington boots. In the garden, children benefit by being active and challenged through energetic, physical exercise. They use a varied selection of toys and equipment that includes a range of bicycles, tyres, a slide, balls and a number of tools to help them tend to their plants in the fruit and vegetable growing area. They enjoy splashing in the puddles and filling different sized containers with mud or sand using spades and spoons. Wind chimes and a varied assortment of metal pans and other household objects hang on the fence to encourage children to listen to the different sounds they make. Good use of the surrounding area around the school and nursery is used to further enhance children's learning experiences. Children enjoy taking part in nature trails, they regularly use the library to choose books and visit local

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

shops to make small purchases, handling the money themselves. Picnics, sports days, graduation events and visits from local people in the area help children understand about their community. Children are taught about sharing and working together. They are busy, active and very well occupied and because of this they behave very well. They get involved in tidying up and have some responsibility. For example, they confidently help to set the table for lunch and serve themselves food and drink.

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

The nursery environment is inviting, warm and welcoming. There are cosy areas created for children to rest and relax. The majority of toys and and resources are provided at a low level, which means children make independent choices and decisions regarding their play materials. Although there were no babies present on the day of the inspection the area that they use helps to promote their care, learning and development very well. For example, there is a restful, quiet area provided to encourage peaceful, uninterrupted sleep and equipment that encourages the older babies to pull themselves up, stand and begin to practise the early stages of walking. Attractive displays evident around the setting include contributions from children. There is a lack of space for children to display their own creative work to further increase their levels of responsibility and raise their self-esteem higher.

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

The well-established key person system helps children to form secure attachments with their special person supporting their emotional well-being. It also promotes effective relationship building between staff members and parents so that information is regularly transferred between them to make sure children's individual and specific needs are known about, shared and met. Children feel safe and secure because staff are vigilant in their supervision of children. They place themselves very well around the nursery indoors and out to make sure they are highly visible and children are safe. Children learn how to evacuate the building in an emergency and how to keep themselves healthy through regular routines, such as frequent hand washing. The varied nursery menu contains a broad selection of healthy meals and snacks, which children thoroughly enjoy. After eating a hearty, home-cooked meal in which the majority of children independently requested

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

second helpings, they were asked if their tummies were full. A conversation followed in which the children were reminded about the positive effects of eating a good meal and the link this has with providing the body with energy for 'more playing and learning this afternoon'. This helps children understand in meaningful ways about adopting a healthy lifestyle and the benefits it has on their bodies and everyday routines.

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provision

The nursery is safe and secure. This is because risk assessments and daily checks are carried out to make sure the environment children use and the building are safe and free from hazards. Robust safeguarding arrangements are in place, including the effective recruitment and deployment of staff, maintaining confidentiality and the checking of the suitability of staff to work with children. All staff attend safeguarding training so they understand the action to take and whom to contact if they have any concerns about a child's welfare or well-being. Appropriate written safeguarding procedures and guidance are in place, including a system to regularly review all of the nursery's written policies and procedures to ensure they remain fully effective. The staff team work very well together. They keep each other well informed, if for example, they need to leave the playroom for any reason to ensure the staff-to-child ratios are well maintained at all times.

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provision

The well-established and well-qualified staff team have good access to support from the manager who frequently works beside them to supervise, monitor and assess their working practice. When staff attend training they share what they have learnt with the rest of the team, which helps to keep their skills, knowledge and understanding updated. For example, following recent training on developing children's communication skills notices are well displayed to remind staff and parents about the 'top tips for talking'. The manager is clear and focussed about monitoring the nursery and its effectiveness towards children's learning and development. For instance, she consults with staff and parents about ideas she has to use the nursery space for children more effectively. She is analytical about self-evaluation exercises she shares with parents to enable her to assess their satisfaction with the nursery service and make plans to improve the provision.

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provision

Children take part in sharing their ideas about what they like best about the nursery by being given cameras to use to show their responses through photographic evidence.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. For instance, the nursery has close links with the nearby children's centre, teachers at the school and other agencies, such as speech and language therapists. This helps to form effective working relationships to provide support and early intervention that may be necessary for some children to ensure they receive the additional help they need. The nursery has addressed the recommendation raised at the last inspection very well improving the systems for observation, assessment and planning for children's learning and development.

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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 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 EY301561 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 949688

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 51 Name of provider Jayne Nadine Blakey Date of previous inspection 16/05/2011 Telephone number 07921 218287

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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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