Stepping Stones Nursery

Stepping Stones Nursery Methodist Church, Watling Street South, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 7BH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/09/2014 20/04/2009

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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

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the learning requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this very well to promote children's development across all areas of learning. As a result, children make good progress towards the early learning goals.  Leadership and management are strong. They are focused on continually improving the quality of the provision and keeping children safe. Staff use their secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures in their practice to ensure that children's safety and well-being are paramount.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are promoted well. This means that information is shared generically to support children in their learning and development.  Children are very happy and settled in this small nursery. Staff have developed close attachments with children, which promotes their emotional well-being remarkably well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Younger children's early understanding of phonics is not always effectively reinforced through the use of targeted and smaller achievable steps.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning activities and spoke to staff and children indoors and outside. She accompanied them on a visit to the local library.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children, the provider's self-evaluation form and the improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment files and progress tracking information, and spoke to their key persons.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Stepping Stones Nursery was registered in 2005 and is on the Early Years Register. It is managed by a voluntary committee and operates from the Methodist Church Hall in Church Stretton, Shropshire. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery opens on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, during term time only, from 9am to 2pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently seven children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. There are currently two qualified members of staff working directly with the children. Of these, one has Early Years Professional status and one is a qualified teacher. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 support staff in identifying and planning phonic learning for two-year-old children that includes smaller and more achievable steps.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good in the nursery. Staff use everyday practices, such as walking to the library, to teach children about aspects of their community and illustrate how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff talk to children about how to use the road safety crossing and explain how this works. They reinforce the importance of listening out for traffic and being aware of potential dangers. Children wait patiently at the road side and excitedly tell staff they can see the 'green man', which means it is safe to cross the road. Staff talk to children constantly as they are walking through the village, and children are aware of how to conduct themselves by holding hands and staying close together. As a result, children are learning relevant skills and attributes to prepare them for their future learning, such as the move to school. Staff talk to children about features of the local community and recall previous learning, such as when the fire fighters visited

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who attend

the nursery. This helps to consolidate what children have learned as they remember different aspects of the visit. Staff listen attentively to the children, value their opinions and wait patiently until they have finished speaking. During role play, staff model new words to children, such as 'stethoscope', and explain how this is used and demonstrate this using baby dolls. They listen to what children have to say and respond with open- ended questions. This supports children's communication and language development well. All children benefit from regular phonics activities to support their communication and language development. However, these are sometimes pitched at too high a level for the youngest children. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the learning requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this knowledge very well as they plan exciting activities for children to engage with. Children benefit from a good balance of adult-led and child-

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who attend

initiated activities and experiences. Staff ensure that children are taken out on weekly trips to the local amenities or further afield using public transport. This fosters children's curiosity of what happens in their local community and they are very observant of their surroundings. For example, when they see a postman, they comment that he will be delivering letters and they know that family members work in local shops. This promotes children's understanding of the world, with particular emphasis on communities, very well.

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who attend

Staff monitor children's development very closely as they constantly observe their achievements and learning. They carry out regular observations that are linked to the seven different areas of learning and clearly show how children are engaging in the good characteristics of effective learning. Staff carry out termly assessments of children's overall development and complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years. Children's next steps in learning are clearly identified and recorded so that activities can be planned to target these. Each child has their own folder and a scrapbook which contains lots of annotated photographs. These are very pleasing to look at and are regularly shared with parents. Children's files include lots of information obtained from parents and any ongoing comments relating to observations or assessments. Staff provide parents with ample information about their children's learning. For example, they have

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who attend

created displays about the Early Years Foundation Stage and general information and forthcoming events. Parents benefit from daily discussions about their children's development with staff, who are willing to support parents in a variety of ways by offering advice and useful suggestions. As a result, partnerships with parents are well promoted.

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

Children's emotional well-being is promoted well in the nursery. This is because staff are caring, friendly and consider the needs of individual children. They have formed secure attachments with the children and this is reflected in their close interactions. Parents spoken to commented that their children are 'extremely happy' and have 'settled really quickly'. Staff help children to become emotionally prepared for their next stage in learning. For example, they talk to children about moving up to school and develop their independence skills so that they are able to attend to their own personal needs, such as dressing themselves. This means children are well prepared for their future learning.

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

Children play well together and are considerate to each other's needs. For example, they instinctively share toys, help each other during daily routines and pass each other books to share at the library. Children are beginning to learn about managing their own safety as staff make them aware of the potential dangers when walking along roadsides. They tell visitors, that 'you must wait for the green man before you cross'. Children enjoy participating in planned trips and have regular access to the outdoor play area. Staff have introduced children to 'seedling sessions' where they learn about being outdoors and participating in a variety of outdoor activities. Staff comment that children have really enjoyed this and are beginning to understand the benefits of outdoor play. Staff ensure that the indoor and outdoor environments are set up with interesting activities that children readily access.

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

Children's independence is promoted well in the nursery as they are continually encouraged to access resources and toys of their choice. They benefit from free-flow between the indoors to outside, and they bring resources together to complement their play. For example, children bring in animals from outside and play with them in the indoor sand tray. Staff promote children's independence during snack time as they give them responsibilities of handing out biscuits and cups. Children learn about good hygiene practice as staff talk to them about why it is important to wash their hands after toileting and before eating. Consequently, children's health and well-being are promoted.

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provision

Leadership and management are good. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to effectively protect children in their care. They obtain identification of all visitors to the nursery and ensure this is recorded so they maintain accurate records. Staff remind visitors about their policy and practice with regard to the use of mobile phones and cameras in the nursery. Detailed risk assessments are carried out to ensure the environment is safe and secure. Staff have a good knowledge of the action to take if an allegation is made against them and are knowledgeable about child protection procedures and practice. Consequently, children's safety and well-being are well promoted.

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provision

Staff are proactive in maintaining and improving the quality of teaching in the nursery. For example, they have introduced 'seedling sessions' to introduce children to different kinds of outdoor learning. They regularly discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision so that children's learning is given high priority. The previous recommendation has been fully addressed and parents are now encouraged to contribute to their children's learning at all opportunities. For example, parents are encouraged to add comments to their children's observations and assessments. Staff practice and performance are monitored well and future training is identified through appraisals and supervisions. Staff are generally knowledgeable about child development, although some are less experienced in teaching two-year-old children. As a result, some activities, such as the learning of phonics, are sometimes pitched at too high a level for the youngest children attending.

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provision

Therefore, some staff need further support and training in how to break down the youngest children's learning into smaller and more achievable steps.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are well promoted. Staff seek the views of parents through detailed questionnaires and use this to make changes to their provision. For example, they are considering the use of more suitable outdoor clothing to protect children from wet conditions. Staff have developed close links with local providers and liaise with reception teachers about the future care and learning for children. Staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they need to access additional support for children and share details of children's development with health visitors. This means that children are well supported in their next stages of learning.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY309661 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 861997

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 7 Name of provider Stepping Stones Committee Date of previous inspection 20/04/2009 Telephone number 07785 730 941

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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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