First Steps Nursery

First Steps Private Day Nursery Newmarket Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2JP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/11/2014 06/06/2011

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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

 The quality of teaching is good because staff effectively use their observation, assessment and planning systems to provide children with a range of good quality, interesting and challenging activities matched to their individual needs. Consequently, children are making good progress.  The management team have effective systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching and to develop a strong culture of continuous improvement.  An effective key-person system helps children to settle quickly and to build warm relationships, fostering their emotional well-being.  Safeguarding procedures are effectively implemented and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and secure. Therefore, children are protected and safeguarded in this warm and welcoming nursery.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always provide appropriate cutlery or enable children to serve themselves at mealtimes, to support them to become highly independent and maximise their learning.  Occasionally, staff do not use effective questioning to support and further develop children's critical thinking skills throughout all activities.

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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 undertook a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching in all of the playrooms and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records, planning documentation and a range of other records, policies and procedures.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, staff and parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

First Steps Private Day Nursery was registered in 1997 on the Early Years Register. It is privately owned and is one of two nurseries owned and managed by the provider. It is situated in a purpose built premises in Skipton, North Yorkshire. The nursery serves the local area. The nursery is on two levels with the pre-school children and toddlers cared for on the first floor. It operates from four rooms and there are two enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 2 and three are unqualified. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 109 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 make the most of opportunities for children to be involved in the serving of lunch time and ensure they are provided with additional cutlery, for example, spoons, to support their increasing independence

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

 enhance opportunities for strengthening and supporting children's critical thinking skills, for example, by staff asking more open-ended questions of children throughout their activities.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good as staff fully understand how children learn. They use their effective systems for observing, assessing and tracking children's progress to plan good quality activities matched to their individual needs. This means that children are making at least good progress across all areas of their development, considering their starting points. A strong focus on the prime areas of learning and on preparing children for school ensures that they are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. As a result, children are keen, interested learners, who enjoy their time at this exciting nursery. Staff mostly support children's thinking as they talk to children about what is taking place, model language and introduce vocabulary. However, on some occasions, staff miss opportunities to question children by asking open-ended questions to extend their thinking, so their learning is maximised.

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who attend

Children are actively involved in the good activities planned by staff and use their good communication skills to explain what they are doing as they play. Their fine physical skills are developing as they roll the play dough, paint pictures or explore the jigsaw puzzles. There are good opportunities for children to practise their large physical skills as they play outdoors riding wheeled toys. They climb apparatus and learn to kick large balls as they develop their hand and eye coordination. Children begin to understand that print has meaning to support their pre-reading skills as they look at books together. Young children delight in exploring the sand and water play as they learn concepts, such as full and empty, developing their understanding of mathematics. Staff encourage children to count as they play and introduce numbers, colours and shapes throughout all activities. Older children concentrate as they sit at circle time and sing with enthusiasm, as they learn to

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who attend

listen, work with their peers and socialise, gaining key skills in preparation for school.

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who attend

The key person establishes children's starting points by working closely with their parents in completing an initial assessment of what the children can do. Parents are able to access their children's learning journey record and receive a six monthly assessment on their progress to keep them informed. Additionally, parents contribute to their children's assessment and through daily discussions with staff, they are kept up to date with their child's development. Children's next steps are agreed with parents and planned for to ensure their continued progress. Alongside this, staff complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years and share this with parents to keep them informed of their child's development. This means that parents feel valued and involved in their child's development.

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

Children settle quickly in this welcoming and friendly nursery. This is because children form strong bonds with their key person. Staff readily encourage children by using praise to help children to feel valued and show that their achievements are recognised. As a consequence, children flourish as they eagerly explore the playrooms and demonstrate their confidence by asking questions of staff. The staff, who work with the younger children, work closely with the children's parents to find out about the child's unique needs. As a result, a tailor made approach to the care of young babies is undertaken and provides for their emotional security and well-being.

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

Staff encourage children's good behaviour as they act as good role models, being polite and calm and supporting them in their play. They set clear expectations and engage with children at their level. Children are polite and use their manners at mealtimes or when asking for further resources. They listen well to staff and follow instructions, with older children showing an increasing sense of responsibility. The nursery is very stimulating and provides a good variety of resources for children to choose from as they enhance their own play. Children are independent as they hang the water aprons up, get their own coats and manage their own needs in the bathroom. However, for those younger children, who are developing their independence, they are not always as well supported over the lunch time period. This is because they are only provided with a knife and fork, which results in children having to use their knife, rather than an additional spoon, for their rice and curry,

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

resulting in some spillages. Additionally, children are not involved in the serving of lunch, so they can see and be a part of the activity, further develop their awareness of what is happening and enhance their developing independence.

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

Children develop a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle as they explore the outdoors and benefit from the fresh air and exercise. Additionally, children learn to manage risks as they climb and challenge their own physical abilities as they explore the large play equipment in a safe environment. The nursery operates a healthy eating policy. All food is made on the premises, is well balanced and nourishing for children. Children are very well supported as there are good settling-in procedures to ensure they feel secure in the nursery environment. Consistent routines help children to understand what happens next and to give them a structure to their day. This contributes to children being prepared emotionally for the next stage of their learning and when moving onto school.

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provision

The managers and staff have a good awareness of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have good safeguarding knowledge and know what to do should they have any concerns regarding a child in their care. Training has been undertaken by all staff regarding safeguarding and this is given high priority in the nursery to keep children protected. The nursery is secure and staff complete written risk assessments on the premises. Staff also undertake daily visual checks to keep children safe in this welcoming nursery. Additionally, a written checklist is completed each time children go outside to play, to ensure there are no changes that may affect their welfare. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures means that staff are suitable to be with the children. Most staff have first-aid training to be able to administer care effectively should this be required. All required supporting policies and procedures are in place and reviewed

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provision

The management team are responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching. Procedures for checking the observation, assessment and tracking of children's progress are in place. This means that the management team have a good overview of the progress children are making and that planning reflects their individual needs. As a result, children are making at least good progress towards the early learning goals. Through staff meetings and supervision, they are supported to improve their practice and share a sense of responsibility to provide good quality care and learning for all children. Peer-on-peer supervision is now in place and this means that best practice is disseminated through the nursery. This is supported by the training programmes for all staff to support their professional development. The system for evaluating the nursery involves the parents and the external advisors. This means that clear targets are set, for example, improving the

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provision

knowledge and skills of staff by keeping up to date with current childcare practice and inviting visitors into the nursery to provide children with a wider view of the outside world. Recent changes to how staff track and assess children's progress has been implemented by all staff and has made this more precise to improve outcomes for all children. Partnerships with parents, other settings and agencies are good. The manager has established relationships with external agencies. Although, these have been used in the past, currently there is no need for any external intervention. Parents are included in their child's learning and make a strong contribution to meeting their children's needs and securing the support they need. Good links have been made with the other settings children attend and a highly consistent approach to their learning is maintained.

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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 EY259565 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 860497

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 109 Name of provider First Steps Private Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 06/06/2011 Telephone number 01756 799339

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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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