Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Little Acorns Day Nursery c/o ASDA Distribution Centre, Staithes Road, Pattison Industrial Estate, District 8, Tyne and Wear, NE38 8NW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 March 2015 18 March 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Assessment information is used effectively to inform planning for individual children. As a result, all children, including those for whom English is an additional language, are challenged appropriately and so make good progress in their learning.  Supervision is focused on improving the quality of teaching. This ensures that staff receive the individualised support and training they need to reflect on and improve their practice. As a result, the quality of teaching across the setting is now consistently good.  Staff communicate well with parents. They collect a wide range of information about what their children like, know and can do before they start at nursery. This helps their key person to plan effectively to meet the individual needs of all children.  All practitioners have high expectations of behaviour and offer clear boundaries and routines. As a result, children behave well and respect one another and most are able

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This provision is good

to share toys and take turns in their play.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Occasionally, staff do not make the most of available information about children’s next steps when planning for small group activities, particularly for older children.  At times, some care routines for the youngest children are not sufficiently tailored to meet their individual needs.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure staff consistently use the information contained within children's individual learning plans when planning small group activities so that all children, but particularly the oldest, make more rapid progress  ensure nappy changing routines for the youngest children are better organised to meet their individual needs, particularly before sleep times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all four base rooms inside as well as the outside play space.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the manager, deputy manager and nominated person for the provision.  The inspector carried out three joint observations with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision and a range of other documentation, including policies, procedures, self-evaluation and improvement planning documents.

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who attend. This is good

Staff use their good understanding of the needs and interest of individual children alongside their in-depth knowledge of how children learn, to provide a broad range of learning opportunities which both engage and challenge all children. Staff nurture babies’ early attempts at communication by copying the sounds they make and repeating back single words. Older children initiate some activities themselves which are then skilfully supported by staff. For example, while they are exploring the garden area searching for potatoes, staff prompt children to recall previous discussions, ask questions and begin to solve problems for themselves. This supports the development of essential skills for future learning. Individual learning plans are regularly reviewed, updated and shared with parents to ensure children continue to make good progress. However, when planning for group activities, this information is sometimes not used as well as it could be. This

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who attend. This is good

occasionally slows the pace of progress for some older children as teaching is not sufficiently focused on their needs.

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good

Children are happy, confident and independent learners due to the secure attachments they have developed with their key person. Information collected from parents ensures that daily care practices generally follow home routines and so support the emotional security and well-being of the youngest children well. However, there are occasions when the nappy changing routine means babies have to wait a little longer for their sleep. Older children develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when undertaking daily risk assessments with staff. Managers and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children. Daily questions test staff’s knowledge of key policies and safe working practices which in turn protects children. Children move up through the nursery and on into school with confidence. This is because staff take effective steps to ensure children are well prepared for these changes.

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provision is good

The ability of senior leaders to accurately identify the quality of practice across the nursery is a strength. Since the last inspection, leaders have transformed the nursery’s outdoor space, improved staff supervision arrangements and are successfully embedding systems to support and promote effective teaching. Good arrangements for recruiting staff, regular supervision and checking staff performance has led to more consistent practice, particularly in relation to observation, assessment and planning. Leaders monitor staff closely and any development points are quickly identified and tackled through targeted training and support. The manager regularly reviews assessment information which ensures that any gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed. Support visits from an outstanding nursery have helped staff to reflect on their own practice and to make necessary changes. In particular, policies and procedures to ensure the safety of children

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provision is good

have been reviewed and strengthened, including reporting procedures for accidents.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 318602 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 1006043 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 98 Number of children on roll 122 Name of provider Little Acorns Group Limited Date of previous inspection 18 March 2014 Telephone number 01138 268376

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Setting details

Little Acorns Day Nursery was registered in 1998 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose built premises on the ASDA warehouse site in Washington and is one of a number of nurseries owned and managed by Little ACORNS Group Ltd. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from four base rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Setting details

The nursery employs 28 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 122 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Setting details

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

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

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Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Setting details

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

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