Stepping Stones Pre School

Sapcote Stepping Stones Pre-School Playgroup The Methodist Church Hall, Leicester Road, Sapcote, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE9 4JE

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 March 2015 9 November 2011

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff use accurate assessments to identify children's next steps and plan a wide range of opportunities that supports each child's individual learning. As a result, all children make good progress towards the early learning goals.  Children are valued and make close attachments with key persons who significantly promote children's emotional well-being.  Staff work well with parents to support their involvement in their child's learning. They encourage parents to take story sacks home to share with their children and suggest other ways of how they can contribute to home learning.  Thorough self-evaluation identifies priorities for improvement. The manager and staff team are clear about plans for the future. These focus on meeting the needs of children and raising the quality of teaching and learning.  Partnerships with local schools and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, are well established. Managers and staff value their contributions as

p.1

This provision is good

partners. This helps to ensure consistency in children's learning and care.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, staff are too quick to share their own ideas before giving children the opportunity to express their thoughts and to be imaginative.  Younger children's independence is not fully promoted with regard to making decisions about what they want to play with.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 give children more time and opportunity to explore their own ideas and develop their imagination, before offering suggestions  increase opportunities for younger children to make decisions about what they want to play with, for example, by creating a photograph album of resources, including those which are not on open display.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector held meetings with the provider and manager of the provision, and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the provider and manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of all members of the staff team, their qualifications and the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records, learning and development information, two year progress checks, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Children learn and acquire the skills they need for the next stage of learning and onward to school. Staff adjust their teaching according to the children's ability. Young children look at, and name, objects in books, while more able children learn to sound out and recognise the letters of their name. Children make caterpillars from play dough, paying great attention to detail. They copy what they see on a photograph and carefully position the eyes in the correct place. Staff place strong emphasis on outdoor play, arranging challenges for children to take part in. However, the enthusiasm of staff to make activities exciting sometimes prevents children from expressing their own ideas. For example, staff tell children that they will see sharks, pirates and a princess as they complete the obstacle course rather than encouraging children to use their own imagination.

p.3

good

Staff work hard to transform the hall into a child-centred environment which is welcoming and inspires children to play and have fun. Low storage units allow children to self-select some resources for themselves, and more able children confidentially ask for toys that they know are kept in a cupboard. However, young children cannot see these resources and therefore do not have the same opportunities to freely initiate their play. Lunch is brought from home and staff encourage parents to provide healthy food options. Children set tables and serve their own snack, which develops their good self-help skills. They learn about keeping safe in everyday activities . Visits from the police and fire brigade help to raise children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Children cooperate well with each other and learn to share and take turns during play. They know what behaviour is acceptable because staff consistently promote positive behaviour. Children are praised

p.3

good

when they behave well and are sensitively helped to resolve their differences.

p.3

provision is good

All staff have a clear awareness of their role in safeguarding children and understand the procedures to follow should they need to raise a concern. Good security systems are in place. Entrance doors are locked and visitors are effectively monitored. Risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis and staff are deployed well to help keep children safe. Children are cared for by a committed, motivated, well-qualified and experienced staff team. Effective supervision and appraisal systems are in place. This provides support, coaching and training for the staff team in order to promote children's learning and well- being. Regular monitoring of the educational programme ensures the provider has a good overview of the provision so that children continue to make good progress. Good partnerships with parents exist, which ensures that children's individual needs are fully met. Parents comment on the professionalism of staff and how the provision prepares

p.3

provision is good

children well for their future learning.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 226466 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 866293 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider Claire Patricia Shields Date of previous inspection 9 November 2011 Telephone number 07714 296127

p.4

Setting details

Sapcote Stepping Stones Pre-School Playgroup registered in 1993. The setting employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting opens from Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm, with an additional session on Wednesday from 1.15pm until 2.15pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

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’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5