Step By Step Nursery

Step By Step Nursery Park Avenue, BUSHEY, WD23 2DD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 March 2015 19 May 2009

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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

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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

 Managers and staff work together as a committed team to deliver a good quality service for children and families. They strive to improve and, as a result, continuously develop their practice.  Staff have a secure knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They effectively use the knowledge gained from recent training to extend and improve their teaching methods to support children who are more active learners.  Managers have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children. They ensure that all staff implement policies and safe working practices effectively to support children's health, safety and well-being.  The nursery works in close partnership with other settings children attend. There are effective arrangements in place to promote children's confidence as they move on in their learning.  Staff monitor children's learning closely. They work in partnership with other

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This provision is good

professionals, such as speech therapists. This contributes to ensuring that effective additional support is provided when necessary.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently use visual aids, such as props, pictures and photographs of familiar items and objects that children are interested in so that all children can express their thoughts during their routines and story sessions.  Staff do not always obtain information from parents relating to their children's achievements at home so that this can be used to enhance children's learning.

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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

 provide more opportunities for younger children and those with English as an additional language to express themselves by using, for example, familiar objects, photographs and pictures to introduce new words and encourage their responses  extend the planning procedures by encouraging greater sharing and use of updates from parents about their children's learning and development at home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children engaged in activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with the management team, staff and children.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents to gain their views.  The inspector reviewed documentation including policies, procedures, children's assessments and staffs' qualifications and suitability to work with children.

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who attend. This is good

Staff provide a good range of activities to promote children's development across all areas of learning. Children have free access to a wide range of toys and resources, which helps them to develop confidence and independence. Babies and toddlers enjoy sensory play; they look in wonder at the marks that they create using foam. This supports their curiosity to experiment even more. Older children have opportunities to explore numbers and work together to solve problems, such as building a complex construction of ramps and towers. This provides them with some of the skills they need when they move onto school. Staff read popular stories to children. They use good teaching techniques to help them to concentrate, such as using different tones of voice and asking questions which encourage a response. However, staff do not always make the most of these opportunities to introduce props and visual aids, in order to extend children's understanding and use of

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who attend. This is good

language. Therefore, younger children and those with English as an additional language are not consistently encouraged to make the optimum progress in this area of learning.

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good

Staff form strong, supportive bonds with children and their families. This is because they take time to get to know parents and children when they start. Babies and toddlers' home routines are followed so that there is continuity of care as they move between home and the nursery. Staff are good role models and play alongside children, helping them to understand how to share and take turns. This helps them to make friends and to understand what behaviour is acceptable. All children benefit from playing outdoors and younger children are reminded how to use the slide safely. Babies emerging physical skills, such as crawling and walking, are well supported through the provision of suitable resources both indoors and outdoors.

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provision is good

The programme of professional development is comprehensive and the enthusiastic staff are reflective of their work, sharing good practice with each other. They are all involved in the proposed move to a purpose-built nursery and have plans in place to ease this transition process. The management team and staff have recently reviewed how they use observations and assessments to meet children's needs and identify their next steps in learning. This has had a positive impact, for example, as children's ongoing targets are clearly displayed for staff working with them to easily access. However, staff are not always consistent in considering parents' views of their children's achievements at home, so that this can be effectively used in ongoing planning and to support children's learning even further. The management team evaluate the strengths of the nursery and areas for development. They have a clear action plan in place to promote continuous improvement.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY295902 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 861562 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Step By Step Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 19 May 2009 Telephone number 01923 639333

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Setting details

Step By Step Nursery registered in 2005. The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school leader holds a qualification at level 6 and the manager holds a qualification at level 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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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

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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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