Stepping Stones Nursery

Stepping Stones Nursery School Milford Baptist Church, New Road, Milford, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 5BE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 February 2015 7 October 2010

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Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The nominated person has not provided Ofsted with the information needed for them to assess the suitability of committee members. This is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage  Staff do not support children to understand what is appropriate behaviour towards their friends. As a result, some children do not share and take turns to develop good relationships with each other.  Staff do not encourage children to independently choose toys and resources that develop their physical skills in the outside area as they store them in locked cupboards. As a result, children are not motivated to make choices that engage them in positive play.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of child protection and the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child's welfare.  Staff are warm and caring. Children form secure attachments with them and this generally supports their well-being and self-confidence well.  Staff teach children about the wider community and other cultures, so that they learn about the differences in people and their traditions.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 provide Ofsted with the information needed to determine the suitability of committee members  develop effective staff practice so that children's behaviour is managed appropriately.  improve the organisation of the outside play area so that children are able to independently choose toys and resources to develop their physical skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interaction both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of staff suitability and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures to safeguard children's welfare.  The inspector spoke to a parent on the day of the inspection, and examined additional documentation in order to take account of parents views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff provide children with a broad range of activities to promote children's learning and development across the seven areas of learning. Children have access to a wide range of toys and resources indoors which motivate them. However, in the outside play area, staff limit children's access to some toys as they store resources, such as large ride on toys, where children cannot access them independently. Therefore, children are not always able to independently develop their physical play. Children enjoy activities that teach them about the community beyond the nursery. For example, they talk excitedly about trying Chinese food at snack time. Staff make regular observations of children's play and use this to plan opportunities to extend children's learning. As a result children make sound progress in their learning and development. Staff share information about children's progress with the parents during parents' evenings and their written feedback from

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who attend. This requires improvement

children's two-year-old progress check. Staff help parents to participate in their children's learning, for example, children choose books that they can take home and share.

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requires improvement

Staff provide a warm welcoming environment, where the key-person systems supports children in settling well. Staff teach children about safe care practices, for example, how to use a knife safely to cut up their fruit for snack time. This supports them in developing their confidence in their own abilities and preparing them for the next stage in their learning, such as school. Children in the setting generally behave well, however staff are not always effective in ensuring that all children learn about the consequences of their actions. As a result, some children, do not share and take turns, and are not taught how to play with their friends appropriately to support everyone's emotional well-being.

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provision requires improvement

The manager has an understanding of how to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are robust recruitment procedures for staff that ensure their suitability to work with children is obtained. However, the nominated person has not advised Ofsted of the changes to the committee and, therefore, suitability checks such as Disclosure and Barring Service checks, cannot be completed as required. This does not have a significant impact on children's safety, as committee members do not have unsupervised access to children. Managers and staff check and review the quality of the nursery through self-evaluation to identify areas of development to help drive improvement. Staff training is provided through a targeted approach and staff identify areas of personal development and attend regular training, using new knowledge to improve their practice and extend challenge to activities for children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 120124 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 840308 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Stepping Stones Nursery School Committee Date of previous inspection 7 October 2010 Telephone number 01483 427325

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Setting details

Stepping Stones Nursery School registered in 1990. The nursery opens Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 3pm, and Friday from 9am to 12pm, during term time only. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four. There are seven staff who work in the nursery, of whom five hold relevant childcare qualifications equivalent to level 3, and one holds a relevant level 2 qualification.

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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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