First Footsteps (Norris Green)

First Footsteps Ltd Fairwinds, Broad Lane, Norris Green, Liverpool, Merseyside, L11 1AD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 May 2015 1 March 2012

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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

 Well qualified staff continue to develop their knowledge and skills through regular in- house and external training courses. The manager's rigorous assessment of staff performance, results in staff sharing their expertise to support effective teaching across the team. As a result, children make good progress.  Very effective partnerships with parents ensure that all children benefit from a coordinated approach to their learning. Parents are kept well informed and contribute to assessments of children's achievements. This is particularly evident when children have a special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Children access a wide variety of interesting, well-organised resources, designed to develop their independent investigation and problem-solving skills. Staff plan very well for children's interests and use these to extend their learning in all areas, ensuring children's next steps are provided for in a fun, enjoyable way. Children's motivation to

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This provision is good

learn is strong because of this.  Staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children. This means that children are well protected and safe at all times.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to use their home language in a playful way are variable. While some children use and hear their home language in the nursery, others do not.  Efforts to establish strong links with the other settings children attend are not successful in every case. This means that some children's learning is not enhanced even more by a shared approach from all their key people.

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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

 enhance opportunities for all children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use their home language in a playful way, in order to provide the best possible environment for them to acquire English  establish stronger partnerships with all the other settings children attend, in order to ensure a coordinated approach to their learning is in place.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and care practices in the playrooms and within the outside play area. She conducted a joint observation with the manager, looking at the practice of staff.  The inspector spoke to the children and staff throughout the day, and to parents and carers when they came to collect children.  The inspector examined a sample of organisational and health and safety documentation, read the nursery self-evaluation form and held a meeting with the manager and the manager of a sister setting.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including children's planning, observations and assessment records. She also looked at a range of policies, as well as information used to assess the suitability of staff.

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who attend. This is good

Staff regularly and accurately observe, assess and plan for individual children's learning. Children make very good progress, because staff swiftly identify if they need additional support in meeting their milestones and provide targeted teaching. Teaching is good and well matched to children's interests. For example, children are fascinated by the building work going on behind the nursery. Staff set up building site role play, and children enjoy painting pictures of construction vehicles for a display. Daily short phonics sessions help pre-school children to identify letter sounds, and younger children enjoy painting the fence with water. Children are confident talkers, keen to express their opinions. For example, they tell visitors they have three televisions in their house, then spontaneously hold up three fingers to demonstrate how many. They hold up five fingers and say, 'That's not three, that's five'. However, for some children who speak English as an additional

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who attend. This is good

language, there are too few instances to hear and use their home language in a playful way, which does not provide the best possible opportunities for them to acquire English.

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good

Flexible settling-in procedures and frequent visits to the next room, ensure that all children feel secure and attached to their key person, as they move through the nursery. Staff know children very well. Initiatives, such as children taking turns to take home 'Barney bear', mean that children can share their home experiences with staff and other children, which helps them to feel valued and enhances their self-esteem. Children are learning the skills that help them become ready to start school. They sit in small groups to listen to stories and songs, help to tidy up after snacks and serve themselves at mealtimes. Staff are proactive in teaching children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children make fruit smoothies, brush their teeth and learn how different foods affect their bodies. Frequent outdoor play, where children can negotiate space, balance and climb, allows them to develop their physical skills, whilst taking some measured risks.

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provision is good

The manager of the nursery has a robust understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Her consistent drive to improve the nursery by developing the understanding and skills of her team, is demonstrated through the wide range of further training opportunities she provides for them. Very effective induction procedures ensure that all staff have a good understanding of the policies and procedures that underpin their effective practice. Partnerships with parents are very good. Parent's comment that they feel included and supported in helping their children to make the best possible progress, and praise the nursery highly. Strong partnerships with other professionals, such as children's centre staff and health visitors, contribute to the good progress all children make. However, despite making an effort to build effective links with the other settings children attend, strongly coordinated partnerships to support children's learning further

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY255561 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 860415 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 77 Name of provider First Footsteps Ltd Date of previous inspection 1 March 2012 Telephone number 0151 256 8485

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Setting details

First Footsteps Ltd was registered in 2003, and is one of three settings owned by the same provider. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including three with an Early Years Foundation degree at level 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two- , three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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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