Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones Longfield Childrens Centre,Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 7HE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 October 2015 13 January 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents and other agencies are highly inspirational, and their shared approach to meeting children's needs has an extremely positive impact on children's development.  Leadership is inspirational and the continuous drive for improvement provides excellent opportunities for staff to improve their practice and continually help children to make the best possible progress and to reach their full potential.  Management and staff have an outstanding understanding about their duties to safeguard children and accurately follow procedures to keep children safe.  Staff are highly motivated and seek training opportunities which continuously enhance their skills and knowledge. They use what they learn to support and extend children's learning.  The quality of teaching is highly effective. Staff accurately assess children's current stage of development and learning and use this to quickly identify and meet their

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This provision is outstanding

needs.  Staff use their expert knowledge to plan activities which are highly effective at extending children's learning experiences.  Children's language and emotional development are very well supported allowing them to gain independence and communicate their choices to staff.  Staff are very caring and sensitive to children's individual needs, and build secure bonds with them. This helps children settle well in the setting and helps develop their confidence to try new activities.

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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 children to follow their own interests, particularly for those who enjoy learning outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff during activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and sampled other documents.  The inspector talked to staff about their knowledge regarding the safeguarding of children and the procedures they would follow if they had a concern.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and other professionals spoken to on the day.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the playroom manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Leadership is inspirational and there is a highly successful drive for continual improvement to help children meet their full potential. Robust procedures for monitoring the quality of the provision help ensure children receive excellent opportunities to develop their learning. A highly focused plan of professional development ensures staff continue to build on their already first-rate knowledge and understanding of how children learn. Partnerships with parents, other settings and professionals are highly inspirational and exemplary at promoting a shared approach to meeting children's needs. Staff, parents and professionals work seamlessly together to meet children's learning and development needs. Management and staff have an exceptional understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and ensure they can play in safety. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Teaching is of an extremely high quality and children's individual learning and development needs are met exceptionally well. Staff use their expert knowledge of children, together with precise observations and assessments of their learning, to plan and provide suitably challenging opportunities for them. Staff ensure that activities engage and capture children's interests and are tailored to meet their individual abilities and needs extremely well. For example, staff plan activities using toys that make sounds to help children focus and maintain eye contact. In addition, staff use signing, pictures and visual cue cards to support and build on children's communication and language development further. This has a positive impact on how children engage and interact with others.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Exceptional arrangements are in place to care for children, and to support their emotional development and well-being. There are impeccable systems to ensure children feel secure right from the start. For example, key staff make home visits to enable children and parents to get to know them and to become familiar with children's individual needs. This helps children enter their appropriate playrooms with confidence. Key staff support their children to show interest and engage in a range of activities. They sensitively meet their needs and know what they enjoy playing with, although at times, children cannot follow their interests, particularly outdoors, as the resources they like are not set out. Staff expertly help children learn to manage their behaviour and build self-control. This increases opportunities for children to learn in a calm and focused way.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children show interest and engage in activities with staff. The secure bonds they have with them encourage children to try new experiences. Children are meeting or exceeding their learning targets, and staff provide excellent help for them to reach their full potential.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY410582 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 822580 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Stepping Stones - West Wiltshire Opportunity Group For Children With Special Needs Date of previous inspection 13 January 2011 Telephone number 01225350004

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Setting details

Stepping Stones is an opportunity group and the district specialist centre for West Wiltshire for disabled children and those who have special educational needs. It is managed by a committee. It was originally registered in 1974, and re-registered in 2010. It is located in Trowbridge, Wiltshire Morning sessions operate each weekday from 9.30am to 11am, 11.30am or 12.00 noon. Afternoon sessions are held from 12.15pm to 2.45pm on Tuesday and Friday, and pre-school sessions from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday. There are 12 members of staff who work directly with the children, of whom 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff member has Early Years Professional Status, one holds Qualified Teacher Status and 10 hold qualifications between level 3 and level 4.

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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

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Setting details

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