Stepping Stones Preschool

Stepping Stones Preschool Avonway Community Centre, 36 Shaftesbury Street, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1JF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 October 2015 8 December 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Leaders have made sure that ongoing self-evaluation and regular tracking of children's progress has helped to raise the quality of the provision greatly and bring about continuous improvements for children since the previous inspection.  The quality of teaching is good and children make steady, ongoing progress in their learning and development. Staff regularly assess children's progress and provide a wide range of interesting learning experiences in a stimulating environment that build on children's skills.  Children become independent and initiate their own play and ideas. As a result, they are interested and eager to explore and learn.  Leaders make sure that staff manage children's behaviour consistently. Children behave well and learn to cooperate as they play.  A well-established key-person system helps promote children's welfare and emotional development well. It helps children form secure attachments and be well prepared for

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children do not have every opportunity to use their early mathematical skills, such as counting.  Management supports the staff team's professional development well but sometimes it does not focus on precise aspects of teaching closely to enhance it.

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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

 ensure staff seize all opportunities to challenge children in their learning and to extend children's mathematical skills fully  give a precise focus for aspects of individual staff's professional development to extend their skills further and support continual improvements within the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and how they interacted with children during play and learning activities, and viewed the play areas and resources.  The inspector undertook a number of joint observations with the supervisors.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation relating to children's development, the suitability of staff and members of the committee, training records and safeguarding procedures.  The inspector had discussions with the two joint supervisors and staff. She spoke with children and parents to gain their views of the pre-school.  The inspector discussed the pre-school's self-evaluation and how the action plan is used to bring about continuous improvement. She discussed how staff work with other early years providers, other professionals and parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Effective leadership and management ensures the implementation of requirements, and the safe and smooth running of the pre-school. All those involved have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to protect children. The staff have addressed the action and recommendations well that were made at the last inspection. For example, they have developed good partnerships with parents and now offer ideas of how parents can support their children's learning at home. Staff have brought about many changes to the routines, which means they are now able to support children's needs and learning more effectively. For example, they organise snacks so staff can supervise all children well at this time. Staff show a strong commitment to increasing their skills. They make effective use of support and ideas from a variety of sources and are actively establishing a method to evaluate and improve their own practice further. They

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

now provide activities to promote children's mathematical skills well, which has a positive effect on their learning, although more remains to be done for this area.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff give children's communication and language development high priority. This helps all children, including those with communication difficulties, become confident talkers. For example, a specifically trained member of staff skilfully provides individual support to small groups of children. This increases children's listening skills and encourages them to speak. Children are captivated and show high levels of concentration as they respond to questions and instructions. For example, they describe objects and sing songs relating to them. Children relish carrying out the actions to match the words in songs. They quickly build wide vocabularies and develop good control of their bodies. Staff help children to develop early writing skills through a range of activities that are of interest to them and increase their coordination. For example, children enjoy painting, shaping modelling dough and creating pictures.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff have a good all-round knowledge of each child and their families. They are sensitive to children's needs and help them to settle quickly. Children respond well to the calm and consistent reminders to share and take turns. Staff work closely with parents to ensure there is continuity between home and pre-school. This helps children with their personal care and understanding of what is acceptable behaviour. Children develop high levels of responsibility through the daily routines. For example, they help prepare foods at snack time and wash up their cups and plates when they have finished. Staff teach children to use tools, such as knives, correctly so they remain safe.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning and development in relation to their starting points. They gain a wide range of useful skills needed for the move to school; for example, many begin to write the letters of their names.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 511673 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1001270 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 17 Name of provider Stepping Stones Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 8 December 2014 Telephone number 01425653517

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Setting details

Stepping Stones Preschool registered in 1997. It is located in the community centre in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. The pre-school opens during school terms. Opening times are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am until 3pm, and on Thursdays from 9am until 1pm. The pre-school is accredited to receive government funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. There are three members of staff working with the children, including the two supervisors who hold relevant qualifications at level 3. One member of staff holds a relevant early years degree.

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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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