Stepping Stones Pre-School

Stepping Stones Pre- School Rear of Exning CP, Oxford Street, Exning, NEWMARKET, Suffolk, CB8 7EW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 March 2016 4 February 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

 An outstandingly stimulating and welcoming environment helps to inspire children. They become extremely keen learners and demonstrate exceptionally positive behaviour.  The manager and staff use a wide range of interactive communication methods to engage parents and other professionals. Pertinent information is shared consistently. All adults work extremely well together to promote children's excellent progress.  The staff are exceptionally well qualified and experienced. They plan and provide a remarkable range of multisensory, high-quality activities. These experiences help children to continuously extend their skills in readiness for the next stage of learning or the move on to school.  The views of each child and those of their family are highly valued. These are gathered, used and evaluated extremely well by staff as part of the continual strive to improve standards.  Every child makes exceptional progress, including those who have special educational

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This provision is outstanding

needs, those for whom the setting receives additional funding and the most able. Their personal achievements are widely recognised and celebrated.  Staff support children's learning extremely effectively. Exciting and exhilarating activities and educational opportunities are planned that are worth sharing with other settings.  All children are extremely well settled and very eager to join in activities. They make independent choices as they play and investigate. Children interact considerately with each other and staff. They show very high levels of confidence and their communication skills are excellent.

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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

 continue to refine and embed the process for tracking children's progress and drawing together precise information that can be passed on to the next setting or school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities both indoors and outside and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector observed and discussed a planned activity with the manager.  The inspector checked relevant documentation, including the suitability checks of all members of staff and relevant training certificates.  The inspector reviewed reflective practice procedures used by the manager and staff.  The inspector took account of verbal feedback from parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager provides inspiring leadership. Staff are supported exceptionally well to continue extending their teaching skills through personally tailored, professional development plans. This also enables them to enhance their understanding of child development. For example, staff identify and understand the urges children have to continually repeat play as they investigate and develop their ideas. Staff monitor children's ongoing welfare and learning extremely well, ensuring that they make consistently high rates of progress, and any gaps in learning are minimised immediately. This fully supports all groups of children. There are plans to further refine these tracking processes, in order to detect more-subtle variances in learning and ensure that the final reports shared with a child's next setting or school are even more precise. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Children's safety remains the top priority. All records are checked

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

meticulously. The management team and staff have a deep understanding of their responsibilities and take immediate action if they feel a child is at risk of harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

All the children attending rapidly become successful and confident learners. Staff skilfully extend children's understanding of language, numbers and how to use their developing physical skills independently and successfully. Children confidently communicate their ideas as they solve problems. For example, a small-group work collaboratively, arranging large bamboo tubes at differing levels. They balance these carefully, and demonstrate excellent coordination as they use string to hold additions in place, such as a magnet and a large container. The children learn that the weight of the container when moved forward, brings the tubing downwards. They experiment by rolling plastic balls along the tube and discover how to use gravity and a counterweight to get the ball to travel from one end to the other.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children form secure emotional attachments supported by staff who learn about their family situations and specific care and learning needs. Staff value children's achievements. Artwork is attractively displayed and plenty of descriptive praise and encouragement boosts children's self-esteem, helping them to feel confident and secure. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff are excellent role models. Their considered, sensitive guidance helps children to learn good manners and how to be considerate to others. Children use sand timers to manage time fairly, taking responsibility independently. They are self-sufficient, developing an excellent understanding of how to manage risks. The development of physical skills enables them to manage their personal needs exceptionally well.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make excellent progress from where they start in their learning. They are highly motivated, curious and confidently test out their growing knowledge through investigation and problem solving. Children are successful learners. They show high levels of concentration and have excellent communication skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251670 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 854786 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Stepping Stone Pre-School (Exning) Committee Date of previous inspection 4 February 2011 Telephone number 01638 600079

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Setting details

Stepping Stones Pre-school was established in 1976. It operates from a building within the grounds of Exning Primary School. Staff provide support for children with disabilities and special educational needs. The Pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, one staff member is an Early Years Professional and one staff member is a Qualified Teacher. The reminding staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 8.30am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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