First Step

First Step Tangmere Crescent, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 5PP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 May 2016 13 October 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

 Children are highly stimulated. Management and staff provide a rich and vibrant learning environment, particularly indoors. Staff have excellent teaching skills and understanding of how children learn. All children make the best possible progress, as it is checked thoroughly to help address any gaps in their learning.  Staff are positive examples of how to deal with others and they value children's individuality very highly. Children behave excellently and form strong bonds with the staff and their key person. Staff ensure they support children's emotional well-being extremely well.  There are excellent links with parents and carers. They appreciate the regular and informative feedback that they have each day. Parents and carers are very happy with the guidance they receive about how they can support their children effectively at home.  Staff establish exemplary partnerships with other professionals and support services,

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This provision is outstanding

including the under-5 inclusion service, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, paediatrician support, visual and hearing impairment and educational psychologists.  The manager and staff have a very high regard for children's safety and well-being. They regularly complete in-depth risk assessments and consistently use the highly effective policies and procedures in their daily practice.

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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

 enrich children's learning and sensory experiences for those who prefer to play outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children as they played and took part in daily routines.  The inspector spoke with children, staff and the manager at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's progress records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff, and a wide range of other documents, including policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of the parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager and trustees actively seek the views of staff, parents, children and outside professionals to successfully improve the pre-school. They have carefully targeted plans for development. For example, they recognise that they can do more to refine children's learning and sensory experiences for those who prefer to be outside. Safeguarding is effective. The staff are highly trained to identify children who may need support and to recognise signs that may indicate a cause for concern. Managers have rigorous systems for the recruitment and induction of new staff to ensure adults are suitable to work with children. The manager is highly committed to the monitoring of staff. She ensures that staff have wide-ranging training opportunities. This has a very positive impact on supporting those children with complex needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Managers and staff know children exceptionally well and use extremely effective processes and techniques to capture and foster children's interest in learning. Staff assess children's progress accurately and provide highly stimulating activities to promote children's learning and development in nearly all areas of the setting. They focus extremely well on helping children who have special educational needs or disability to make excellent progress. Children's abilities and skills are consistently enhanced, for example, staff have high expectations of what children can achieve and use different highly effective ways to support children's early communication, reading and number skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children have a strong sense of belonging at the pre-school. They eagerly enter the playrooms and settle well. Staff comfort children appropriately and provide them with a secure base if they become unsure of themselves. Any rare emotional outbursts are dealt with in a clear, consistent and calm manner. Children receive superb support to develop healthy lifestyles. For example, they thoroughly enjoy playing in the open air to raise their activity levels. The pre-school has excellent relationships with other professionals to ensure that the children's complex needs are met. Staff ensure children understand how to behave and be kind to others. Children have an excellent understanding of others with differing backgrounds or beliefs.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children flourish and are inspired by activities. They make significant progress, given their abilities when they start. Children consistently learn new skills, for example, they experiment with different textures, and develop excellent early number, writing and reading skills. Strong links with local schools and excellent transition processes ensure children are well prepared for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY341003 Local authority Havering Inspection number 827470 Type of provision Sessional 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 24 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider First Step Opportunity Group Ltd. Date of previous inspection 13 October 2011 Telephone number 01708 556355

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Setting details

First Step is run by First Step Opportunity Group. It has been registered since 1988 and operates from its own single storey premises on the site of R J Mitchell Primary School in Hornchurch. The setting operates on weekdays between the hours of 9.30am and 3.30pm. All the children attending have special educational needs or disability. Nine staff work directly with the children. One member of staff has an early years qualification at level 6, six have a qualification at level 3, and one member of staff holds a qualification at level 2.

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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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