Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Day Nursery 17 Whitehall Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 6AF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 May 2016 12 June 2013

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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

 Staff plan well and meet the needs of children effectively. Staff assess children's progress regularly and use this information to provide challenging activities. Children make good progress in their learning.  Staff manage children's behaviour effectively. For instance, staff set clear boundaries around their behaviour and are fair and consistent in their approach.  Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. For instance, children go outdoors daily for physical exercise and staff provide nutritious meals and snacks.  Staff work well with parents and others to support children's learning. For example, staff suggest weekly activities for parents to do with their children to promote their development. Staff keep parents well informed of their children's progress.  The manager evaluates all aspects of practice and has formed key goals to build ongoing improvements.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, staff do not use a variety of ways to extend children's language skills even further.  Staff do not provide regular opportunities to help children to investigate nature, as part of the programme for understanding the world.

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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

 help children to express their views and ideas to develop their language skills further  increase opportunities for children to investigate nature.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.  The inspector observed interaction between staff and children indoors and outdoors.  The inspector tracked the progress of several children.  The inspector sampled documentation and held a discussion with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and considered their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a secure knowledge of the procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare. The manager has good procedures in place to help ensure children's safety. For instance, she carries out daily checks on all areas of the nursery to protect children from harm. The manager also carries out a series of background checks on staff as part of the recruitment process to assess suitability for their roles. The manager is committed to improving staff's skills and knowledge, which has led to a more highly qualified staff team to promote best outcomes for children. She monitors the nursery well by, for example, spending time in group rooms to check planning and assessment, and to observe and feed back to staff to improve practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff are responsive to children's ideas and readily change activities to suit the children. They promote children's physical development by, for instance, providing play dough to knead, squeeze, roll and pinch. Staff support children's early literacy skills well, for example, by reading stories from a wide range of interesting books, supported by good story props to encourage children's engagement. Children practise their early drawing and early writing skills by example using a wide range of tools and materials. Children learn to take turns and share as they play, which promotes their personal development well. The outdoor area provides good challenges for children to climb, balance and move in different ways to support their physical development. Generally, staff ensure that there is a broad choice of activities outdoors. For example, fishing games where children use good coordination and number recognition skills to hook numbered fish. This supports their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have trusting relationships with staff, who know them well. Children are happy and confident. Staff motivate children to learn, for example, by providing activities linked to their interests that they enjoy. Staff teach children how to be safe. For example, they explain the danger of children holding toys as they climb up ladders, and talk to them about road safety. Staff teach children good personal care routines, such as handwashing at appropriate times. Staff encourage children's independence, for example, by teaching them how to put on outer clothing and shoes. Children serve themselves at snack and mealtimes and pour their own drinks to support their independence.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress. They learn to count and recognise numbers, and have good opportunities to practise their early drawing and writing skills. Children develop a positive attitude to learning to support them well when they move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY298689 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 1028422 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 18 Name of provider Quinary Ltd Date of previous inspection 12 June 2013 Telephone number 0208 689 8001

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Setting details

Stepping Stones Day Nursery opened in 2004 and is located in Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon. The nursery opens each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year, and is closed on public bank holidays. It receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are five members of staff who work with the children, including the manager; of these, four hold relevant early years qualifications. The manager has early years teacher status and the owner has early years professional status.

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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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