Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones Wenlock Street, Luton, LU2 0NJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 May 2016 5 November 2012

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 Ofsted has not been informed of all current committee members to ensure the required suitability checks are completed.  The key-person system is not robust enough to ensure the youngest children's well- being is promoted and their behaviour is managed in an appropriate way.  Staff are not always successful in engaging all parents to share information about what their children do and learn at home, to accurately inform the planning for children's learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children benefit from a stimulating and well-organised environment. Most children display good levels of independence as they choose their own activities. This helps them to be motivated to learn and make progress based on their starting points.  The staff provide extra activities to promote children's health and enjoyment. Children enthusiastically join in with singing and dancing during the music session. They benefit from physical activity during regular children's exercise classes.  Children enjoy learning about different job roles in the community. The role play area, set up as a post office, entices children to write letters. Staff encourage children to use factual books to gain information about how the postal system works.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure that Ofsted is provided with the necessary information to carry out suitability checks on all committee members 31/05/2016

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Due Date

 implement effective strategies to manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way 31/05/2016

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Due Date

 improve the key-person system to ensure that the youngest children are fully supported. 31/05/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 introduce more effective ways to gather information from parents about children's learning at home to help inform planning.

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Inspection activities

 This inspection was carried out following the notification of a serious incident by the provider.  The inspector observed activities and spoke to the staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documents and a range of other documents, including the safeguarding policy and procedure.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with children and of the voluntary committee.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and of the pre-school's self- evaluation document.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Following a recent serious incident, the provider has taken prompt and appropriate action. She has swiftly notified Ofsted, undertaken a thorough investigation and reviewed the pre- school's risk assessments. However, the arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of new committee members, nor have all suitability checks been completed. This is a breach of the welfare requirements and compromises children's safety. However, staff are confident in their ability to recognise child protection issues and understand how to refer any concerns to relevant agencies. Suitable recruitment and induction procedures are in place for new members of staff. Supervisions and appraisals of staff's practice are regularly carried out. The manager is improving procedures for assessing and tracking individual and groups of children's progress. The manager and staff use self-evaluation to monitor the quality of the care and

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

learning provided, and this includes seeking the views of parents.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children eagerly enter the pre-school at the start of the day and enjoy their time there. They quickly settle into activities and staff are close by to support them as they play. Older children are beginning to draw recognisable pictures and write their name. Children engage well in role play and enjoy pretending to be vets and making the animals feel better. However, at times, the youngest children are not fully engaged in learning. They quickly move round activities and some staff speak to them in a negative way. Staff undertake home visits and collect information from parents when children start at the pre- school. This helps them to understand children's starting points in learning. Observations are carried out on children's learning. Staff use this information to assess their development and plan next steps for children's learning. They provide some activities to support children's learning at home. However, the systems they have in place to gain

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

information from parents about children's ongoing learning, are not always successful.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The provider has failed to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which compromises children's safety and well-being. The key-person system is not always robust enough to ensure the youngest children are supported in the best possible way. They are not always given an explanation as to why their behaviour is not acceptable. At times, some relationships between the key person and children are strained. This results in children showing negative behaviour towards adults. Children benefit from daily experiences outdoors. They enjoy using the school playground to climb apparatus, ride bikes and build dens. Staff encourage children to be independent. They have opportunities to pour drinks and cut up fruit for snacks. Staff actively support children who speak English as an additional language to make good progress. They learn key words in the many languages spoken by the children. They use visual prompts, such as pictures cards

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

to help children understand the activities available to them.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Most children are working comfortably within the range typical for their age. However, the inconsistent support for some of the youngest children means that they are not always actively engaged in their learning. Older children are developing skills in using tools for writing and creative activities. They use mathematical language and count as they build with blocks. Children are developing the basic skills they need for future learning at school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY371502 Local authority Luton Inspection number 1051171 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 60 Number of children on roll 77 Name of registered person Stepping Stones Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 5 November 2012 Telephone number 01582723970

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reference number

Stepping Stones was registered in 2008. The pre-school employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre- school opens from 8.45am until 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during school term times. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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