Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery 16 Waingate, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD7 5NR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 May 2016 9 June 2011

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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

 Children are making good progress from their starting points. Accurate observations and assessments help staff to get to know children well. They have a secure knowledge of how to plan each child's next steps in learning and follow their individual interests.  Friendly and supportive staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's personal, social and emotional development. They offer praise for children's efforts and encourage good manners, helping promote their positive behaviour.  Staff keep parents extremely well informed about their child's progress and learning through comprehensive monthly planning sheets and ongoing feedback meetings. Parents particularly appreciate the opportunity to share their views on what their child already knows and what their current interests are at home.  The management team demonstrates a good commitment to improving the outcomes for children. Regular reviews, which take into account the views of staff, parents and

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This provision is good

children, help make sure that the nursery is continually improving.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always provide enough opportunities for children to develop their thinking skills or to build on and extend their vocabulary.  While children enjoy a wide range of learning opportunities indoors, staff do not always plan and provide enough experiences for children who to prefer to learn outdoors.  The management team does not make full use of highly accurate supervision systems to regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning, in order to ensure it is consistently improving to the highest level.

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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

 provide children with more opportunities to develop their thinking skills and to extend their growing vocabulary  enhance the range of learning opportunities available to toddler and pre-school children who prefer to learn outdoors to help them make more rapid progress  strengthen the programme of staff supervision so that specific areas for improvement are identified and the quality of teaching and learning is maximised.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities inside and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and discussed the systems for planning children's play experiences.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager and looked at a sample of policies, including risk assessments. She discussed the manager's procedure for self-evaluation and viewed evidence of the suitability, qualifications and recent training of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents and children during the inspection and also took account of their written feedback on the service the nursery provides.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a robust understanding of child protection issues. They know what to do should they be concerned about the safety or well-being of a child. Overall, teaching is good and staff are well qualified and experienced. The management team encourages staff to undertake regular training. Managers and staff track the progress of children and work closely with other early years settings to share information. Any delays in children's development are quickly identified and interventions are put in place to help them catch up. Parents speak highly of the staff and the service they provide. They report that their children's social development has improved since attending the nursery.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know all of the children well and particularly know the needs of their key children. They use this to plan activities that engage and motivate children. Staff are especially effective at developing children's self-confidence. Babies and toddlers enjoy sharing stories, singing songs, making marks in sand and exploring water. Older children enjoy painting a bowl of fruit and confidently discuss the name and colour of nectarines, pears and oranges. Children are confident talkers and are eager to investigate, experiment and ask questions to find out more. Toddlers and older children excitedly go on bug hunts in the garden, looking under logs and eagerly pointing out the wiggly worms they find underneath. Staff support children's play well. They encourage children to look at the worms through magnifying glasses and they talk excitedly about how this makes the worms bigger. Staff provide lots of praise and encouragement for their efforts.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they move independently around the nursery. Behaviour is very good because children are taught how to deal with conflict. Babies are very settled and snuggle into their key person when they first wake up from their nap. Older children learn how to take risks with the support of their key person. They develop confidence in seeing to their own care and toileting needs and learn good hygiene practices through the daily routines. Children are eager to take responsibility for carrying out small tasks and this helps boost their self-esteem. Nutritious meals are freshly cooked, often using fruit and vegetables from the nursery garden, and planned carefully to consider children's individual dietary needs.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are working within the expected range of development for their age. They are confident and active learners. They are curious and eager to play and explore, and show a strong sense of belonging. Children develop their imagination and creativity as they dance to music, use collage materials and glue to make pictures and create imaginary food for the dolls in the role play area. Children gain many skills needed for the next stage in their learning and for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 311272 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 855278 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 0 - 4 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 61 Name of registered person Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 June 2011 Telephone number 01484 843035

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reference number

Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery was registered in 1993. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one at level 4, one at level 6 and one holds qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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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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