First Steps Nursery

First Steps Nursery The Burton Unit, The Conquest Hospital,The Ridge, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 7RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 June 2016 20 May 2013

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Staff do not work in close partnerships with other settings that children attend. This does not help them to always support children's continuity of learning and care.  Children do not always receive consistent messages about how to understand and manage their own personal hygiene needs to help support their well-being.  Staff that work with the babies do not always ensure that they support each other well enough. For example, they carry out routine tasks and do not always explore how they can support babies' learning and well-being effectively during these times.  Self-evaluation is not fully effective in identifying the breach in the early years foundation stage requirements and targeting further areas for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are kind and considerate of others. They know how to take turns and include everyone. For example, children in the toddler room talk to staff about whose turn it is next at the sticking and cutting table. Older children invite others to have a snack.  Staff track children's learning well and identify individual next steps to support their progress. For example, staff have developed their planning of activities to help ensure that they support children's individual next steps in learning well.  Children are confident and eager to be involved in learning. For example, they are keen to show off their skills and invite others to watch them. Children make steady progress in their learning and development.

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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

 develop effective links with other early years settings children attend to help ensure continuity of care and learning. 04/07/2016

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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

 support children's understanding of their own personal hygiene  develop further staff's understanding of how to work together more effectively to support babies' care and learning  make effective use of self-evaluation to identify all weaknesses in practice to set targets for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors and assessed its impact on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at convenient times during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents and took their views into consideration.  The inspector held discussions with the manager about observations of staff practice.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as children's attendance registers, records of staff suitability checks, and the nursery's development plans.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The new manager and staff work together to evaluate their practice and have some plans in place for future development. However, this is not fully effective in identifying all areas that need to be improved. Safeguarding is effective. The provider has clear safeguarding procedures in place and staff know what to do if they have concerns about children's welfare. Staff work well with parents to support children's individual needs and development. For example, they manage children's allergies well and keep parents up to date with their children's development through regular meetings and discussions. The manager has a good overview of children's development to help identify any gaps in their learning. Staff receive support to develop areas of their practice. For instance, they attend training and have one-to-one support from senior staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff have not established communication with other settings that children attend to support them to make the best possible progress in their learning. However, the teaching in the pre-school room is strong. Children engage in interesting small group activities. For example, they explore sizes and measurements and look how tall they are and how high they can jump. In other groups, children have a good knowledge of letters and sounds as they play games. Staff help children to have positive attitudes towards learning. For instance, they encourage them to have a go and encourage them to use the scissors.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff do not consistently support children to have enough understanding of their own personal hygiene. For example, children move to the snack table straight from messy activities and staff do not identify this. Staff in the baby room do not always work together effectively to make sure that routine times, such as nappy changing, support the learning needs of the youngest children. Staff have effective strategies to support children's behaviour, and children respond well. For instance, staff in the toddler room make tidying up fun and children listen to their favourite music to help motivate them. Staff support children's move between rooms well and have good relationships with children. Children receive positive messages about leading healthy lifestyles. They take part in a range of activities to explore healthy foods and develop physical skills.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, children make suitable progress in their learning and development. Children have opportunities to be independent. For example, they serve their own lunch and are learning to pour drinks. Young children know about numbers of personal importance. For example, they tell staff how old they are and like to count. Children gain a sufficient range of skills to help them be ready to start school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 508988 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1028670 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 - 5 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 84 Name of registered person East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 20 May 2013 Telephone number 01424 755255ext 8778

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reference number

First Steps Nursery is one of two settings owned and managed by the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. It registered in 1990 and operates from a building on the site of the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, East Sussex. The nursery provides places for the children of staff working for the National Health Service. It is open each weekday from 6.45am to 6pm all year round, closing on bank holidays. The nursery employs 13 members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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

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