Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Day Nursery Suite 7 & 8, 48 Westgate, SKELMERSDALE, Lancashire, WN8 8AZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 August 2016 Not applicable

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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

 The manager effectively communicates her vision and aspirations for a quality service to the staff team. Roles and responsibilities are clearly understood by suitably experienced and qualified practitioners. They implement procedures effectively to promote children's health, safety and learning.  Staff have created a very inviting play environment. It excites children, who delight in exploring their world. Play is unhurried and led by the children's ideas. This helps them to be creative thinkers and explorers throughout their day.  The key-person system is effective as staff are caring and attentive. Care is tailored to the individual child's physical and emotional needs as the day unfurls. Children throughout the nursery play and rest as suits their needs. The unhurried approach of staff helps children to participate fully in nursery life at their own pace.  Staff support children's behaviour well. During play, they gently help children to learn

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This provision is good

about turn taking, sharing experiences and fairness.  Children are making good progress and they demonstrate an enthusiasm and positive attitude towards learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The current arrangements for professional development do not fully provide opportunities for staff to consider how they can raise teaching to the highest level.  Staff have not explored fully how they can build on the ways they support children to extend their understanding of diversity.

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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

 sharpen the arrangements for professional development to focus more precisely on supporting each member of staff to understand what they need to do to raise the standard of teaching to an outstanding level  support staff to help children share experiences and explore the similarities and differences of families and communities beyond their own.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed activities throughout all areas of the premises and the outdoor play area. He observed teaching and interactions between the staff and children.  The inspector held meetings with the owner/manager. He also discussed the self- evaluation arrangements and plans for future improvements within the nursery.  The inspector spoke with members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. He also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's registration records and planning documentation. He checked the evidence of the qualifications and the suitability of staff working in the setting and also looked at a range of other documentation, including the arrangements for the recent extension of play space.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector checked the arrangements for first-aid trained staff and their

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The nursery is well organised with good facilities that meet the children's care and learning needs. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The staff understand their responsibilities very well regarding safeguarding children and reporting any concerns they may have about a child. The owner has implemented a secure system for the supervision and monitoring of staff. This is helping staff to develop their teaching steadily. There is a good team spirit and staff work harmoniously together, which creates a pleasant place for children to be. The owner/manager monitors the assessments of children's learning securely. She has identified ways to strengthen this further as part of several well-chosen plans for future improvements. Parents speak with high regard for staff and the support they provide for themselves and their children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Teaching is good as staff have a secure understanding of the way children learn through play. Staff share relevant information with parents to support and extend children's progress and learning. They observe regularly and plan activities based on their assessments to help drive children's learning forward. Playrooms are well organised and staff use children's interests, such as dinosaurs, to help foster their mathematical concepts, such as shape and size. Pre-school children use puppets to act out a story about the way pigs protect themselves from a wolf. In the baby room adults and children hide under pieces of semi-transparent cloths shouting 'boo' at each other. This extends babies' social and communication skills as they build relationships with adults and share experiences with their peers. Toddlers explore the texture of shaving foam and paint as they make marks with their fingers and the toy cars. This helps children to test out their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are at ease within the nursery. Older children have begun to develop friendships and toddlers are learning to accept that others have needs. For instance, staff gently remind them not to disturb their friend who is having a sleep. Children enjoy regular outdoor play. They also visit the local park or play centre to gain chances to climb and balance. Children are provided with plenty of drinks to keep them hydrated and are served a range of freshly prepared foods including pasta and vegetables. Their health is promoted well as staff follow and encourage good hygiene routines during the day.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children willingly join in daily routines and respond to direction from staff, such as preparing for mealtimes. Pre-school children are beginning to make marks in context as they make lists in the role-play area. Others confidently test out their ideas. For instance, they print using the feet of the toy dinosaur or the wheels of a car. Toddlers build with blocks and follow instruction when they sing and make sounds with the instruments in a group. Babies are supported well to develop resilience as they try to slot the toy saw into its holding place in the tool box. These attitudes and skills help prepare them very well for their next stages in learning and for transfer to school when the time comes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY488543 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1012473 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 7 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 51 Name of registered person Cheryl Toni Boylan

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01695 550255

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reference number

Stepping Stones Day Nursery was registered in 2015. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, 3 or 6. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, 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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