Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Day Nursery Stepping Stones Day Nursery, 58-62 Wood Street, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 6LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 August 2016 11 March 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

 The manager leads a well-qualified team and staff turnover is low. This helps to provide continuity and security for children as they move through the nursery. Good systems are in place for the safer recruitment, induction and ongoing supervision of staff.  Teaching is good. Staff get to know the needs of children and their families. Staff use their understanding of how to support learning and development to help all children progress well.  Children form strong attachments to their key person and seek them out when they need encouragement, reassurance or support. Staff help children to be kind to one another and take responsibility for their actions. Behaviour is good.  The manager encourages staff to reflect on and improve their practice. She seeks the views of parents and children to help her plan for development. Partnerships with parents are good, they feel listened to and involved in their children's learning.

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This provision is good

 Staff help children to understand how to be healthy. They provide nutritious snacks and ensure children have regular exercise and fresh air.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The arrangements for continued professional development are not yet focused sufficiently enough on helping staff raise the quality of their teaching to the highest level possible.  Self-evaluation does not yet clearly show how improvements to practice have influenced outcomes for children.

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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

 seek continued professional development opportunities for staff to further improve their teaching  enhance self-evaluation further and show how developments in practice influence children's learning over time.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the nursery.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed children and assessed the quality of teaching and learning.  The inspector spoke to the manager, staff, parents and children during the inspection.  The inspector viewed a range of documents including, policies and procedures, risk assessments, children's records, notes of visits and professionals reports, training records, qualifications and suitability checks.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know the signs of abuse and what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare or development. Risk assessments are used to help staff reduce hazards in the nursery and on outings. Staff help children recognise dangers and keep themselves safe and healthy. Children's individual progress is closely monitored and specific learning needs are addressed through planned activities and teaching. The progress of groups is monitored to highlight their needs. Children who have special educational needs or disability are well supported. Staff have developed positive partnerships with health, local authority and social care professionals. They work with teachers to help them understand children's needs, as they move on to school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use a range of teaching strategies to help meet children's different learning styles. Observation and assessments inform planning, which reflect children's interests and next steps in learning. Staff recognise the importance of helping children to become confident communicators. They value children's utterances and encourage them to share their thoughts and needs. Staff sit alongside children as they play and help them to think about and find their own solutions to problems, as they arise. For example, a member of staff challenges a group of older children to construct a toy house. The children become focused and engaged as they work cooperatively and test out different ways of fitting wooden blocks together. They make decisions about the dimensions of the house as they build the walls. Staff use mathematical language well across the nursery. This helps all children begin to develop an understanding of numbers, counting, size, shape and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are flexible with their practice to meet the needs of children and their families. They gather information from parents about children's care, learning and development when they start at the nursery. Staff use this to help children to feel secure and settle quickly. Planned activities and experiences are used to encourage children to do things for themselves. This supports children to develop resilience and become less reliant on adults. Children lead their own learning, accessing resources with confidence. For example, after negotiation with their peers, a small group of children find and select dinosaurs from the wide range of small-world toys. They interact cooperatively and weave a story together about the creatures. This also demonstrates how the environment promotes children's interests and encourages imaginary play.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their unique starting points. Children are well supported to develop the skills they need for school. Children are helped to develop independence and the confidence to cope with challenges in their learning. Rules and routines reflect those in school. Staff use funding wisely to help narrow gaps in children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 317402 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 1064072 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 10 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 80 Name of registered person Stepping Stones Day Nursery (Cumbria) Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 March 2013 Telephone number 01900 812773

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reference number

Stepping Stones Day Nursery was registered in 1991. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, and sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports a number of children who have special educational needs or disability.

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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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