Stepping Stones Pre- School

Stepping Stones Pre- School St. Annes Road, Denton, Manchester, Lancashire, M34 3BP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 November 2016 8 February 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 and staff team are committed to improving the quality of the service they provide. They welcome and value the support they receive from external professionals and act on their guidance and advice. Staff have worked extremely hard to successfully address the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection and have also enhanced many other aspects of their practice.  Staff provide children with a wide variety of interesting and challenging activities that effectively meets their individual learning needs. Children are motivated and confident learners. They independently explore the environment and are encouraged to use their own ideas to further extend their learning. Children make consistently good progress.  The well established key-person system helps children to form close emotional attachments with staff who effectively support them in their play.  Partnerships with other early years providers and feeder schools are a key strength of

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This provision is good

the pre-school. This makes an extremely positive contribution to meeting the needs of all children. Transitions in and out of the setting are exceptionally well managed to help promote consistency and continuity of care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently seek very detailed information from parents about what children can already do before they start at the pre-school.  While individual children's progress is monitored well, the manager does not yet monitor the progress of different groups of 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

 make better use of information from assessments to check the progress made by different groups of children  extend the depth of information sought from parents about children's prior learning and development when they first start at the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as a sample of policies and procedures, children's learning records and evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a secure understanding of what to do and who to contact in the event of a child protection concern. This helps ensure that children are well protected and kept safe from harm. The training staff attend is carefully targeted to ensure it has a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching and learning. For example, recent communication and language training attended by staff has had an extremely positive impact on the development of children's speech and language skills. The manager uses her good knowledge, skills and expertise to guide, coach and support staff. Also, the manager carries out regular supervision meetings to manage staff's performance. Parents are highly complimentary about the pre-school and appreciate the support and advice they receive about how to help enhance children's learning at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The majority of staff are well qualified and have a very good knowledge of the developmental needs of the children they care for. Staff track individual children's progress so that they can quickly identify any gaps in their learning and seek appropriate support, if necessary. Staff skilfully extend children's learning as they interact and play alongside them. Children are enthusiastic and are fully engrossed in their play and learning. For example, children have a wonderful time as they play with dough. They make links in their learning as they go to the home corner to find a frying pan. When children try unsuccessfully to toss a toy pancake they have made, staff encourage them to think about why it will not flip in the air. This leads on to discussions about heavy and light and comparing size and weight. Staff teach children to recognise and write their names and develop a secure understanding of linking sounds to letters. This has a positive impact

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

on the development of children's early literacy skills, in readiness for school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are extremely happy and well-settled in the pre-school. They chat to staff excitedly as they arrive and independently take off and hang up their coats. Children develop high levels of confidence and a strong sense of emotional security. Children confidently explore the environment and make independent choices about what they want to do. Staff are good role models and provide clear and consistent boundaries to teach children right from wrong. The effective use of sand timers helps to support children to develop a good understanding of taking turns and sharing. Children say, 'The timer has run out, so that means that it's my turn on the bike'. Staff are sensitive and caring, and ensure that children's physical and emotional needs are consistently met to help promote their self-esteem and welfare.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make consistently good progress. They develop a growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Children develop good independence skills and persevere with tasks that at first they find difficult. They confidently manage their own personal care needs, appropriate to their age, and develop a range of skills that prepares them well for future learning and school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY259694 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 1040013 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 17 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Lorraine Arnold

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 February 2016 Telephone number 07761021156

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reference number

Stepping Stones Pre-School was registered in 2003. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9.30am until 12.30pm. The pre-school 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

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

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