Stepping Stones Pre School

Stepping Stones Pre School Putsborough Road, Georgeham, Devon, EX33 1JT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 February 2017 22 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

 Children are safe and secure. They enjoy their time at the pre-school. Children arrive eagerly and quickly join in with the wide range of toys and activities. Children behave well and enjoy good care and support from staff. Staff encourage children to make choices, for example, at snack time, and to put their toys away. Children learn to take turns and share the toys with others.  The manager has worked well to make effective improvements to children's experiences through increased training for staff. This has led to staff helping children effectively in their mathematical development. For example, three-year-olds counted accurately to 10 and beyond as they identified how many children were sat at a table.  Staff encourage children's early reading skills well. For example, they help children to identify initial sounds to words in favourite books, and children share and enjoy stories.  Effective partnerships with parents ensure that staff and parents work well together to

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This provision is good

meet children's care and learning needs. Staff provide parents with good information that enables them to support their children's learning at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently provide the support or resources to successfully encourage children's early writing skills further.  Although children enjoy using technology, there are few opportunities to challenge their learning further.

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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

 increase the range of resources and staff support to develop children's early writing skills  provide more challenges when children use technology.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including safeguarding information and records of children's progress.  The inspector observed staff's interactions with children in the playroom and outdoors to check the impact these have on children's learning.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke to members of staff about their roles.  The inspector spoke to several parents to obtain their views about the service.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager and staff fully understand what they need to do if they are concerned about a child in their care. They update their safeguarding knowledge regularly to ensure they protect children from harm. Safeguarding is effective. The manager has an accurate view of how effectively staff support children's learning. She uses this knowledge well to identify training for staff to meet the learning needs of children. For example, recent training to support children's early language skills has improved how staff encourage children's confidence to talk and engage with others. The manager improves teaching well through her regular observations of staff practice to help improve their skills. The manager uses self-evaluation effectively to sustain children's good progress and to identify any emerging gaps in children's learning or in staff practice. She recently identified weaknesses in some children's progress and successfully introduced a new tracking

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

system and training for staff to resolve this effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support children well to extend their mathematical skills. For example, they encourage children to find and name colours and shapes. Staff use praise well to encourage children to build on what they know. Staff regularly check children's achievements and use this information to plan effectively for their next steps in learning. Staff involve parents in this process. Staff provide good opportunities for children to be physically active. Children become confident about their move to school. They have lunch with others in the primary school, which helps them become familiar with routines and teachers. Children learn well about other traditions. For example, they often taste food from different countries to help them learn about their differences and similarities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff ensure children's welfare and well-being. They take good care of children and help them learn how to listen well to instructions. Children develop a good understanding of how to be kind and caring. Staff are good role models for children, which encourages children's good behaviour. Staff expect children to help look after their play room and keep it tidy. They show children how to be kind and helpful. Children learn how to do things for themselves. They show good independence and choose when to play outside. They attempt to put their own coats and boots on from an early age, for example.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Younger ones happily share their activities with others and are eager to learn. Children demonstrate good early reading skills and identify familiar words in books. For example, they were able to find words beginning with 'c' in a story about a cat. Children are well prepared for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 106331 Local authority Devon Inspection number 1061165 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Stepping Stones Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2013 Telephone number 01271 890899

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reference number

Stepping Stones Pre School opened in 1997. It operates from within the grounds of Georgeham Primary School, in Georgeham, North Devon. The pre-school is open four days a week from 9am to 3.15pm during school term times. The setting is not open on Thursdays. The pre-school employs five members of staff. Of these, three have a level 3 qualification and two have a level 2 qualification. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early years 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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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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