Footsteps Nursery

Footsteps Nursery Shrewsbury Road, Oswestry, SY11 4QB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 February 2017 12 September 2016

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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

 Under renewed and invigorated leadership, considerable improvements to the nursery provision have been made. Poor performance identified at the previous inspection is no longer a feature of this good and improving nursery. Leaders' shared ambition for success and effective action planning drives improvement.  Leaders’ use of additional funding to improve the outdoor learning environment, including the development of forest school activities, has resulted in children, at risk of delay, making good progress in their physical skills and confidence.  Staff attend high quality training events and receive regular supervision and support to develop their professional teaching and safeguarding knowledge. This has had a positive impact on their teaching practice, learning outcomes for children and staff's awareness and ability to safeguard children and to report concerns when they arise.  Staff's good knowledge of the children and their individual learning needs has raised

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This provision is good

the quality of teaching to a good standard. Outcomes for children across all areas of learning have improved as a result. Regular and routine observations and accurate assessments highlight that most children make good progress from their starting points.  This attractive, welcoming and child friendly nursery is well maintained with good levels of cleanliness. Good quality learning resources are found indoors and outside.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some boys do less well than girls in their speaking. Leaders accept that staff should further enhance boys’ communication and language development.  A lack of a coherent and consistent toilet training strategy means that some children are not always well supported to develop and manage their personal care needs in a timely manner.

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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 rate of boys’ progress in speaking by providing them with a range of activities and opportunities through which they can develop and become confident and expressive talkers  develop and implement an effective programme of toilet-training to further support children's independence and readiness for school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the improvements that this nursery has made since its previous inspection in 2016 and the plans for future improvement.  The inspector observed babies and children during a range of play and learning activities in the designated play areas, including outdoors. The inspector carried out two joint observations with leaders.  The inspector held meetings with senior leaders, the nursery manager and staff.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including children's learning journals and staff's planning of children's learning and development activities.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of all staff working at the premises, the nursery's single central record and the professional qualifications and training of the leaders and staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and those of children spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector explored the safeguarding arrangements, the cleanliness and security of

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Inspection activities

the premises and how effectively the leaders have identified and taken steps to minimise any potential risks.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Significant improvements have been made to the nursery's safeguarding culture and ethos. Leaders maintain accurate information to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. The arrangements to safeguard children are effective. Leaders have taken effective steps to hold staff to account and to improve practice across the setting. All staff have attended training and significant improvements have been made to the quality of teaching and their safeguarding credentials, knowledge and expertise. Strong leadership and performance management has supported improvements in professional practice. Parents play a vital role in supporting their children’s learning at home. They regularly contribute to their child’s learning assessments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff's storytelling helps children to develop a love of literacy as they explore language through stories. Staff introduce children to a variety of nursery rhymes and teach them about different sounds. Children are taught to differentiate between sounds and are learning the foundations to help them to read and write. The older children begin to use their imagination and extend their critical thinking, problem solving and language as they conduct scientific experiments with ice. Their mathematical language and understanding is promoted as they weigh and measure ingredients during cooking activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Babies’ personal, social and emotional needs are well supported by attentive staff. Babies are given lots of cuddles and affection by caring staff. Staff promote babies’ enjoyment of food and snacks. All staff are trained to administer paediatric first aid and are alert to potential choking hazards; and know how to respond to medical emergencies. Babies develop their independence and self-care skills. For instance, the older babies drink from cups and delight in feeding themselves using spoons and forks. Children’s specific dietary requirements and allergies are catered for and respected. Children's good behaviour and consideration for others is well supported by staff. Older children help to agree rules of good behaviour, and they remind each other when rules are not being adhered to. Children are developing self-awareness, self-worth and respect for others.

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Outcomes for children are good

The rate of children’s progress has increased as a result of effective leadership, performance management and teaching. Staff challenge gender stereotypes and enable all children to express themselves through dressing up and imaginative play. Staff say that it is never too early to promote equality and help to raise children who can participate fully in the world. Boys and girls develop emotional wellbeing and confidence as they participate in a wide range of activities which promote a healthy lifestyle. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who attract additional funding make good progress in their learning and development. Effective partnerships with parents and key professionals, and some high expectations of learning success, help most children to achieve well. More and more children are becoming increasingly ready for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY257595 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 1078664 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 - 12 Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 83 Name of registered person North Shropshire College

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 12 September 2016 Telephone number 01691 688007

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reference number

Footsteps nursery was registered in 2003 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose built premises on the college campus in Oswestry, Shropshire and is managed by North Shropshire College. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, almost all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. There are currently 83 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children, and an after school club.

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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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