Stepping Stones Childcare (Cornwall)

Stepping Stones Childcare (Cornwall) 12-14 Wesley Place, Mt Charles, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4QA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 April 2017 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

 Children form strong attachments to their key person and develop a good sense of security, self-worth and well-being. This helps them to separate easily from their parents and begin to form first friendships with other children.  The key person works closely and effectively with parents to share ideas to help them support children's learning and development at home.  Staff interact effectively with children and support their next steps in learning. Children make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Parents provide positive feedback about the quality of care and learning at the setting. For example, they report that children are eager to attend, they make good progress in their social development and are competent in their use of number for counting.  The manager and deputy work well to support the staff team to deliver good standards of care and learning. There is a high priority in supporting staff to continue with their

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This provision is good

professional development. Staff have increased their knowledge to support children who learn English as an additional language to settle and express their needs well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are not consistently effective in monitoring the progress of individual and groups of children, in particular children for whom the provider receives additional funding.  Staff occasionally miss opportunities to target children's individual learning needs, to help them make better rates of progress.

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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

 extend ways to monitor individual and groups of children to evaluate better the effectiveness of assessment and further support children's learning  improve activity planning to offer more focused activities that target children's individual learning needs.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector engaged in discussions with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times and obtained feedback from parents through discussion when they were arriving at and collecting children from the setting.  The inspector sampled documentation, including risk assessments, safeguarding procedures and children's records.  The inspector viewed the equipment, resources and premises.  The inspector observed staff's interactions with children and the range of activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector offered the manager and deputy the opportunity to engage in a joint observation of an activity.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. All staff are confident in their understanding of local safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they have concerns about a child. They have good regard to safety and hygiene and teach children to manage everyday risks, such as using scissors, safely. The manager implements robust procedures for staff recruitment, induction and supervision and ensures staff suitability is monitored effectively. Thorough self-evaluation takes place, involving management, staff, children and parents. This helps the provider to identify suitable areas for future improvement. Partnership working with other providers is strong and effective to help maintain shared care and learning experiences for children and support children in their moves to school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The manager, deputy and staff interact well with children to support their learning. They gather good levels of information about children's starting points, preferences and abilities, so know children well. Staff support children's creativity and understanding of emotions well. For example, children listen to classical music and paint pictures of how they feel to express themselves. Children are eager to explore and investigate. Staff support them well through activities such as counting how many bubbles they blow and sorting numbered pebbles into the correct sequence and hoops into matching colours.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

The premises are welcoming and organised well to meet children's needs. Children follow the good examples set by staff and are polite, helpful and well-behaved. Older children work cooperatively and harmoniously together to enjoy active outdoor games and group activities, such as group time. They also help younger children to complete tasks such as tidying up. Younger children play happily alongside their peers and enjoy the positive interactions from staff, who support their play well. Staff help children to develop early writing skills, for example, as they paint patterns and pictures. Staff also teach children about healthy foods through activities such as growing strawberries in the garden.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those learning English as an additional language and children who have special educational needs, are happy and confident. They show good levels of independence as they make choices about where to play and when to eat their snacks. Younger children increase their physical skills with adult support, such as using wooden stepping stones to climb up and down with care. Older children extend their balancing abilities and number skills further, for example, by moving across the stepping stones one at a time and counting each step in turn. Children respect people's differences and follow simple instructions. They are ready for their future learning and their move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY489995 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 1096343 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 30 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Stepping Stone Childcare (Cornwall)

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01726 74493

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reference number

Stepping Stones Childcare (Cornwall), Mount Charles, in St Austell, Cornwall re-registered in 2015. It is one of two settings run by Stepping Stones and is a charitable incorporated organisation run by trustees. The setting is open on weekdays during term time, from 8.20am to 3.20pm. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 12 members of staff, including an administrator. The manager holds a qualification at level 4 and the duty manager is a qualified teacher who also holds a Master's degree. One member of staff holds an early years degree and all other staff hold qualifications at level 2 or level 3.3.

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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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