Footsteps (South West) Ltd

Footsteps (South West) Ltd Bath Community Academy, Rush Hill, BATH, BA2 2QL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 May 2017 17 March 2015

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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

 Staff form close, warm relationships with the children, which supports their emotional well-being. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements, which boosts their self-esteem effectively.  Staff plan a wide range of learning experiences and activities to provide children with a good level of challenge and interest. Children are happy, confident and settled in the caring and nurturing environment.  Self-evaluation is effective. Management identifies areas for development to ensure continuous improvements. For example, the introduction of supervisory meetings and observations of staff's practice has helped to identify training needs and improve the quality of teaching.  Management supports staff well in developing their professional knowledge. For example, staff have attended training which has extended their understanding of how to improve the quality of the conversations they have with children through effective

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not use all opportunities to help younger children assess risks for themselves and understand safe practices fully.  Staff do not consistently exchange information about children's learning with other early years settings they attend, to further inform their planning for children's 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

 help younger children identify risks for themselves and understand even more about safe practices  develop further systems of sharing information with other early years settings that children attend, to consistently support future planning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and carried out a joint observation.  The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents present at the inspection, and took account of the nursery's self-evaluation.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's developmental records and planning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Management and staff understand safeguarding procedures well and know how to report any concerns about children's welfare if necessary. Management follows thorough recruitment and ongoing vetting procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Management and staff use effective systems to monitor children's progress, which helps them to swiftly address any identified gaps in learning. Partnerships with local schools are good. For example, staff work closely with teachers to share information and provide good support as children prepare for the move to school. Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff keep the parents up to date about their children's progress and provide ideas to support children's learning at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children are enthusiastic, active learners. They thoroughly enjoy dressing up and acting out familiar scenarios. For example, they take it in turns to be the doctor, pretending to give injections and use a 'stethoscope' to listen to the patient's heart. Staff support older children's mathematical language successfully to count and make simple calculations. For example, they add one more to the number 30 to work out the day of the month. Staff encourage babies and young children well to explore and investigate. For example, they use their senses to explore trays of resources to find things hidden. Staff skilfully ask questions to develop children's understanding, thinking and language well. For example, staff ask the children 'What do you think you might need?' and 'Show me how you can make it flat' as children skilfully use a range of tools to shape clay into a variety of bugs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff organise the environment and the wide range of resources well, which enables children to make independent choices in their play. Children's behaviour is good, particularly children in the pre-school room. They develop good social skills, are kind to one another, share resources and take turns. Staff support children's good health and well-being effectively. For example, children enjoy a wide range of healthy meals and they understand the importance of good handwashing routines. All children benefit from fresh air and physical activity each day.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their individual starting points. They gain many skills that prepare them well for the next stage in their learning and school. Older children concentrate well and listen attentively. For example, they confidently talk about their personal experiences of observing spiders and other bugs. They listen well to what their friends have to say and use words such as 'big' and 'bigger' as they compare and describe size.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY296229 Local authority Bath & NE Somerset Inspection number 1092141 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 - 4 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Footsteps (South West) Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 March 2015 Telephone number 01225 429989

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reference number

Footsteps (South West) Ltd registered in 2004. It operates from a house in the grounds of Bath Community Academy. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 5.30pm, except bank holidays and Christmas. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven staff working with the children. The manager/owner holds qualified teacher status and four members of staff are qualified to level 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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