Stepping Stones Day Nursery and Pre-School

Stepping Stones Day Nursery and Pre-School 152 Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 4JA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30 August 2017 14 May 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The manager carefully monitors staff practice and ensures they succeed in delivering very high levels of care and learning. She inspires, coaches and supports less experienced staff to ever higher levels of practice. Extremely skilled and experienced senior staff excel in modelling high-quality teaching across the day. Children of all ages flourish.  Parents repeatedly praise the on-site chef for the high quality and variety of food their children so willingly eat and enjoy. Children soon begin to make healthy choices as they learn to grow, harvest, safely chop and cook healthy produce.  Staff make, and the manager reviews, very accurate assessments of children's progress and swiftly share them with parents to support continuity in children's learning.  Busy staff are continually attentive to small details. For example, they notice, share and celebrate tiny but significant steps in children's progress. Children enjoy seeing their

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This provision is outstanding

photographs and names throughout their rooms. Young children rapidly grow in self- esteem and become increasingly independent in managing their personal belongings.  The older children are confident, capable communicators. They have much to talk about, know their views are valued, and show respect to others as they take their turn. They proudly write the letters of their name on their pictures and talk with positive anticipation and maturity about starting school.

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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

 build on children's knowledge of the wider world to strengthen their exploration of similarities and shared values, as well as differences.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play.  The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the nursery and their children's progress.  The inspector looked at children's records, discussed staff's planning and evaluation of activities and how they exchange information with parents.  The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding and risk assessment, and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the manager.  The inspector observed care routines and completed a joint observation with the manager. Together they discussed how staff training had contributed to children's learning and development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager has sustained her determined, enthusiastic and successful drive to improve the nursery and offers very high standards of care and learning. She continually studies and uses guidance from a broad range of sources, such as company policies and procedures, training and research, to improve the nursery. For example, she ensures all new staff swiftly complete a broad range of training in safeguarding, first aid and welfare to ensure they are extremely well prepared for their roles. Safeguarding is effective. The manager checks staff know how to identify, record and report any child protection concerns. She ensures that staff record accident, incident and medication forms diligently and continues to improve ways to review these. Parents receive key information quickly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff include some highly experienced, enthusiastic and skilled teachers who inspire children of all ages to high levels of achievement. For example, babies listen intently and thoroughly enjoy moving their bodies to the rhythm and movement of songs sung to them in different languages. Toddlers quickly join in with actions and have the understanding to link and use key words in English and French. Moreover, the older children confidently sing and re-tell phrases from favourite stories in French, as well as in English. Staff find innovative ways for children to learn about different national interests. However, they are less confident in helping children to identify shared values across different cultures or explore the different ways people celebrate the same event.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are highly responsive to children's individual interests and needs. They work very smoothly as a well-deployed and extremely effective team. For example, staff frequently check that there are enough adults to keep children safe as they wake from naps and explore exciting indoor and outdoor play areas. Staff constantly assess and minimise risks to children's safety. For instance, adapting to meet children's rapidly developing physical skills and desire to be more adventurous. Children also thoroughly enjoy safe woodland experiences, such as building dens and keeping safety rules when using the fire pit.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children, including those who receive additional funding, make excellent progress in their learning during their time at the nursery. Moves to new room teams are smooth and children are extremely well prepared for school. They are very curious, willing to take on new challenges and think creatively and critically. For instance, older children negotiate and help each other as they plan, build and improve complex constructions. They use mathematical language appropriately to describe, compare and measure shared achievements, such as the outdoor 'bug mansion' they built to attract different insects.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 148626 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 1089750 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 50 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Kingsclere Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 14 May 2015 Telephone number 0118 932 8117

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reference number

Stepping Stones Day Nursery and Pre-School registered in 1992 and is owned by Complete Childcare Limited. The nursery is situated in Finchampstead, Berkshire. It is open each weekday, from 7.45am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. There are 15 staff working with the children, eight of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery also employs two cooks.

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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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