Step by Step Nursery

Step by Step Nursery 42 Upper Vicarage Road, Kennington, Ashford, Kent, TN24 9AH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 September 2017 6 January 2014

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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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 The manager and staff closely track children's progress. This helps them to promptly highlight any gaps in their development. Staff provide children with good individual support to help them quickly catch up in their learning and make good progress.  Staff help keep parents fully informed about their children's care and learning. For example, they regularly share ideas, such as information on healthy lunchbox items.  All children have good opportunities to explore and investigate the world around them. For instance, they participate in regular nature hunt activities.  The manager closely monitors the consistency of quality of care and teaching that staff provide children. For example, she observes them interact with children daily and provides them with helpful advice to support their future performance.  Children gain good early writing skills to support their future learning. For instance, they confidently write their names and simple words.

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This provision is good

 There are exceptionally positive relationships between staff and children. Children demonstrate an extraordinary enthusiasm in their play and an impressive level of self- worth.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make the most out of the opportunities to extend children's mathematical understanding and language as they play.  Staff miss some opportunities to build upon children's understanding of other people's similarities and differences in the wider world.

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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 children's understanding and consistent use of more challenging mathematical language and activities as they play  build on children's opportunities even further to understand other people's similarities and differences beyond their own experiences.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interactions with children.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at written documentation, including a sample of policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff, and took their views into consideration.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The highly qualified staff effectively review their current practice. For example, they hold daily discussions to evaluate how well the day's activities engage children in learning. This helps staff keep children motivated to learn. The manager and staff are keen to keep up to date with new ideas. They attend regular training to help extend their skills and knowledge further. For example, they learned about different ways to help two-year-olds enjoy play. Staff establish good partnerships with other professionals. For instance, they share activity ideas with speech and language therapists. Staff use additional funding effectively to meet children's individual learning needs. For example, they purchase additional resources to help them develop children's speaking skills, such as puppets. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to help protect children's welfare and safety, including knowing whom to contact to seek

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff skilfully support children to prepare for their eventual move to school. For instance, children learn what is expected of them as they regularly visit the school and discuss the noises that they heard in the school corridors. Staff support children to develop good communication skills. For example, they use a good range of visual props, such as signing and time lines, to positively reinforce words. Staff effectively build on children's interests. For example, when children are keen to watch their seeds grow, staff extend their learning and teach them about growth and decay. They encourage children to monitor what happens when interesting items, such as orange slices, decay.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are extremely polite and behave impeccably. For example, they 'write' their own rules daily. Children are exceptionally mature at including their friends when organising activities that require team work. They have outstanding opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they explore challenging ways to move, such as climbing towers of tyres. Children gain an exceptionally good understanding of healthy eating. For example, they enthusiastically discuss the benefits of different food groups on their bodies, such as starchy foods and proteins.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in relation to their starting points. Children gain good early reading skills. For example, they confidently read simple words and engage in letter hunts in the environment. Children regularly participate in complicated activities to learn more complex skills. For instance, they learn how to use real tools safely, such as hammers, and experiment as they make and explore 'erupting volcanos'.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY464302 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1069410 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Katy Ann Keeler

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 January 2014 Telephone number 07724062964

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reference number

Step by Step Nursery registered in 2013. It is located in Ashford, Kent. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 3.30pm, during term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs six members of staff, all of whom hold a relevant early years qualification at level 2 or above, including one member of staff who holds a level 4 and one member of staff who has early years teacher status.

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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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