Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery 60 Blakehall, SKELMERSDALE, Lancashire, WN8 9AZ

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 September 2017 22 April 2013

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff are well-qualified and experienced. They regularly observe children and plan a wide range of exciting and fun activities indoors and outside. Children are eager to explore, and overall, have high levels of confidence and self-esteem.  Key-person relationships are extremely positive. Staff know children and their families well. They regularly share information with parents about children's learning and support them to extend learning at home.  The learning environments are constantly under review. Staff use ideas and learning from training well to implement positive changes. Children quickly become engrossed in activities and make some independent choices in their play.  Children have many opportunities to be physically active. They relish the outdoors where they have opportunities to climb, run, balance and imaginatively use a variety of open-ended resources to facilitate their play.  Development plans are in place and include the views of parents and children. Parents

p.1

This provision is good

comment staff are 'like family' and that the service provided is 'flexible' and 'friendly'.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 At times, during play and routines, staff provide too much direction or intervene too quickly. This means there are not enough opportunities for children to 'have a go' in their own time, and follow their own thinking and ideas.  Systems for supervision do not yet support staff to receive incisive feedback on their teaching and provide opportunities for them to share best practice across the team.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 provide more opportunities for children to 'have a go', and follow their own thinking and ideas  strengthen supervision arrangements so there are more opportunities for staff to receive incisive feedback on their teaching skills, and share best practice across the team to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest levels.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside, and assessed the impact this had on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to the staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager who is also the provider.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider. She looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare. Systems for observation, assessment and planning are in place, and used well by staff to identify children's individual next steps. They have formed strong partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in children's learning. This means all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, make consistently good progress. Overall, staff are supported to maintain their professional development and provide a good educational programme. For example, they have recently attended mathematics training and have used ideas from this to make valuable enhancements to the learning environments. This, in turn, has led a quick closing of gaps in children's learning in this area.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Overall, staff interact well with children. Children's imagination, communication and social skills are effectively extended. For example, children play cooperatively in the domestic role-play area. They use real props, such as bread, butter and cucumber in their play, and share their ideas with one another. For instance, children make sandwiches for a picnic. Staff ask children some meaningful questions and, overall, give them time to answer. Children's literacy skills are developing well. Children find their own named place mats and water bottles. Additionally, they proudly demonstrate their skills in making marks as they attempt to write their own names on pieces of work and paint pictures of their favourite stories. Babies are encouraged to explore using all of their senses and are offered constant encouragement from staff to extend their physical development.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff use consistent and age-appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour and to gain their attention. This means children are highly responsive and adapt their behaviour accordingly. Staff support children's emotional development well and key-workers have good attachments with children. Children are well prepared when they first begin attending nursery and when they move rooms. For example, high-quality information is gathered from parents on entry. This provides continuity and supports children's emotional and physical needs very well. Children learn about staying healthy. They are provided with nutritionally balanced meals and snacks, and are encouraged to wash their hands as part of daily routines.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children develop good skills to prepare them well for the next stage in their learning, including going to school. For example, older children develop a good understanding of numbers as they identify and discuss different numbers they see on tape measures. Children are confident, happy and motivated to learn. All children, included those in receipt of early years funding, make good progress from their starting points.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY454406 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1066397 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 19 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Cheryl Toni Boylan

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 April 2013 Telephone number 01695726007

p.4

reference number

Stepping Stones Private Day Nursery registered in 2012. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six staff hold early year's qualifications at levels 2 to 6. The nursery opens 51 week per year, Monday to Friday. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides early years funding for two-, three- and four year old children. The nursery supports a number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5