Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Stepping Stones Day Nursery Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 2LL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 September 2017 13 December 2013

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider does not follow vigorous recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff have completed robust suitability checks. Children’s safety and welfare are compromised. Not all staff have a secure understanding of all safeguarding procedures. Some staff do not know what changes in their personal circumstances might affect their suitability and must be reported.  Staff do not follow the nursery’s own health and safety policies and procedures, which put children’s welfare at risk. They do not maintain an accurate daily record of children’s hours of attendance to help keep them safe.  The manager and staff do not seek written parental permissions for the administration of any medicine and do not check its expiry date before administering.  The manager has not implemented effective supervision arrangements to help all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities, especially in relation to keeping all

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It has the following strengths

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff plan interesting and age-appropriate activities to help children progress in their learning and development.  All children enjoy opportunities to be active and play outside every day.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and the Childcare Register the provider must:

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Due Date

 implement robust recruitment systems to ensure every person working directly with children is suitable to do so 17/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff understand the safeguarding policy and procedures with particular regard to what action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff, and what changes to personal circumstances needs to be reported to the provider 17/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure all staff understand and follow nursery policies and procedures, so that they maintain good hygiene between each use of children’s dummies and sleeping mats, pick up babies safely and frequently check on all sleeping children 17/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure written parental permissions are obtained from the children’s parents for any medicine, both prescribed and non- prescribed, before being administered, and the expiry date is checked 17/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure an accurate daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises is in place that records their hours of attendance 17/10/2017

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Due Date

 implement effective supervision arrangements for all staff to ensure they receive the support they need to understand their roles and responsibilities within the nursery. 17/10/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the provider/manager, some children, parents and staff during the inspection.  The inspector sampled a range of documents available, including those relating to the premises, staff suitability and safeguarding.  The inspector observed activities and daily routines, indoors and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the provider/manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider does not meet the requirements for the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register. Safeguarding is ineffective. Although, all staff know what signs might indicate that a child might be at risk of harm, some of them do not know the correct procedures to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff. The provider does not follow rigorous recruitment procedures to ensure all staff working with children are appropriately vetted. Moreover, some staff do not know what issues can disqualify them from working with children and what changes in their personal circumstances must be reported to the manager. This compromises children’s safety. Although, the manager holds regular supervision meetings with staff to encourage their professional development, these are not fully effective in helping staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe and healthy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children enjoy the wide range of age-appropriate activities and resources on offer, both indoors and outside. For example, children use their imagination when playing with the mud kitchen or with the sand in the garden. Staff know children well and skilfully plan and extend the children’s learning. The manager and staff monitor all children’s progress and quickly target any weaker areas identified. Staff support children’s communication and language skills effectively. For example, older children have meaningful discussions with staff and their peers during various activities and daily routines, and younger children extend their vocabulary when singing and listening to the stories.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children’s health and safety are not supported effectively. Staff do not follow hygiene procedures, particularly when dealing with babies’ dummies. They do not maintain the hygiene of sleeping mats to avoid cross-contamination. Moreover, sometimes, staff do not pick up the babies in the safest way. They do not check babies in the sleeping room frequently enough to keep them safe. Children settle quickly and are confident within the environment. They learn about respect, behave well and play cooperatively with each other. Staff manage children’s challenging behaviour in an appropriate way. Children benefit from healthy food that meets their individual dietary requirements. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to help children understand why healthy food is good for them.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points. Children are independent and manage tasks for themselves well. For example, they enjoy setting up tables for lunch and clear away their plates after mealtimes. Older children are well prepared to take their first steps into school. For example, they are able to recognise letters and spell their own names.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 118617 Local authority Havering Inspection number 1108617 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 - 8 Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 68 Name of registered person Havering College of Further And Higher Education Governing Body

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2013 Telephone number 01708 462827

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reference number

Stepping Stones was registered in 1991. The nursery is managed by Havering College of Further and Higher Education Governing Body. It operates from a purpose built unit on the Ardleigh Green campus of Havering College of Further and Higher Education in the London Borough of Havering. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.45am to 6.15pm for 51 weeks of the year. The provider employs 15 members of staff, 13 of whom hold a relevant childcare qualification at level 2 or above.

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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

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