First Steps Kindergarten

First Steps Kindergarten Yewtree Lane, Poynton, Cheshire, SK12 1PU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 May 2018 26 March 2014

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Not all staff have a good enough knowledge of their responsibilities of disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. The arrangements in place for the support, coaching and training of staff are not good enough to help staff continually improve their practice.  Children enjoy taking part in group activities, such as story time. At times, staff disrupt these learning opportunities to divert children's attention to care routines, such as toileting.  Self-evaluation is not yet effective in identifying strengths and areas to improve. There are also limited opportunities for parents to be involved in this process.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff provide a warm, welcoming environment. This contributes towards children being happy, settled and content.  The staff work well with parents from the start. Staff gather a range of information and develop tailored settling-in periods for new children. Staff seek parents' views on their child's development when they share the progress check for two-year-old children.  Children are supported well as they prepare to move on to school. Staff arrange visits from teachers and enhance the learning environment with appropriate resources. Information about children's development is shared, which promotes a seamless transition.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff understand and share information regarding disqualification by association 08/06/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that effective supervision, training and coaching provides all staff with opportunities to further develop their teaching practices. 22/06/2018

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 strengthen the use of the self-evaluation systems to help identify and address the areas of teaching, learning and practice that require improvement, also including the views of parents, to ensure good outcomes for children  support all staff to consistently enable children to focus on their interests and express their own ideas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the childcare manager and the business manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Staff access regular training, which generally helps to enhance their skills and knowledge. However, systems to support and guide staff are not yet rigorous enough to ensure improved practice. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff access ongoing safeguarding training. They have a sound understanding of what to do if they are concerned about a child's well-being or welfare. They are supported by a trained and well- qualified manager. However, she does not yet ensure staff understand their responsibility to disclose information under the disqualification by association regulations. Staff deployment is good and children benefit from high adult-to-child ratios.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The management team has recently implemented a tracking system that enables staff to monitor children's progress. Staff plan on using the information gained to identify strengths and any gaps within each area of learning. Staff know their key children and families very well and use this knowledge to inform their planning. However, the quality of teaching varies. Some staff are skilled in modelling, challenging and extending children's learning. Staff support children to think deeply as they discuss similarities and differences in animals. Children recognise that some animals can fly because they have wings. At times, some activities can be too long and repetitive. As a result, some children lose interest. Children's communication and language skills are promoted well. All children engage in frequent story, song and rhyme time. Children's understanding of language is supported through the use of visual props. Older children use small-muscle skills in their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

hands to make marks that represent letters from their name.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weakness in leadership and management mean that children's welfare cannot be fully assured. However, children do form positive relationships with their key person and their peers. This promotes their confidence and self-esteem. All children enjoy a healthy and varied range of meals and snacks. The nursery caters for children with specific dietary requirements. Children's physical health is promoted well. They use their large muscles to move a variety of ways. The range of physical play equipment is good, and children enjoy sliding down the slides and exploring different ways to move through hoops. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about events and festivals celebrated by those not in their immediate community or family.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are not supported to make good progress. However, babies are provided with opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills to prepare them for walking. Older children explore with numbers on magnetic boards. They learn to recognise and order numerals one to 10. This provides them with some of the basic skills for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 305058 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 1087749 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 50 Number of children on roll 90 Name of registered person First Steps Kindergarten Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2014 Telephone number 01625 859 867

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reference number

First Steps Kindergarten registered in 2000. It is situated on the site of Poynton High School and Leisure Centre. A total of 19 appropriately qualified staff work directly with the children. The majority of staff are level 3 and the childcare manager holds early years professional status. The setting is open Monday to Friday, throughout the year between the hours of 7.30am and 6pm. The setting offers a before- and after-school provision and a holiday club.

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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

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

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