First Steps Nursery

First Steps Nursery West End Road, Maxey, Peterborough, PE6 9HA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 May 2018 17 September 2015

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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:

 It is too soon to see the impact of the new systems introduced to improve children's learning and progress. Some planned activities do not provide sufficient challenge for children or support the next steps in their learning.  The manager does not support staff well enough to improve their skills. For example, staff supervisory sessions do not identify specific targets to address weaknesses in their practice. The quality of teaching is variable, overall.  Leaders have not fully embedded ways to identify and compare the progress of different groups of children to help accelerate their progress even further.  Staff do not gather relevant information from parents about what children know and can do when they join the nursery.  At times, some staff do not make the best possible use of opportunities to support children's growing independence.

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It has the following strengths

 Overall, staff have established positive partnerships with parents and other professionals. Parents receive daily verbal communication and regular newsletters to inform them of current projects and activities. This helps to ensure children benefit from a consistent approach to their care. Parents are complimentary about the nursery.  Children behave well. They demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the rules at the setting. Most children are happy to take turns, share and help others in their play.  Warm relationships between children and staff enable children to feel safe and secure.

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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

 make better use of observations to ensure all activities challenge children, take account of their interests and abilities and enable them to make good or better progress in their learning 30/11/2018

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Due Date

 improve arrangements for the supervision of staff to provide targeted support, coaching and training to help raise the quality of teaching overall. 30/09/2018

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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

 build on the monitoring of children's learning, to identify and compare the progress of groups of children and plan ways to accelerate their progress to an outstanding rate  gain more information from parents when children start at the nursery to help staff understand what children already know and can do  make the most of opportunities for children to complete manageable tasks to enhance their skills and independence.

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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 carried out a joint observation of practice with the manager.  The inspector engaged in discussions with the staff and children throughout the inspection at appropriate times. She spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery, observation and assessment files, planning documentation and a selection of policies.  The inspector discussed the nursery's self-evaluation and the impact this has on children and their families.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Managers do not have a good enough overview of the quality of teaching, assessments that staff make or children's progress. Although staff are supervised and benefit from some training opportunities, these are not yet sharply focused on improving teaching practice. Safeguarding is effective. Staff know how to respond should they have any concerns regarding a child's welfare. The environment is risk assessed and staff check daily to ensure potential hazards to children's safety are minimised. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. The manager uses self-evaluation and the views of parents appropriately to determine the priorities for improvement. However, leaders do not focus precisely on the progress made by groups of children, to monitor any emerging gaps in learning and ensure these are closing rapidly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff and parents exchange information about the children on a daily basis. However, further work is required on gathering information when children start, to find out from parents what their child already knows and can do. The new systems to monitor and assess children's progress are not developed sufficiently well. Staff do not use this information effectively in their planning, which means that teaching is not precise enough. Even so, children are confident communicators who enjoy sharing their personal experiences with staff. Staff encourage children who prefer to learn outdoors to spend a significant amount of time in the garden to extend their interest. Children have fun finding snails and wiggly worms. They become very excited as a delivery truck parks outside the nursery. Children talk about how big the tyres are on the truck. They are interested in counting and recognising numbers, and develop their mathematical skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children are provided with a range of healthy food and follow suitable hygiene practices, such as washing their hands. However, staff do not fully promote children's growing sense of responsibility and ability to do things for themselves. Children receive lots of praise and recognition for their efforts and achievements, which successfully promotes their sense of self-esteem. They show good levels of confidence and are motivated to explore their surroundings. Staff follow babies' feeding, sleeping and care routines. Resources are accessible so children can decide what to use as they play and explore.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Staff do not routinely provide enough challenge to help children make consistently good progress in their learning. However, children build close friendships with others. They develop some skills in preparation for their future learning. Children experiment with mark making, using paintbrushes and rollers and coloured water in the outdoor area. Children's literacy skills are generally well supported by staff. For example, during self-registration, children are learning to recognise their name in print and sound out the letters. They enjoy listening to books read by staff, and exploring them independently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY423564 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 1131194 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 54 Number of children on roll 51 Name of registered person First Steps Nursery (Maxey) Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 September 2015 Telephone number 01778 341522

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reference number

First Steps Nursery registered in 2011. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday all year round, except for the week between Christmas and New Year. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. ?

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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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