Stepping Stones Pre-School

Stepping Stones Pre- School Aldborough CP School, Alby Hill, Alby, Norwich, Norfolk, NR11 7PH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 June 2018 11 October 2017

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 Good 2

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This provision is good

 Since the last inspection, the provider has put thorough systems in place to ensure that all committee members are notified to Ofsted and have the relevant suitability checks.  Staff encourage children to lead their own learning. They provide resources to help children make discoveries. When children enjoy playing with water outside, staff provide them with mops and buckets, and show them how to make circular patterns.  Children quickly develop their spoken language and talk very well for their ages.  The manager has an excellent understanding of how to use books to promote all areas of children's learning and encourage them to become keen readers and writers.  Parents are very pleased with their children's progress and have been inspired to extend the learning experiences they offer their children at home, such as creating their own 'mud-kitchen' areas.  The well-planned key-person system enables children to quickly develop strong bonds

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This provision is good

with staff and helps staff to get to know children's individual learning needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although the manager has a very good understanding of effective teaching strategies, she does not provide highly effective coaching to help all staff develop their practice to the highest level.  Staff miss a few opportunities to consistently extend children's levels of engagement in activities and fully enhance their learning.

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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

 enhance coaching for staff to offer further opportunities for reflection and promote a deeper understanding of highly effective teaching strategies  make the most of opportunities to promote children's high levels of engagement in activities and extend their learning to the very highest level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a range of activities indoors and outside. She assessed the impact these have on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to children and parents during the inspection to obtain their views.  The inspector completed joint observations with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the provider, deputy manager and staff. She looked at children's learning records.  The inspector checked documentation, such as the safeguarding policy and evidence of suitability checks for staff.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. All staff and committee members hold Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Staff have a clear understanding of signs of abuse. They know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Effective systems are in place for observing, assessing and identifying next steps in children's learning. The manager carefully looks for gaps in children's development and targets areas for improvements, such as enhancing children's literacy levels in readiness for school. The manager and her new deputy are well qualified. The deputy is attending a range of further training to enable her to meet the demands of her new role. The manager accurately evaluates the quality of the pre-school and plans for future developments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children have lots of interesting opportunities to play and learn. They use their imaginations very well as they describe the models they make and explain what they can do. Children learn about the world around them. They enjoy hunting for mini-beasts in the outdoor area and show much excitement when they find a centipede and look at it carefully with their magnifying glasses. Staff help children to extend their knowledge of numbers and how they can use them in their play. For example, staff show children how to make a tally with chalk to count the number of laps they run in the outdoor area.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children settle well at the pre-school. Behaviour is very good. Staff remind children of the rules, such as using their 'indoor voices' and 'walking feet'. They help children to develop friendships and show them how to solve any disputes with their friends. Children have lots of opportunities to play outside and exercise. They enjoy crawling through tunnels, steering ride-on toys and learning how to balance on two-wheeled bicycles. Staff promote children's understanding of healthy eating. They created an interesting display of a healthy-eating challenge, where children tried new foods and swapped usual snacks for more fruit and vegetables. Children have a wide range of opportunities to learn about differences between people. They enjoy listening to a story about different types of families and confidently talk about the people who they live with and care for them.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in all areas of their learning, particularly with their language and literacy skills. Older children are well prepared for starting school. They re-tell traditional stories and learn how to create their own books based on the story of the 'Three Little Pigs'. Children start to link letters to the sounds they represent and learn to write their names. Younger children quickly develop their spoken language and learn to talk in short sentences. They show a good awareness of space, such as when they manoeuvre wheelbarrows around the outdoor area. Children develop their understanding of how to stay safe. Staff help children to identify hazards and manage their own risks.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254293 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 1115848 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 73 Name of registered person Stepping Stones Pre-School (Aldborough) Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2017 Telephone number 01263 768 766

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reference number

Stepping Stones Pre-School registered in 1999. The pre-school employs 13 members of staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager holds a qualification at level 5 and her deputy holds a qualification at level 6. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am until 3.30pm. The pre-school also offers after-school sessions for children attending the local school; sessions are from 3.15pm to 5.30pm each school day. The pre-school 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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reference number

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