Your Co-Op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School, Ashton Court

First Steps Children's Nursery First Steps, Wolverhampton WV3 9QZ

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Inspection date 15 November 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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The provision is outstanding

n Managers have a high pursuit of excellence, demonstrated through the continual improvement across the nursery. n Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language all make exceptional rates of progress from their starting points. n Monitoring of children's learning is meticulous. Staff identify where there is scope to accelerate groups of children's learning even further. For instance, through monitoring and consultation with parents' staff have identified ways to build on the oldest cohort of children's social skills. n Staff's inspirational teaching helps every child to achieve at the highest level. n Staff include parents in every aspect of their children's learning. For example, as part of the 'eco-school's' initiative, staff encourage parents to build 'bug houses' with their children. This helps to promote children's strong understanding of the world.

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The provision is outstanding

n Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff promote it meaningfully through their teaching. n The care of the youngest children is warm and sensitive. This helps to support their emotional well-being to the highest level. n Children develop excellent skills for school. They can link sounds to the letters that they represent in words. Children who have SEND quickly learn the meaning of new words. Children have a passion for learning. For instance, babies keenly get blocks to build with and tap together.

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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

n use the highly robust supervision systems to build on the already excellent skills of less experienced staff to help maintain the outstanding teaching and outcomes for children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and care in all children's base rooms and in the gardens. He considered the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children during the inspection and considered the views of parents. He spoke with staff about children's learning and development, the arrangements for safeguarding and the impact of professional development. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. He reviewed lunchtime routines with the deputy manager and observed a Forest School session. n The inspector held meetings with the deputy manager, manager, area manager and the quality excellence manager. He looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector discussed with the management team health and safety procedures, supervision of staff and self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Performance management is highly effective. Staff take great personal responsibility to perform at the highest standard. Managers tackle under performance rapidly to help ensure teaching is consistently of a high-quality. They understand there is scope to build on the skills of less experienced staff. For example, to help new staff to quickly raise their already strong teaching skills. Safeguarding is effective. Managers constantly review safeguarding legislation. Staff have first-class knowledge of how to report concerns about a child's welfare. They complete a robust programme of child protection training. There are effective procedures in place to help minimise hazards in the nursery.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Assessment is highly responsive to children's needs. This helps staff to act on every learning opportunity that arises to fully challenge children. Children develop outstanding foundations in their learning. For example, staff working with babies who have just started attending use their initial assessments and information from parents to quickly promote babies learning. They help babies to build on their physical skills, such as crawling towards objects that staff know interest them. Staff have an expert knowledge of their key children. For instance, when children have finished painting, they give them opportunities to wash up the pots. While doing this staff encourage them to empty and fill the pots with water to help them achieve their next steps.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff provide fantastic opportunities for children to learn about people and communities. For instance, they encourage children to build relationships with elderly residents in the local community. Children exchange skills with them, including teaching elderly people how to use computer tablets. The environments are superb. They support every child to access high-quality learning experiences. Staff take excellent steps to promote children's good health and welfare. For example, they encourage toddlers to see if their face is clean by checking their reflection in a mirror. Their outstanding teaching helps children to gain an in-depth knowledge of the impact of exercise on their bodies. The arrangements to support children to settle into their new base rooms are meticulously well-organised. This helps children to feel secure and have confidence to explore new activities, such as exploring flour and water with their fingers.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children's engagement and motivation to learn is well above that expected for their age. They concentrate on activities for extremely long periods of time. Children make high rates of progress from their starting points and the progress of groups of children is improving year on year. Toddlers can make marks and give them meanings, such as painting owls from a familiar story. Children can follow rules, such as not breaking plants as they learn to show respect for their environment.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY539606 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 10079342 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person The Midcounties Co-Operative Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01902 833155

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reference number

First Step's Children's Nursery registered in 2016. It is part of a chain of nurseries run by The Midcounties Co-operative Limited. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays. There are 17 members of childcare staff. They all hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 2 or above, including one with a degree. The nursery receives support from the company area manager and quality excellence team. It receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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