Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester) Limited

Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester) Limited 179 Shrub End Road, Colchester, Essex CO3 4RG

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Inspection date 18 March 2019 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Good 2

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This is a provision that requires improvement

n At times, staff are not deployed well enough to ensure that children are adequately supervised to enable staff to meet children's individual needs. n On occasions, staff do not make best use of planned and spontaneous activities to fully enhance children's learning and be highly responsive to their individual needs.

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It has the following strengths

n Children enter the nursery confidently and quickly engage in freely chosen learning opportunities. n Staff are inventive and make good use of resources, including natural objects to provide interesting and exciting spaces for children to learn in. n Key persons know the children in their groups well. They use information gained through observations to inform their planning and to accurately assess children's progress and development. n Parents spoken to comment on how well their children make progress at the nursery. They state that they are generally happy with the care staff provide for their children and feel involved in their children's learning. n Children enjoy expressing themselves imaginatively. They make good use of the role- play areas to develop games with their friends and negotiate which character they will be.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure staff are deployed effectively so that children are adequately supervised at all times. 03/04/2019

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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 enhance the quality of teaching to ensure that planning is highly responsive to children's needs.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector observed an adult-led activity and evaluated it with the acting manager. n The inspector held a number of discussions with the provider, manager, staff and children. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the inspection.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

Managers do not plan effectively to ensure that staffing arrangements are sufficient to manage unexpected circumstances. At these times, staff are not deployed effectively to ensure that children are well supervised and their needs are appropriately met. Managers encourage staff to enhance their professional development through effective staff supervision and training opportunities. Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff are familiar with the known indicators that might alert them to a child's welfare being compromised. Managers work effectively with other agencies to protect children's well- being and have clear procedures that they follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff. They understand their responsibilities with regards to notifying Ofsted of changes and significant events. Managers proficiently track the progress of different groups of children and make good use of additional funding to help to close gaps in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use a form of planning that is based on children's interests and ideas. For example, a frog sitting inside a tyre in the garden generates great excitement as children rush to see it. Staff enable the children to observe and explore the frog by staying close by, but not interrupting their discussions and explorations. On occasions, staff do not use these opportunities well enough to challenge children's thinking further. Children excitedly paint pictures of the frog and engage in conversations with staff about how big it is, where it came from and how it will get out of the tyre.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weaknesses in the leadership and management's organisation of staff mean that children's well-being is occasionally compromised. Children are very confident. They behave well and show that they feel safe within the nursery. They chat confidently to visitors and involve them in their games. Children enjoy developing their physical skills as they move resources and items around the garden to develop new games. Staff provide children with a good range of tools to enhance their physical skills. For example, staff provide children with appropriate tools to use in their 'potion making' play dough activity. Children carefully cut flowers picked from the garden to press into their dough and pick small seeds up with tweezers. Staff encourage children's independence at mealtimes and during self-care routines. Staff ensure that children play in a safe environment. They conduct daily safety checks and quickly address any identified safety issues. Staff have

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

effective procedures for dealing with accidents and take appropriate action to prevent accidents occurring.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their starting points. They are keen to learn and become excited when new opportunities arise. Children articulate their feelings well and enter into lively discussions with their friends. Children develop the skills they need to move on to their next stage of learning, including school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY555918 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10100233 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 69 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person Second Steps Day Nursery - Colchester Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01206 545671

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reference number

Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester) registered in 2018. The setting employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting is open from 7am until 7pm on Monday to Friday, throughout the year. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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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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If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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