First Steps Day Nursery & Pre-School Limited

Inspection of First Steps Day Nursery & Pre-School Limited 1 Orrell Street, Bury, Lancashire BL8 1PB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff value and celebrate all children's uniqueness. Children are confident, self-assured and independent. Pre-school children are part of a 'nursery council'. Staff gather and use children's views, for example when making changes to the nursery menu. Children enjoy helping with tasks, including serving the lunch. They wear their helper sign with pride. Staff act as positive role models and children's behaviour is good. Staff use consistent language throughout the nursery to help children understand each other's feelings. For instance, they remind children to use 'kind hands'. Staff share these strategies with parents. This enables parents to provide children with a consistent approach.

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The provision is good

Staff provide children with books and props to take home. They plan story sessions generally well. For example, staff add props, such as a straw house, as they read a story about the three little pigs. This helps to bring stories to life and builds on children's imaginations. At times, staff do not make the most of story sessions to extend children's good speaking skills even further. Children make good progress. Leaders and staff use assessments to find out what children need to learn next. They work with external agencies if required, for example speech and language professionals. Partnerships with parents are positive. However, at times, staff do not make the most of these positive relationships, for example to gather information about children's learning when children return from holiday periods.

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need to do better?

n Passionate and committed leaders have high expectations for the quality of the setting. They make well-planned changes that benefit children. For instance, they have recently developed and enhanced the outdoor area. This provides ample opportunities for all children to play and explore outside. n Staff provide good support for all children's communication and language development overall. This includes children who speak English as an additional language. For example, children in the pre-school room sing familiar songs in different languages. This also helps children to understand and respect each other's differences. Staff model words to children well. For example, they repeat and pronounce words that children find difficult to use. Staff provide a wealth of story sessions for children. They are enthusiastic readers. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to join in with familiar parts to help them

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need to do better?

develop their speaking skills further. n On the whole, partnerships with parents are good. Staff provide parents with a wealth of daily information. This includes feedback on children's care routines, activities and development. Leaders offer good levels of support for parents. For instance, they provide information leaflets and invitations to training events. Staff encourage parents to share information about children's development

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need to do better?

3 October 2019 when they first start. However, information-sharing is not as strong when children return from long holiday periods. Staff do not consistently have a full picture of what children are capable of when they return. n Leaders support staff to plan and deliver a curriculum that helps to prepare children for their next stage in learning. For example, there is a strong focus on promoting children's physical skills in the baby room. Staff provide plenty of space for babies to move and low-level furniture for them to hold and walk along. Staff help pre-school children to develop their hand muscles in preparation for early writing. For example, pre-school children excite as they manipulate dough to music. They use a range of movements, such as squeezing, prodding and pulling. n Staff provide children with photographs of their key person before they start the setting. This helps children to become familiar with staff. Even very new children

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need to do better?

show that they have developed close bonds with staff. For instance, new babies show delight as they play peekaboo with their key person. n Pre-school children use their imagination skills as they play. They pretend to make cakes using mud and a range of interesting materials, such as corks. They confidently count four corks. Children comment that they have enough to use as candles for their next birthday. They use language such as 'half' and 'quarter'. n Leaders provide all staff with regular updates, training and incentives to help keep them motivated. They work alongside staff, modelling best practice and providing feedback on their teaching skills. This contributes to the growing skills and good knowledge of well-qualified staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training and updates in child protection. Staff understand how to identify the signs that children may be at risk of abuse or neglect. They know how to report any concerns about children or about the behaviour of other staff. Policies are followed for the safe use the mobile telephones and cameras within the setting. This helps to protect children from harm. The nursery building is safe and secure. Leaders check the premises before children arrive and remove and minimise any hazards. All staff are paediatric first- aid trained. This helps them to respond to any medical emergencies.

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should:

n adapt the teaching during story sessions and encourage children to participate more, to help develop their vocabulary and speaking skills even further n develop systems to share more information regarding children's learning and development, particularly when children return from holiday periods.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY486241 Local authority Bury Inspection number 10076412 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 to 11 Total number of places 146 Number of children on roll 83 Name of registered person First Steps Day Nursery & Pre-School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01617646752 Date of previous inspection 17 June 2016

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Information about this early years setting

First Steps Day Nursery & Pre-School Limited registered in 2015 and is one of five settings owned by the providers. The nursery is open from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. It employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, the manager and one other member of staff hold an early years qualification at level 5, 11 staff hold an early years qualification at level 3, and two hold level 2. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the nursery manager completed a tour of the premises. They discussed how the setting is organised and how the curriculum is structured. n A number of joint observations of staff practice were carried out by the inspector and the nursery manager. n The inspector spoke to children and parents during the inspection. She took account of their views and feedback. n A sample of documentation was viewed. This included evidence of the suitability checks carried out on staff. n Meetings and discussions were held throughout the inspection with the nursery manager, deputy manager and a local authority representative. n The inspector observed staff practice in all rooms and spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

3 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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