Stepping Stones of Sopley

Inspection of Stepping Stones of Sopley Bransgore and Thorney Hill District Hall, Burnt House Lane, Christchurch, Hants BH23 8DD

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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

Children are happy and keen to see their friends and the caring staff as they arrive at the setting. Staff get to get know the families quickly and welcome them warmly. Children show they feel safe and emotionally secure. They are kind, show respect towards each other and behave well. Children patiently wait for their turn in group activities and are learning to control their emotions and feelings.

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The provision is good

Children are well-motivated to learn. They enjoy the interesting and challenging activities that the well-trained staff provide. For instance, younger children persevered in working out how to position the chute so objects slide down it. Children relish spending lots of time outdoors where they learn important skills, such as taking risks and keeping safe. For example, older children worked out how to position logs on the uneven ground so they were safe to step on.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for every child. The committee and manager show a strong commitment to providing a safe and inclusive culture in the setting. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive targeted support and make good progress in their development. The manager uses additional funding effectively to help support those who need it most. Overall, the quality of teaching is good across the setting.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy the stimulating environment which staff plan well to match their interests and learning needs. Children are busy and curious. They confidently select activities of their choosing, for example painting in the creative area and mixing water and soil in the garden. n Staff place a strong emphasis on children acquiring good speech and language skills. For example, children frequently recite songs and rhymes. Staff model vocabulary and develop children's critical thinking skills by asking varied questions. Staff engage children well when looking at books and reading stories. For example, they use props and encourage children to recall the sequence of events. n Staff plan interesting experiences that deepen children's learning and that help them discover the wonder of the area in which they live. A recent visit from a New Forest ranger had a powerful effect on children. They excitedly described to

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need to do better?

the inspector what they had seen and learned, including what the deer antler felt like. Children explained that, 'Antlers get knocked off when they rub them on trees'. n Staff model consistent behaviour values well. They provide specific praise that helps children to understand what is expected from them. Children listen to staff and happily respond when they are asked to do something.

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need to do better?

18 October 2019 n Children learn about foods that are healthy for them and what they can do to stay safe. Staff work effectively with parents to promote children's independence in toileting and to ensure their good health. n Staff build strong relationships with parents, which help them to understand the experiences that children have away from the setting. Staff encourage parents to get involved in their children's learning. They offer a book lending library for children to choose from. This helps to foster children's love of books and stories at home. Parents praise highly the good levels of care and education their children receive. n Effective evaluation helps the committee and manager to constantly raise the quality of the setting. The views of parents, staff and children help to inform areas for improvement. For instance, the doorbell was lowered as children said they wanted to ring it themselves when they arrived at the setting. Having their

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need to do better?

views valued and acted upon helps children to feel a greater sense of belonging. n Overall the curriculum promotes children's access to a broad range of experiences. However, there is less of a focus on supporting children's use of mathematical concepts in their play. n Staff work very well as a team. They have regular meetings to evaluate the effectiveness of their provision and the experiences they provide for children. The use of training, coaching and supervision meetings helps the manager to develop and improve staff practice. However, she does not identify precise areas for development to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The committee members, who are the provider, understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They follow appropriate recruitment procedures to ensure all committee members, staff and volunteers are suitable to hold their positions. Newly appointed committee members are booked to attend training to help further develop their understanding of wider safeguarding issues. Staff have a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms that could indicate a child is at risk of harm. They know how and when to report any concerns to relevant agencies. All staff attend regular safeguarding training to help them keep up to date with current safeguarding requirements and statutory duties.

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should:

n strengthen the monitoring of staff practice and focus even more precisely on how to raise the quality of their teaching and interactions to the highest level n use opportunities that arise to extend and develop children's mathematical language and concepts more consistently in play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY468225 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10068899 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 1 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Stepping Stones of Sopley Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01425 673135 Date of previous inspection 11 March 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Stepping Stones of Sopley is a committee-managed childcare setting that re- registered in its new premises in 2013. It operates from the Thornley Hill District Hall, in the village of Bransgore, Hampshire. The setting operates weekdays from 8am to 6pm for most of the year. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff who work with the children including the manager. Of these, six hold an early years qualification at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to the chairperson of the committee, staff, parents and children throughout the inspection at appropriate times to gather their views on the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector reviewed documents relating to children's progress and to staff suitability, including evidence of suitability checks and paediatric first-aid qualifications. n The inspector observed children and staff taking part in a range of activities indoors and outdoors, and completed a joint observation of practice with the manager.

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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

18 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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