Playsteps Kembrey

Inspection of Playsteps Kembrey 6 Pine Court, Swindon SN2 8AD

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Managers and staff provide stimulating play spaces indoors and outdoors which encourage children to explore, experiment and learn. Babies have great fun washing the dolls. They climb into the baby bath to do this and watch how they can make bubbles as they pour water from jugs over the dolls and themselves. Staff support them well as they repeat words and respond to requests for 'more', refilling jugs for the children.

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The provision is good

Older children use their imaginations well outdoors. They pretend they are looking for dinosaurs and have to avoid the volcanos. They show good understanding of the world as they tell each other to escape the 'fire' in the volcano. They show good physical skills and risk assess well, as they walk across planks balanced on tyres or run around the sand tray and in and out of the playhouse to get away.

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The provision is good

Indoors, children investigate natural objects such as shells, stones and wooden shapes. They pick them up using tweezers and move them from one pot to another. Staff prompt them to count how many they have and encourage simple sums as they work out how many are left. Staff support children extremely well when they have disputes over toys. They discuss how others might feel and help children to resolve the problem. Children readily return items to their friends and accept they have to wait for their turn. They are rewarded with praise from staff for being kind and sharing well.

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need to do better?

n Staff working with the babies support their developing language well. They say words as babies point to items and encourage them to repeat these. They ask questions and wait to allow time for babies to respond either verbally or through pointing to objects. n Older children learn new words and their meanings. For example, as they hide items in the sand outside and use the small brush to uncover them, staff tell them they are being archaeologists and explain what this means. Children make the connection with finding fossils and dinosaur bones. n Children try things for themselves and receive warm praise from staff. For instance, when older children are going outdoors they all have a go at putting on their shoes and coats. Staff offer help and provide alternative ways for putting on coats, then reward children with verbal praise when they manage to get the coats on and fastened. n Staff show children laminated photographs of the nursery rules and children

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need to do better?

readily identify that they should use 'kind hands', 'walking feet' indoors and help look after the play spaces by tidying up the toys. However, at tidy-up time, staff do not consistently encourage children to help put the toys away, so some

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need to do better?

19 November 2019 continue playing instead. n The managers have reflected well on the setting. They have used ideas from training courses to widen the resources for children, to provide more sensory and imaginative experiences. They have more toys made from wood or natural materials for children to explore. Children show high levels of concentration and involvement as they engage with different activities. n Older children recreate scenes from favourite stories. They use different materials, such as wooden blocks and pretend bricks, to make houses for the three little pigs, then take turns to see if they can blow them down like the big bad wolf does. n For the most part, staff support children well. They encourage them through asking questions, modelling language and counting and challenging children to keep trying. However, they sometimes miss when quieter children need support, as they are concentrating on the children they are working with.

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need to do better?

n Managers have good systems in place to make sure staff develop their skills and knowledge. They support them to access different training opportunities, including safeguarding and planning for children. This has helped staff plan more effectively to support children's development and provide suitable experiences for their next steps in learning. n Partnership with parents and other professionals is good. Staff provide feedback at the end of sessions and online telling parents about their child's day. They share information about when children have developed new skills or when they feel children may need extra support. They seek help when they notice gaps in children's development and provide ideas to help parents continue children's learning at home. n Managers have built good links with the local school. Children go on visits and teachers come to the nursery. This helps provide children with reassurance

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need to do better?

about the move into school and supports smooth transitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers are vigilant about safeguarding and act promptly on any issues that arise. They have comprehensive recruitment systems and ongoing monitoring to ensure staff remain suitable to work with children. They adapt policies to ensure staff know when to report concerns or notify them about changes to personal circumstances. Staff at the setting have secure knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe. They attend regular training to keep their knowledge up to date.

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should:

19 November 2019 n support staff to be more aware of all children and not just those they are working with, to provide timely help or interactions, especially at busier times of the day n provide children with more consistent messages about how they can help care for their play spaces and environments, including through encouraging them to put toys away.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY548090 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 10130034 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 1 to 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Playsteps Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01793 230413 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Playsteps Kembrey registered in May 2017. The nursery is based in Swindon. The nursery offers care from 7.45am to 5.45pm Monday to Friday, all year round. There are eight members of staff who work with the children. Of these, the manager holds an appropriate childcare qualification at level 5 and six staff hold appropriate qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and managers carried out a learning walk to see how the staff organised the setting to deliver the curriculum effectively. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the two managers to reflect on teaching the older and younger children. n Staff, children and parents spoke with the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection to share their thoughts and views on the nursery. n At a leadership and management meeting the inspector and the two managers discussed nursery practice, teaching and organisation. n The inspector sampled paperwork, including policies and procedures for safeguarding, risk assessments and children's records.

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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

19 November 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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