Small Steps Day Nursery And Pre-School

Inspection of Small Steps Day Nursery And Pre-School 2 Park Road, West Kirby, WIRRAL, Merseyside CH48 4DW

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and safe. The key-person system is embedded and children form secure attachments with staff. Babies beam at staff as they copy and sing action songs. Toddlers giggle with glee as they jump up and down to music and make their own play dough monsters. Older children listen attentively to their favourite stories. They take turns to tell the group things that their parents work hard at.

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The provision is good

The passionate leaders have a clear vision for their team. They ensure that all children are making good progress within their development and access support for children when needed. The manager has devised a carefully constructed curriculum. It provides children with endless opportunities to learn about the local environment and fully promotes their physical development. Children develop positive attitudes to their play and they are eager to learn.

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The provision is good

Children are becoming very independent learners. Younger children feed themselves and put their own coats and shoes on. Older children are keen to help adults. They set the table for lunch and count out how many knifes and forks they need. Children self-serve their food in the nursery and enjoy their social mealtimes. Children's behaviour is good. Staff have embedded the rules of the nursery and children play well together, sharing toys and resources. Robust systems are in place to ensure seamless transitions into subsequent rooms in the nursery and eventual move to school.

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need to do better?

n The manager has formed very positive relationships with parents. Parents praise the nursery for the excellent communication links with home. They are thankful for the nurturing and welcoming environment that the nursery provides. Parents benefit from the home support bags. These help to support families with a range of experiences, including the arrival of a new baby and toilet training. Parents are highly valued and complete termly evaluations about the nursery. This ensures that their views are listened to and acted upon. n Leaders give children plenty of opportunities to learn about the local community that they live in. Children visit local shops, for example the grocers to buy fresh vegetables. They access different modes of transport to visit local amenities, such as museums. During the inspection, children went on a trip to the local beach to have their first experience of flying a kite in the windy weather. Staff

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need to do better?

used children's interests to spontaneously plan the trip. This helped to extend children's learning about the weather. However, this is not embedded throughout the nursery. Occasionally, staff do not reshape activities effectively to extend children's thinking and learning skills.

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need to do better?

9 December 2019 n Children are confident communicators. They enjoy telling the inspector about their roles in the Christmas play. Early literacy skills are promoted well. Staff introduce new vocabulary to children through reading stories, singing songs and having meaningful conversations with them. Children enjoy writing letters to Father Christmas and posting them into the post box. n Staff are passionate about improving outcomes for children. They have implemented a robust system for tracking the development of all children. This ensures that they can plan effectively for children's next steps. Effective partnerships with a range of professionals are continually improving staff's knowledge of how to support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The manager monitors and coaches staff very well. She uses effective supervision to set targets which continually develop staff practice. This ensures

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need to do better?

that they are equipped with a good understanding of how children learn and develop. Leaders and managers regularly monitor staff well-being and they have recently removed written planning to reduce their workload. n Staff promote outdoor learning experiences. Younger children enjoy riding around the outdoor area on tricycles. They practise climbing up and down steps on equipment. Older children enjoy creating their own obstacle courses and practise balancing along beams. Children learn how to develop healthy lifestyles, including understanding the importance of exercise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding concern. They understand the procedures to follow to protect children from harm. The manager ensures staff keep their knowledge up to date through attending training courses and holding staff meetings. Good recruitment procedures and rigorous background checks ensure that children are always cared for by suitable adults who have the necessary skills to fulfil their roles in the nursery. The access to the premises is monitored well. The buzzer entry system enables staff to check a person's identity before letting them in.

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should:

n provide more opportunities to extend children's learning in planned activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY416910 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 10129200 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 46 Number of children on roll 79 Name of registered person Small Steps Day Nursery (Wirral) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01516256127 Date of previous inspection 25 September 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Small Steps Day Nursery And Pre-School registered in 2010. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, and seven hold level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities inside and outdoors, and evaluated the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was completed with the inspector and the nursery manager. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n A meeting was held with the inspector and the nursery leaders. The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n Parents were spoken to during the inspection and the inspector took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

9 December 2019 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

9 December 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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