1st Steps Preschool

Inspection of 1st Steps Preschool St. Barnabas Parish Hall, 3 De Trafford Street, HUDDERSFIELD HD4 5DR

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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 enter happily and settle quickly on arrival. They have strong emotional attachments to the caring staff, who cuddle and comfort them as and when needed. This helps children to feel safe and secure, as do the consistent and well- organised daily routines that children are clearly familiar with. Staff kept in close contact with families during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped to support children's learning and well-being. For example, staff made daily calls to offer support and advice and provided home-learning resources, activity ideas and food parcels.

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The provision is good

Children make good progress because staff have high expectations of what they can achieve. This includes children who receive additional funding, those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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The provision is good

Two-year-old children enjoy listening to stories and exploring the soft, squishy dough. They delight in staff's positive interactions. Older children develop essential skills in readiness for school. They are keen and motivated learners, who focus extremely well as they play alongside enthusiastic staff. For example, they delight in playing creatively in the excitingly resourced exploratory kitchen. They behave well and build firm friendships, for example, as they play collaboratively in role-play areas. They enjoy taking turns to be the 'helper of the day'.

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need to do better?

n Staff tailor settling-in arrangements for each child to support their emotional well-being. The provider has recently reintroduced home visits to enhance effective settling-in programmes. n When the national COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, staff noted some delay in children's development. Consequently, they successfully focused on helping children to catch up in their communication, self-care and social skills to eliminate any long-term developmental delay. n Staff continually observe and assess children's development and plan an effective curriculum, overall. This includes interesting tactile resources to encourage children's sensory exploration. However, staff do not always precisely target two-year-old children's key next steps in learning. n In order to minimise the continuing risk of transmitting COVID-19, parents are not routinely entering the building. Staff continue to exchange information

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need to do better?

verbally, electronically and through progress summaries. They share home- learning activities and information about how parents can support key foundations for future learning, such as children's speech and language and hand-to-eye coordination.

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need to do better?

19 January 2022 n Staff swiftly identify children who are working below expectations. This leads to timely first-class support programmes and exceptional partnership working with other professionals. Consequently, children with SEND are integrated superbly. n Where language barriers exist, staff use visual aids to support children's early communication skills and understanding of daily routines. This includes children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff use pictures of familiar everyday items. n Older children show great imagination. They excitedly transport water from the water station to make 'potions' in cauldrons. They use a concoction of feathers, straw, potpourri, soil and stones. Indoors, children wet the sand in the toy cement mixer and stack foam bricks. Staff encourage children to count and ask them if they are as tall as the tower. Children play cooperatively and

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need to do better?

demonstrate positive behaviours, such as being kind, sharing and taking turns. n Staff provide a variety of challenging equipment to support children's small physical skills in readiness for early writing. For example, younger children practise using large plastic tweezers when serving their own snacks and older children use resources such as pipettes and tongs with scissor handles. n Staff effectively promote children's good health. Children confidently use physical apparatus, access nose-wiping stations, and brush their teeth. Staff use handheld mirrors and visual aids, such as a giant model mouth and sand timer, to support this aspect of the daily routine. n Overall, improvement plans, staff's qualifications, and continued professional development have a very positive impact. For example, following mental health and well-being training, staff are developing an exciting sensory garden. n Staff plan a wealth of activities that ignite older children's love of learning, and

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need to do better?

they create innovative resources to support children's interests. However, staff's teaching and organisation of resources do not always fully support the learning intentions of certain activities, such as creating self-portraits using craft materials.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff undertake robust risk assessments to promote children's health and safety. They reduce hazards to minimise accidents, closely supervise children, and ensure the premises are secure. Staff have a strong knowledge of child protection issues. They understand how to report their concerns internally and externally and work closely with other agencies. Staff undertake regular training. Senior staff, designated to take the lead for safeguarding children, undertake advanced training. Staff develop children's awareness of staying safe, for example, by providing opportunities to use real tools. They also plan activities such as road safety role play. Staff share information with parents about car safety and safety in the home.

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should:

n monitor staff's practice more closely to ensure their provision consistently focuses on two-year-old children's most significant next steps in learning n strengthen planning of adult-planned activities for older children in order to focus teaching more precisely on the targeted learning intentions.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY473386 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10075662 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

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inspection

Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person 1st Steps Pre-School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07968238922 Date of previous inspection 11 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

1st Steps Preschool registered in 2014. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff, seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff member is qualified at level 2, three at level 3, one at level 4, one at level 5, and one at level 6. The pre-school operates Monday to Friday from 8.15am to 3.45pm. It is open during term time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector held discussions with the provider and manager and carried out a learning walk with them. This helped the inspector to understand how they organise the early years provision and the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact of this on children's learning. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity. n The inspector spoke with children, parents and staff during the inspection. She also gained feedback from a visiting professional. n The inspector held regular meetings with the manager and provider throughout the inspection to keep them updated. She also looked at various policies and

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Inspection activities

documents, including those related to the suitability and qualifications of staff, self-improvement plans, and records of learning.

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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 January 2022 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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