Creative Little Footsteps

Inspection of Creative Little Footsteps South Ascot Church Hall, Church Road, Ascot SL5 9DP

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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 demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Most children rush into the nursery and quickly become engaged in the many activities and play materials available to them. Staff respond very quickly to children who are more reluctant to separate from parents, distracting them and suggesting they have a cuddle. Children settle quickly and become engrossed in the activities.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is good. They play well alongside others and are happy to take turns and share. Staff set clear rules and boundaries, such as encouraging children to use listening ears and demonstrate good sitting during group activities. Children are kind and caring to their friends. They successfully develop the skills they need for the next stage in their learning. For instance, children play harmoniously together, dress and undress for outdoor play independently, understand and follow good hygiene routines and recognise and write their names.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors and develop good physicals skills. Staff make sure that children have opportunities to play outdoors each day, including during forest school experiences. Children confidently balance on logs and beams and climb wooden apparatus. They learn about the natural world and use natural resources during their role play. For instance, they pretend that sticks, bark and water are the ingredients and use these to make pretend meals in the outdoor play kitchen.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are committed to their roles and responsibilities. They have the same ambitions for all children and provide an inclusive environment where children and their families are welcomed. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their starting points. n Staff plan a curriculum which follows children's interests and generally takes account of what they need to learn next. Children are enthusiastic and have a positive attitude to their learning. However, when planning activities, staff do not fully consider how to incorporate the curriculum intent in activities. Nevertheless, overall, teaching is good. The manager is a strong leader and recognises that there is room for improvement in how the curriculum is delivered. n Children develop their early literacy skills well. They practise their fine-motor skills as they write letters and make marks with their fingers in flour. Staff make

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need to do better?

sure that they read stories and sing songs with children each day. n Overall, children speak with confidence and express their thoughts and ideas during conversations with staff and each other. For instance, they recall their experiences, such as going on holiday, and comment that the aeroplanes go

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need to do better?

5 May 2022 extremely fast. However, the support provided for younger children is not as effective. Although staff provide a dialogue, they do not consistently encourage younger children to express their thoughts during conversations. n Staff encourage children to extend their mathematical skills. For example, children count during their everyday play and compare the size of apples during mealtimes. Most children confidently recognise and name shapes during activities, can count to 10 and know the difference between big and small. n Partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in children's care are good. Staff communicate daily about children and parents speak very highly about the progress the children have made since attending the nursery. n Overall, staff act as good role models and encourage children to use good manners. For example, they gently remind children not to talk when they have

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need to do better?

food in their mouths. However, although staff sit with children during mealtimes, they sit with their food on their laps. This does not fully encourage children to develop an awareness of how to act during mealtimes. n The manager has a clear vision for the setting. Self-evaluation is effective and identifies clear intentions for the future. The manager is committed to developing staff practice. She conducts regular staff supervision meetings. Staff participate in training opportunities to further broaden their knowledge and skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They follow local safeguarding procedures, and the information on who to contact in the event of a concern is easily accessible. Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of the signs of abuse, including wider safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation, extremism and exploitation. They keep their knowledge up to date by attending regular training. Leaders and staff ensure that the environment is safe and secure. They always supervise children and complete daily checks to identify and remove any potential risks to children.

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should:

n continue to support staff to implement the curriculum learning intentions, so they are clear about what skills and knowledge they want children to gain n provide all children with equal opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas n strengthen staff's awareness of the importance of role modelling and leading by example, to further support children's understanding of how to act during mealtimes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY483416 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10228965 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Creative Little Footsteps Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01344 626 474 Date of previous inspection 6 October 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Creative Little Footsteps registered in 2014. It is based in a church hall in Ascot. The nursery operates Monday to Thursday between 8.45am and 3.30pm, and on Friday between 8.30am and 11.45am, during term time only. There are nine members of staff; of these, one holds early years professional status, one holds a relevant childcare qualification at level 5, and five hold a qualification at level 3. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector asked staff questions throughout the inspection to establish their understanding of how to safeguard children, and how they assess and plan for children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children, and considered the impact on their learning. n The views of the parents were gathered through face-to-face discussion. n The inspector asked staff questions throughout the inspection to establish their understanding of how to safeguard children

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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

5 May 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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