Footsteps Nursery

Inspection of Footsteps Nursery Shrewsbury Road, Oswestry SY11 4QB

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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 excited to attend this nurturing setting. The key-person system ensures that staff know the children well. Children form strong bonds with staff, who support and care for their well-being. New children enjoy receiving cuddles and support from staff. Children settle quickly, feel safe and secure and are excited to play with their friends. Staff develop activities that build on children's interests. Children are motivated and engage with learning well. Staff promote children's independence effectively through everyday activities. Babies help to tidy away toys. Toddlers start to use the toilet and learn to wash their hands. Pre- school children scrape their plates after lunch and clear away their knives and forks.

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The provision is good

Staff create a well-equipped learning environment that ensures the children benefit from valuable experiences, both indoors and outdoors. Babies use a range of senses to explore treasure baskets and 'shiny' objects. Toddlers access the outdoors as they excitedly exclaim that they are 'going on a bear hunt'. Pre-school children use their fine motor skills as they manipulate play dough into 'poppies' for Remembrance Day. Staff skilfully support children and help them to develop the skills needed for their future learning.

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff have a strong ethos for the setting. They focus on supporting children to be 'school ready' and to have the best start in their learning journey. Staff have regular supervisions and observations of their practice. Managers also monitor staff well-being and staff know they can ask managers for help and guidance to improve their practice. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff implement early intervention strategies quickly. Children benefit from targeted one-to-one support when needed. These interventions are having a positive impact on children's progress and development. n Staff develop children's communication and language in a variety of effective ways. For example, staff model good language and use signs for words. They talk to the children throughout the day. Babies enjoy singing time and they excitedly repeat words and carry out actions. Staff working with toddlers focus

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need to do better?

on helping them to learn new sounds and words. Pre-school children learn new vocabulary as they discuss 'teeth', 'enamel', 'calcium' and 'cavities'. n Staff skilfully create excitement in their storytelling. For example, they introduce the author and illustrator. Pre-school children name other books by the author, helping them to recall past stories. They discuss their favourite story and how the characters might feel. Children develop a love of books. n Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. Staff discuss the importance of

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need to do better?

8 November 2022 exercise. They tell children to drink water after physical exercise to 'rehydrate'. They have activities to discuss oral health as well as healthy and unhealthy foods for their teeth. Although staff help children to understand about healthy lifestyles, they do not provide children with consistent messages about making healthy choices. n Staff support children's learning well. They help develop concepts and sequence the curriculum to ensure learning is challenging. They help children to recall past events and build on these to secure their knowledge. However, staff sometimes interrupt children's play and do not allow them the freedom to explore and experiment for themselves. n Parent partnership is strong. Parents report how happy they are with the setting and how much their children have developed and flourished. Staff give regular feedback to parents, both verbally and through an online app. They have parent

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need to do better?

evenings to discuss their children's progress and support for their next steps. n Staff plan activities that help children to develop their physical skills. Outdoors, staff support babies as they walk on balance beams and see-saws. Children squeal excitedly as they jump and splash in puddles. This develops their confidence and gross motor skills. Indoors, pre-school children build on their fine motor skills as they use scissors and mark make. Babies skilfully put pegs into holes, developing their hand-to-eye coordination.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They understand the signs and symptoms of abuse. They understand who to contact should a child be at risk of harm, or if there is an allegation against a member of staff. Staff undertake regular training to update their knowledge. They have safeguarding quizzes, and this enables managers to check their knowledge. Recruitment procedures are strong, and managers ensure that staff are safe to work with children. The setting is clean. Resources and equipment are well maintained. Staff consider risks and act appropriately to keep children safe.

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should:

n increase opportunities for children to explore their own ideas, to develop their thinking skills even further n provide children with consistent messages about healthy eating, to further support their understanding about healthy lifestyles.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY257595 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10233622 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 62 Number of children on roll 75 Name of registered person North Shropshire College

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reference number

Telephone number 01691 688007 Date of previous inspection 9 February 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Footsteps Nursery registered in 2003. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one with early years professional status. The nursery operates all year around. Sessions are available Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm. The nursery 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 viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents and carers shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

8 November 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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