Edale Stepping Stones Nursery and Childcare Centre

Inspection of Edale Stepping Stones Nursery and Childcare Centre The Old Winery, Grindsbrook, Edale S33 7ZA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not ensure that staff who work with children have an adequate understanding of how to risk assess and safeguard them. Staff's safeguarding knowledge is not always secure. The training provided to staff is not substantial enough to improve their understanding. Consequently, children's safety and learning are not sufficiently prioritised. The manager does not identify weaknesses in staff practice, and the curriculum is not implemented throughout the nursery. Children do not benefit from age-appropriate learning or activities. Non-mobile babies are not supported to have the freedom to experiment with trying to move around the room and are carried around by staff for most of the session. Children do not engage in the activities planned by staff to build on what they can already do. Staff have limited interaction with children, and next steps for their learning are not clear. Staff leave children unsupervised for periods of time where there are

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The provision is inadequate

risks, for example in the garden and at snack times.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite the weaknesses, staff encourage the children to walk when running indoors and remember the nursery rules. Children particularly enjoy playing outside. They work together as a team to fetch water from the bottom end of the garden to the top, carrying heavy buckets and working their way through tiered areas of the garden. Children enjoy singing outside alongside a staff member who was using a ukulele, and children are happy to join in with familiar phrases and actions. The children do receive a healthy meal at the nursery. However, staff do not always promote independence at mealtimes, for example, the correct cutlery is not provided so that children can achieve in development when eating.

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need to do better?

n The manager has not identified weaknesses in the staff's safeguarding knowledge. She does not ensure that all staff have a good understanding of county lines and other aspects of safeguarding that may be present in the local community. n The curriculum is of poor quality and means children do not make the progress they could. The nursery environment is not set up to provide babies with the same opportunity to learn new skills as the older children. Babies are encouraged to take part in all activities. However, these are not age-appropriate. For example, in a potion-making activity, scissors are left out within babies' reach, and paintbrushes are given that are not a suitable size for the babies. n Staff do not understand how to provide age-appropriate activities for children aged up to four years of age in a single-room nursery. Babies are left to shuffle across the floor of the main part of the room while older children are running

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need to do better?

past them. In addition, the older children are able to play within the fenced-off baby area, making this unsafe for younger babies. Therefore, staff are not risk

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need to do better?

15 June 2023 assessing safety issues that can have a negative impact on children. n Staff do not ensure that a high level of communication and language is promoted. Staff sit at activities that have been set up, but there is limited conversation between staff and children. Children are not experiencing language been modelled. Staff do not promote mathematics, and children's learning is not extended. n Staff ensure that all children have a key person, which helps children to form secure attachments at the nursery and promotes their well-being. Staff interact with their own key children, and parents ask for them by name when they come into the nursery. Information is shared via an online app, and parents state they are happy with the level of interaction. n Children have good friendships and relationships with one another. Children interact well with each other and use their imagination to re-enact situations. For

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need to do better?

example, a group of children designed their own airport and flew their helicopters and aeroplanes around the room, talking about where they would like to go on holiday. However, there was no extension or interaction from staff to develop this activity further. n Risk assessments are not clear and are not followed. Safe staff deployment when in the garden is not always maintained. Staff leave children unattended at the top end of the garden where there is climbing apparatus and where children cannot be seen. Staff do not ensure that the water in the water tray is at a safe level. At snack time, children, including babies, are left with crackers to eat as staff wander around the room or complete routine tasks, such as getting older children ready for outdoor play. n The manager does identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and understands the referral process. However, the manager does

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need to do better?

not make sure that staff provide targeted support for children who need extra support unless they are seeking advice from external agencies. For example, the manager knows that some children have difficulties with their speech development. Staff do not consistently prioritise additional support to help these children with their speech and language development. In fact, staff have very few meaningful interactions with children during the day. Children are left without any supportive intervention for long periods of time. n Children who speak English as an additional language are not well supported. Staff and the manager are aware that children in the setting are bilingual. However, they lack awareness of how to use children's home language alongside English to promote their communication. At times, these children do not have the same opportunities to participate in activities as they struggle to understand

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need to do better?

the routine and what is asked of them. n Parents express that they are happy with the nursery. They comment that they receive information from staff about their children's care and feel fully involved with the nursery. Parents do not have any developmental concerns about their children, and staff do engage well in handovers. n The recruitment and selection procedure when the management committee employs new staff members is weak. The manager and committee do not prioritise staff performance management and do not identify weaknesses in staff practice or knowledge. Staff do not receive coaching and mentoring to improve

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need to do better?

15 June 2023 their teaching practice. In addition, when concerns are raised by staff, the lack of effective action from leaders and managers affects staff well-being, and their engagement with their work becomes limited.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff do not all have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to safeguard children. Staff can identify the possible signs and indicators that may cause children to be at risk of harm or abuse, such as neglect and sexual, emotional and physical abuse. However, not all staff are confident and aware of other aspects of safeguarding, such as county lines and reporting staff concerns to the local authority designated officer. The recruitment procedure is not strong, and staff stated that interviews were very informal. Staff check the premises to ensure that they are safe and secure for children. However, they do not always do this well enough, particularly in the garden area, where the children have access to water play and climbing equipment.

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Due date

ensure staff have a secure up-to-date knowledge and understanding of safeguarding concerns, policies and procedures 18/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff know, understand and follow the risk assessments in place to provide a safe environment for children, in particular at mealtimes and in the garden 18/07/2023

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Due date

provide a safe and suitable learning and development environment for all ages of children attending 18/07/2023

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Due date

take prompt action to address any gaps in children's learning and development, with particular reference to children's communication and language development 18/07/2023

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Due date

15 June 2023 ensure that children who speak English as an additional language develop their English language so that they can understand the routines and expectations in the nursery confidently 18/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all children, giving particular regard to their mathematical knowledge 18/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that there are robust recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable for the role they are employed to do 18/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that the arrangements for staff performance management provide staff with effective coaching and training so that they have the skills and knowledge to support children's well-being, learning and development. 18/07/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2600984 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10285908 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 18 Number of children on roll 21

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Name of registered person

Edale Stepping Stones Nursery and Childcare Centre CIO

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reference number

Telephone number 07539673572 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Edale Stepping Stones Nursery and Childcare Centre registered in 2021 and is based in a converted building in the Peak District of Derbyshire. The setting is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. It employs five qualified members of staff, with two qualified at level 6, one at level 3 and two at level 2. The nursery provides funded nursery 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 manager gave the inspector a tour of the premises. n The inspector spoke to the manager, staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n Documents were presented, such as first-aid certificates and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. n The inspector and manager observed children during activities and followed this up with a discussion about leadership and management. n The manager and inspector took part in a joint observation.

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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

15 June 2023 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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