Tiny Steps Day Nursery

Inspection of Tiny Steps Day Nursery Christian Centre, Strudwick Drive, Oldbrook, MILTON KEYNES MK6 2TG

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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

The manager and staff have high aspirations for all children. They want all children to receive a positive start to their learning journey. Staff plan and deliver an effective and fun programme of learning. Children gain a wide range of skills and knowledge in preparation for starting school. This enables children to approach the move on to school with confidence and excitement. Staff support children especially well in their independence and language development. They skilfully help children build a wide vocabulary of words and phrases. This enables children to confidently talk to each other and express their thoughts and opinions. Children learn to do lots of things for themselves. They happily hang up their coats and use cutlery at mealtimes.

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The provision is good

The highly inclusive nature of the nursery means all children feel valued and very welcome. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully involved in all aspects of nursery life. This enriches the experiences of all children who attend. Children learn well from the example set by the happy and helpful staff. They learn to manage their emotions and consider the needs of others. They show they feel safe, secure and very welcome.

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need to do better?

n The support for children with SEND is exemplary. The highly experienced special educational needs coordinator advocates hard for these children. She works closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children get the extra support they may need to make the progress they are capable of. Staff provide children with excellent support and celebrate the many achievements of all children. n Partnerships with parents are a real strength of the nursery. Parents cannot praise the staff enough for their support and guidance. The manager uses a wide range of successful strategies to help parents support children's learning further at home. She shares information and guidance on blogs and social media. She is always available to offer wise words and support. Parents are enthusiastic users of the lending library to encourage children's love of books. n Staff's strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional skills has a very

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need to do better?

positive impact on children's confidence and attitudes towards learning. Children demonstrate a 'can do' attitude, keen to try out their ideas and use resources in imaginative ways. n Staff are clear about the broad aims they have for children's learning. However, they are, on occasions, less clear about the specific learning purpose behind some activities they set out. This impacts on their ability to use these opportunities to precisely help children build further on what they can already do.

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need to do better?

6 July 2023 n Staff understand how important children's physical development is to their overall progress and good health. Staff encourage all children to spend time outside. Children have lots of opportunities to build their stamina, coordination and confidence. n Staff understand the mathematical skills young children will most benefit from developing. However, they are not fully confident in how best to plan for this aspect of children's learning to ensure that mathematics is fully embedded in the curriculum. n Staff show real care and concern for all children. Babies and toddlers thrive in the very nurturing environment. Staff meet children's care needs with dignity and kindness. Babies wake from their sleeps to soft words and cuddles. Older children laugh with staff and show delight to be at nursery. This good practice helps build children's confidence in themselves as valued and capable young people.

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need to do better?

n Staff delight in the wide range of cultural backgrounds of the children. They ensure that special days in children's lives and communities are marked and celebrated. This highly inclusive approach helps all children feel valued. It also helps all children build a very positive view of the similarities and differences between themselves and others. n The manager takes great care to consider how best to use additional funding to which children are entitled. She considers children's specific needs and interests. She closely monitors the effectiveness of this funding on children's progress. n Staff thoroughly enjoy working at the nursery. The manager has created a workforce who, quite rightly, are proud of what they do. She supports staff to develop their skills through a well-considered programme of professional development. Under her guidance and encouragement, staff have grown in confidence and feel valued and appreciated.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager creates a culture where keeping children safe is central to everything that staff do. Staff complete regular training and have regular opportunities to discuss safeguarding issues and guidelines. They are confident about how to identify and respond to any concerns about a child's welfare or safety. This includes how to escalate concerns beyond leaders at the nursery, if the need to do so ever arose. The manager and provider follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of those employed to work with children.

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should:

n identify more precisely the learning intent for some activities, so staff can focus

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should:

6 July 2023 their teaching more precisely on building on children's existing skills or knowledge n support staff to develop a clearly defined curriculum for mathematics, to increase their confidence in supporting children to learn about numbers and mathematical concepts.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY358858 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10301523 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 82 Number of children on roll 147 Name of registered person Milton Keynes Christian Centre

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reference number

Telephone number 01908 672 999 Date of previous inspection 5 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Tiny Steps Day Nursery registered in 2007 and is situated in Milton Keynes. The nursery is open from 8am until 6pm, each weekday, except for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. The nursery employs 29 members of childcare staff, 19 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications between levels 2 and 6. The nursery provides funded 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 inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n Parents and children shared their views and the inspector took these into account. n The inspector held meetings with the manager and representatives of the provider to find out about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector looked at a sample of key documentation.

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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

6 July 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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