Footsteps Nursery Canwell

Inspection of Footsteps Nursery Canwell Old London Road, Canwell, Sutton Coldfield, Staffordshire B75 5SD

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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

Staff create valuable learning experiences for children to explore, both indoors and outdoors. They make particularly good use of the outdoor learning spaces to support children's learning across the seven areas. Babies build strength in their legs as they stand to access resources, such as water play. Pre-school children use their imagination in the outdoor role-play kitchen.

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The provision is good

The manager and staff support children's physical development well. They provide a good range of opportunities for children to develop their large- and small-muscle movements and to develop a sense of adventure. Children enjoy moving forwards, back and round on a swing attached to a tree. They develop an awareness of the space around them as they negotiate obstacle courses. Children build their hand strength as they squash and pull dough. They then use tools to shape the dough.

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The provision is good

Staff establish clear rules and boundaries with children. Children travel around the nursery sensibly and understand about the safe routes across the car park to access one of the outdoor areas. They have good manners and understand the expectations at mealtimes, such as sitting down to eat with their friends. Staff are kind and caring, and children form close attachments with them. Children benefit from a consistent key person which further supports their attachments.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have a positive and continuous approach to making ongoing improvements. They frequently review and enhance their policies and procedures to benefit the children. For example, the manager has recently refined the induction arrangements for new staff to ensure they fully understand their roles and responsibilities. There is a strong leadership team in place to provide continuity for the care of children in the manager's absence. n Leaders ensure that each member of staff is supported well in their role and consider their well-being. Many of the staff are long-term members of the team and benefit from effective coaching and support from the manager as part of the routine monitoring system. Leaders provide staff with regular training to extend their professional skills even further. When staff move rooms, they receive training specific to the development stage of the children they are working with.

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need to do better?

n The manager has a secure understanding of child development and uses this to lead staff in their curriculum. This includes a strong focus on the use of books, songs and rhymes to support children's communication skills and early literacy. Toddlers show a particular interest in books. They concentrate as they explore a book for themselves and turn the pages. Staff engage toddlers in the stories, and children enjoy lifting the flaps to reveal animals. They make the animals' sounds and understand that the pictures have meaning.

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need to do better?

5 October 2023 n Staff know children well and, overall, plan effectively for their learning. For example, staff working with babies identify key words to focus on to help the babies learn. However, staff do not make full use of their observations of babies' and children's achievements to plan individualised learning experiences for them. This means that staffs' teaching is not focused as well as possible on helping each individual child to make the best possible progress. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support. The special educational needs coordinator makes timely referrals and liaises with parents, staff and health professionals to implement children's development plans. n Overall, most children are motivated to learn. Pre-school children make choices about whether to join in a letter hunt in the outdoor area or choose from the wide range of exciting learning opportunities on offer. However, staff working

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need to do better?

with the younger children follow routines too strictly and do not recognise when children want to make their own choices about where and what they play. On occasions, this leads to some children wandering, and they are not as focused in their play and learning. n Parents are pleased with the service provided at the nursery. They say how staff really listen to them and keep them fully informed about their child's learning, routines and day-to-day care. The manager values the partnership working with parents and organises many opportunities for them to be included in their child's education. Parents appreciate the diligence that staff place on managing children's allergies.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff complete thorough risk assessments of the premises indoors and outdoors and consider fully the safety of children, for example when they take groups of children to different areas of the premises. Staff have a good understanding of keeping babies safe while they sleep and managing risks at mealtimes. The manager and staff know a wide range of signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report concerns. They know how to manage allegations about a member of staff. Staff follow effective arrangements to manage children's accidents and to administer medication.

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should:

n use observations of children's achievements to focus teaching and planning more precisely on children's individual learning needs n increase opportunities for the younger children to make decisions and lead their own play so they can be fully engaged in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY442340 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10310314 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 56 Number of children on roll 103 Name of registered person Footsteps Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 3083547 Date of previous inspection 8 August 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Footsteps Nursery Canwell registered in 2012. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm, all year round except for one week at Christmas. There are 21 members of staff who work directly with the children, 12 of whom hold qualifications at level 2 or level 3. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children interacted with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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 with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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 October 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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