Sure Steps Derby Lane

Inspection of Sure Steps Derby Lane 41 Derby Lane, LIVERPOOL L13 6QA

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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

From the baby room upwards, children demonstrate confidence and emotional security. Children communicate confidently with each other, staff and visitors. Staff plan a broad and interesting range of activities based on children's interests. They identify any gaps in children's knowledge and skills and address these quickly. They work closely with parents and other professionals where children have or may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children are given the opportunity to achieve well.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate good behaviour, self-care and social skills. Staff remind children of expected behaviours, such as using kind hands. They purposefully plan games that require turn taking and sharing to help children learn these skills. Children enjoy looking at books in comfy areas of each room and listening to stories read well by staff. Some stories about calendar events, including Diwali and Chinese New Year, help children to learn about people with a variety of faiths and cultures. Children talk about their favourite fruits and the health benefits of foods while eating lunch. They handle fresh produce, such as potatoes and broccoli, and talk about how it grows while playing imaginatively.

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need to do better?

n Recently, the provider notified Ofsted of an incident where a child was checked at hospital having accessed some sterilising solution. This meant they met their responsibility to notify Ofsted of significant events. Following this the risk assessment and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health procedures have been improved, staff retrained on them and substances are kept out of children's reach. n Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on staffing, leaders and managers work closely with staff, so they feel supported. They have a clear understanding of each staff member's strengths and focus on their individual development during regular supervision meetings. Staff increasingly share what they learn from training with each other. Currently, this is how to assess children's speech and language skills and how to support children who speak English as an additional language. n Staff gather and make good use of information from parents to meet the

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need to do better?

emotional needs of each child. Parents are kept well informed about their child's day and ongoing development. Children take home learning bags with activities to complete with their parents. This helps to support continuity in each child's learning. n Staff obtain detailed information about children's dietary requirements before they start and keep this information up to date. They agree health care plans with parents where children have a specific condition. Each mealtime, a staff

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need to do better?

6 March 2024 member, identified as a dietary monitor, checks that children only receive food appropriate for their dietary needs. This helps to ensure children's dietary needs are met well. n Children develop well physically. Babies have plenty of space to crawl and to learn to walk. They enjoy handling a range of sensory items, such as wooden plates and pinecones. In the garden, older children walk across planks and move their arms and legs copying the actions of staff. Activities, such as these help children to develop balance and coordination. n Staff skilfully organise fun activities, which help children to develop their communication and language skills. They purposefully introduce new vocabulary and mathematical language as children play. For example, children display an understanding of positional language, such as 'in front' and 'behind' as they search for a hoop hidden in the outdoor area. n Children who speak more than one language are increasingly well supported.

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need to do better?

Staff ask parents to provide some key words in their home language, so children can hear and use these to support their sense of self and further support their learning of English. n Children enjoy many opportunities to make marks and practise early writing. These include crayoning on paper and making marks with brushes in sand. Some of children's emergent writing is displayed on the wall. However, the curriculum for literacy development is less well sequenced than other areas. Staff try to teach pre-school children letter sounds. However, not all staff are appropriately trained to support children through play activities. Consequently, there are inconsistencies with how they are delivered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n review and refine the literacy curriculum, making sure it is fully age-appropriate and builds on children's prior skills n embed the newly implemented procedures for risk assessment to ensure consistency of practice.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY430618 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 10327848 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 58 Number of children on roll 100 Name of registered person Minders Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01512203593 Date of previous inspection 7 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Sure Steps Derby Lane registered in 2011 and is located in Old Swan, Liverpool. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2, 10 at level 3, one at level 4 and two at level 6, of which one has early years teacher status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm, all year round except, for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. It 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. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider. n The early years foundation stage manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the early years foundation stage manager. n The inspector held discussions with the management team, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery's documents. This included evidence about staff suitability and training.

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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 March 2024 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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