First Steps Moorlands Children's Centre

Inspection of First Steps Moorlands Children's Centre Moorfields Road, Bath, Avon BA2 2DQ

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children arrive happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming setting. They form secure relationships with the kind and caring staff. Staff know children well and use their understanding of each child's interests and development to create a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on their existing knowledge and skills.

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The provision is good

Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively. They incorporate simple sign language into everyday interactions and share this with parents for use at home. Babies demonstrate their understanding of signs to communicate with staff. For example, they use a sign to indicate that they have finished their snack. Staff provide opportunities for young children to engage in group song times to develop key social skills and further progress their communication and language development. Children's behaviour is good. They are respectful to their peers and take turns to choose which songs to sing. Children develop strength in their bodies and enthusiastically join in with actions as they pretend to bounce up and down on a tractor.

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The provision is good

Pre-school staff are aware of children's interests and design challenging learning experiences to help children make significant progress in their learning. For example, children show eagerness to learn about volcanoes and enjoy exploring books made by staff to discover the location of volcanoes around the world. They demonstrate their understanding and confidently state, 'We know volcanoes erupt when the lava comes out.'

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need to do better?

n The leadership and management team has made a number of improvements since the last inspection. The team works closely to monitor the quality of practice in each room and ensure staff know their responsibilities and professional goals. Staff feel supported in their roles and strive to improve. All staff have attended training to further their teaching skills. This has enhanced the enjoyment of teaching and learning in all rooms. n Staff understand the importance of the use of children's home language to support their language skills and sense of self. Staff greet children in their home language each morning and use key words to support their understanding throughout the day. All children have opportunities to hear the languages spoken at home by their peers. They eagerly push buttons to hear greetings in the variety of languages spoken by children at home. Children become confident communicators. n Staff use assessments to monitor children's progress effectively and identify

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need to do better?

areas needing further support. They promptly refer children to external

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need to do better?

26 June 2024 professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to address and close gaps in learning. Staff encourage parents to practise skills at home and they provide bags with specific activities and resources to support children's learning outside of the setting. n Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Children with SEND benefit from high-quality, individualised support and care during their time at the setting. This ensures they make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. n Children demonstrate awareness of healthy routines and wash their hands before mealtimes. They have good table manners and confidently use large spoons to independently serve themselves lunch. Staff gently remind children to concentrate as they pour themselves a drink. n Staff support children's mathematical knowledge effectively. They encourage

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need to do better?

children to identify numbers as they follow a recipe card to make dough. Older children apply their mathematical knowledge as they accurately add two numbers together, using their fingers to count and find the correct answer. n Overall, staff deployment is effective. Staff actively move around and engage with children during play to support and extend their learning. However, in the baby room, staff deployment is less consistent. There are times when babies are not always engaged in meaningful learning activities. This is because, on occasions, most staff are busy with routine activities, such as nappy changing and settling babies to sleep. n Staff create an inspiring learning environment for children. They set up engaging play activities in all rooms to support children's eagerness to learn. In the pre- school room, staff manage noise levels by ringing a bell to remind children to use quieter voices. However, noise levels in the baby room are, on occasion,

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need to do better?

high. This can, at times, interrupt children's learning in the adjoining toddler room.

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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 deploy staff in the baby room more effectively to further promote the youngest children's engagement in meaningful learning activities n reduce the noise levels in the baby and toddler room to better support children's engagement and listening.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY287532 Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council Inspection number 10306378 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 64 Number of children on roll 112 Name of registered person First Steps (Bath)

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reference number

Telephone number 01225 317 123 Date of previous inspection 18 July 2023

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Information about this early years setting

First Steps Moorlands Children's Centre registered in 2004 and is located in Bath. It opens from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. The setting employs 24 members of staff. Of these, one has qualified teacher status, three hold appropriate qualifications at level 5 and a further 15 staff hold qualifications at level 3. The setting receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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 deputy manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 a joint observation of a group activity with the deputy manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting.

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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

26 June 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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