Two Steps Pre-School

Inspection of Two Steps Pre-School St. Johns Methodist Church, Price Street, Smethwick, Staffordshire B66 3QU

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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

Children receive warm support from the kind and nurturing staff team to help them to settle in quickly. Staff are understanding of, and attentive to, children's emotional needs. They offer comfort and reassurance to children when they need it so that children feel secure in the setting. Children's feelings are validated, and they are helped to communicate these in different ways. Children confidently describe how they are feeling by using different coloured characters from a familiar book. They know that the yellow character means that they are happy.

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The provision is good

The curriculum is implemented effectively to provide every child with a wealth of learning experiences. Staff use their deep knowledge of child development to adapt activities to meet the individual needs of children who attend. Children show interest in exploring dough. Staff use these opportunities to provide additional challenge for children to help strengthen their small hand muscles in readiness for writing. They sing songs to children to encourage them to roll the dough. Children are provided with thin resources to stick into the dough, such as pipe cleaners and spaghetti sticks. This helps them to practise their pincer and tripod grip, ready to hold and control a pencil.

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The provision is good

Children thrive in exploring the world around them. They are closely supervised by staff as they go out in the local area looking for leaves and sticks for a planned activity. Children learn about how to keep themselves safe. They know when to wait before crossing roads. Children listen carefully for any cars that may be approaching and are eager to identify the colours of cars they see.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers are ambitious about providing high-quality experiences for children within the local area. They have recognised that there are currently delays in children's early literacy development. As a result, they have built their curriculum around books to support children to develop a love for reading. The nursery has enrolled on a project focusing on children's literacy development. They work with parents and other professionals to provide opportunities for children to extend their learning further at home. n The key-person system is implemented effectively to meet children's individual needs. Key persons know children well. They use their knowledge of children's interests, combined with their regular assessments of children's development, to identify precisely what each child needs to learn next. Children are provided with an array of activities that are tailored to help them to make good progress in

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need to do better?

their learning and development. Children become deeply engaged in these interesting learning experiences. However, on occasions, staff disrupt this by moving children on to the next part of the routine without giving them time to

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need to do better?

11 September 2024 finish what they are doing. n Staff take time to carefully explain their expectations to children. When sitting down for group time, staff model how to cross their legs and ask children to copy. They explain how this stops their feet from hurting others. Staff regularly praise children and provide details of what they have done well. At tidy-up time, staff thank children individually for what they have done, such as tidying up the cars, and reward them with a sticker. This motivates children to behave consistently well. n Staff take every opportunity to sing to children. Children communicate what songs they would like to sing by selecting from visual prompts available to them. Staff talk to children throughout the day. They model words and ask a range of questions, which further exposes children to a wide range of vocabulary. However, when children talk, staff do not always listen to what they are saying.

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need to do better?

They often reply back with a question. This means that children are not consistently supported to develop their conversational and thinking skills. n Leaders and managers provide high levels of support for staff. Staff receive regular supervision opportunities to discuss any concerns they may have and explore ways to develop their own knowledge and skills. Leaders and managers ensure that staff attend regular training that is focused on areas where they need more support. Staff have a thirst for continuous learning. They comment positively about the training they receive and the impact this has on their teaching skills and practice. n Leaders and managers have robust arrangements in place to support children who show delays in their development. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals to identify any support strategies that may be needed to help every child, including those with special educational needs and/or

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need to do better?

disabilities, to reach their potential. n Leaders and managers are passionate about building relationships with parents and carers. They offer regular stay-and-play sessions to support children to feel comfortable in new environments. Activities are provided for parents, such as sessions around healthy eating, which focus on improving outcomes for children.

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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 support staff to recognise when children are engaged in their play and learning to minimise disruptions to this

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should:

11 September 2024 n enhance the opportunities for children to build on their communication and language skills to further extend their thinking and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2571062 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10362427 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person West Smethwick Enterprise

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 558 3475 Date of previous inspection 30 June 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Two Steps Pre-School registered in 2020. It is situated in Smethwick. The pre- school opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 8.45am until 3pm. The pre-school employs five members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 3. The pre-school is in receipt of early education funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk to understand how the provision and curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors to assess the impact this has on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity to evaluate the quality of teaching. n Parents and children spoke to the inspector about their views of the pre-school. n The inspector held a meeting with the management team and looked at relevant documentation and evidence of staff suitability.

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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

11 September 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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