Footsteps Nursery Cannock

Inspection of Footsteps Nursery Cannock Bridge Court, Orbital Plaza, Watling Street, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0DQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have made multiple changes since the last inspection, such as strengthening the rest of the team's understanding of safeguarding. They have accurately identified ongoing weaknesses in the nursery and are committed to making improvements so that children make good progress. However, the ongoing improvements are still in their infancy due to the lack of time the new manager has had to fully embed these.

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have a good understanding of what they want children to learn and are passionate about helping to prepare them for school. Children enjoy playing with friends, and activities are planned with children's interests in mind. Team members share familiar stories with children and involve them in 'bear hunts' around the nursery to further extend their knowledge. Babies learn key words as team members narrate stories to them, naming familiar animals. Babies are encouraged to copy animal noises as team members sit close to them. This supports the development of children's early communication skills.

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The provision requires improvement

Team members form good relationships with children and their families. These are formed before children start to attend, through the completion of home visits. Leaders implement flexible settling-in sessions to meet the needs of children to ensure that they are settled and happy. Team members attend to children's emotional needs. They comfort children when they become upset, giving them cuddles, which helps them to settle quickly.

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need to do better?

n Leaders provide opportunities for children to take part in extracurricular activities, such as baby yoga and cooking club. Leaders recognise the benefit of providing these activities to broaden children's knowledge and development. As a result of these activities, children learn how to move in different ways and practise using mathematical concepts when weighing and mixing ingredients. n Established daily routines are implemented across the nursery. Some of these, however, are not well organised. For example, children often wait for long periods while meals are served. As a result, young children become restless and begin to wander around the room. This leaves the environment feeling a little chaotic at times. In addition, transitions between lunch and sleep time are disjointed. Some children wander around unsure of what they need to do and walk over others who are settling to sleep. This does not promote children's

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need to do better?

understanding of what is expected of them. n Children generally behave well and learn how to treat their friends. They show some empathy towards their peers. However, children are not taught how to respect the environment or resources. Children drop toys on the floor and walk

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need to do better?

10 December 2024 over books. Team members do not teach children how to look after resources or implement expectations about keeping the environment tidy. As a result, children do not have a good enough understanding of how to behave in appropriate ways. n Leaders meet with team members regularly. They have invested a substantial amount of time addressing actions that were previously raised by Ofsted. Although leaders recognise weaknesses across the nursery and have supported team members to make some changes, they do not always monitor practice closely enough to ensure that the changes they have made are implemented consistently across the nursery. As a result, changes are not yet fully embedded. n Important records are not always completed in line with nursery policy. For example, the current procedures for informing parents of when medication is given is not effective. Some notifications have not been responded to on the

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need to do better?

current electronic system. This means that leaders cannot be sure that parents or carers have knowledge of medication being administered. n Team members feel supported by leaders and have access to training opportunities. They have recently refreshed their safeguarding training and feel they are supported to develop their own professional knowledge and skills. However, team members who are employed through an agency do not have the same opportunities to enhance their own development. As a result, they do not have the same level of knowledge, and this impacts on the quality of experiences children receive. n Team members interact well with children. They sing songs that children are keen to join in with. They regularly share stories with children to support their communication development. They ask children questions and offer key words to name characters in a book. There are times, however, when team members do

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need to do better?

not give children sufficient time to work things out for themselves or respond to questions. This means that children do not make as much progress in their learning as they are able to. n Parent partnerships are a key focus at the nursery. Leaders value parental input into children's learning and understand their role in helping children to make the progress they are capable of. Nursery routines mirror those from home as far as possible, and transitions between rooms are planned in collaboration with parents and carers. Parents are invited into the nursery to take part in activities and are provided with regular newsletters to inform them of upcoming activities and events.

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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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Due date

improve the organisation of routines, with particular reference to mealtimes and sleep times 31/01/2025

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Due date

improve staff's understanding of how to support children's behaviour effectively 31/01/2025

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Due date

monitor and support staff practice more closely to ensure improvements within the nursery are completely embedded 31/01/2025

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Due date

improve the procedures for ensuring all records are completed in line with nursery policy 31/01/2025

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Due date

ensure all staff, including agency staff, have access to the same opportunities for training to further improve the quality of experiences for children. 31/01/2025

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should:

n support staff to understand when to give children time to work things out for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY484984 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10364873 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 117 Number of children on roll 151 Name of registered person Footsteps Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01543 509089 Date of previous inspection 7 August 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Footsteps Nursery Cannock registered in 2014. It is located in Cannock, Staffordshire. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. There are 34 members of staff employed. Of these, three hold qualifications at level 6, 13 hold qualifications at level 3 and nine hold qualifications at level 2. The nursery is eligible to receive government funded childcare.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Christine Ward Mikaela Stallard

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspectors on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspectors talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors 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 and the manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspectors spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspectors documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

10 December 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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