Steps Ahead Day Nursery and Nursery School

Summary of outcome

All early years providers must meet the legal requirements in the Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, which you can find at www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. If we find that a provider is not meeting the requirements, we can take action to ensure they put matters right.

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Summary of outcome

We carried out an inspection on 17 December 2024 and returned on the 8 January 2025 to gather additional evidence following concerns raised that the provider was not meeting some of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. On the 8 January, we found the provider was not meeting some of these requirements. The report and inspection outcome will be published in due course. Following the inspection, we served a welfare requirements notice on 9 January 2025. This is a legal notice that requires the provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Summary of outcome

n ensure that leaders understand how to identify and reduce risks to children

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Summary of outcome

n ensure that there are effective arrangements in place for children with special education needs and/or disabilities so that all staff understand how to implement strategies to promote children's development

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Summary of outcome

n ensure information about children's health and care needs is known and acted on and appropriate steps are taken to work with other professionals and parents, to keep children safe and well.

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Summary of outcome

On 16 January 2025, we carried out a regulatory visit. The focus of the visit was to check whether the provider had met the safeguarding and welfare actions raised at their last inspection. We found the provider had not met the safeguarding and welfare action that was due by 15 January 2025.

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Summary of outcome

We found that leaders had not yet implemented effective risk assessments for all children with complex medical needs. They had not obtained all information from medical professionals to ensure they can fully meet the needs of these children. In addition, leaders were not fully able to explain why some children were receiving interventions and could not demonstrate what risks these children may face. This means staff are not sufficiently informed to be able to keep children safe in their care.

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Summary of outcome

Following the regulatory visit on 16 January 2025 we have served another welfare requirements notice. This is a legal notice that requires the provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Summary of outcome

n ensure that leaders understand how to identify and reduce risks to children.

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Summary of outcome

On 28 January 2025, we carried out a further regulatory visit. The focus of the visit was to check whether the provider had met the safeguarding and welfare actions raised at their last inspection and was due to be complied with by 22 January 2025. We also focused on whether the provider had met the action set at the regulatory visit completed on 16 January 2025. We found the provider had met some of the safeguarding and welfare actions but not others.

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Summary of outcome

The provider demonstrated there has been some progress since the last visit due to intense support and guidance provided by the local authority. Risk assessments for all children are now in place and have been shared with staff. Plans have been developed to ensure the right referrals are made for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are now contacting professionals to gather the right information for all children to ensure they are kept safe and not placed at risk.

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Summary of outcome

Discussions demonstrated there is still insufficient oversight from leaders to ensure all children have the right strategies in place so that they make the progress they are capable of. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) remains inconsistent at best but, for some children, support is poor. This is because leaders do not have the knowledge or skills needed to provide staff with the support they require to develop their practice. For some children with SEND, leaders do not understand what help and support they need. They are not proactive in finding out how staff can best help these children to progress but simply wait for outside agencies to contact them to provide advice and guidance. This means staff still do not know how to help children with SEND in the best possible way and gaps in childrens learning continue to widen. In addition, leaders lack of action means that valuable time has been lost in preparing children with SEND for school

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Summary of outcome

and ensuring they are able to access school provision that will meet their needs.

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Summary of outcome

Following the regulatory visit on 28 January 2025 we have served another welfare requirements notice. This is a legal notice that requires the provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Summary of outcome

n ensure that there are effective arrangements in place for children with special education needs and/or disabilities so that all staff understand how to implement strategies to promote children's development.

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Summary of outcome

We will monitor the provider's response to ensure the actions are successfully completed.

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Summary of outcome

Due to the continued breaches in requirements, and the provider's lack of capacity to make the necessary improvement, we are now taking steps to cancel the provider's registration. The provider has a right to object to our intention to take these steps.

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Publication of compliance action

We aim to ensure that the welfare of children and young people is protected in the services we regulate. The Childcare Act 2006 and accompanying regulations set out our responsibilities to regulate childminders and childcare providers. This includes the enforcement powers we have in relation to those registered providers who do not comply with the requirements for registration.

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Publication of compliance action

We publish details of any actions we take, or the childminder or childcare provider takes to bring about compliance with requirements on our website for a period of five years.

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Publication of compliance action

For further information please read the Early years compliance handbook which can be found here at www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-provider-non-compliance- action-by-ofsted .

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