Steps Ahead Day Nursery and Nursery School

Inspection of Steps Ahead Day Nursery and Nursery School Steps Ahead Nursery, Wiltshire Drive, Bradley Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 0RR

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Inspection date: 17 December 2024 - 8 January 2025

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Children at the nursery are not getting the care and education they deserve. Insufficient progress has been made to address all of the actions identified at the last inspection. Weaknesses in leadership and management affect children's safety and well-being. For example, leaders do not work in partnership with other professionals to meet all children's needs. In addition, leaders have not implemented effective risk assessments for children with complex medical needs. These issues do not ensure children's safety.

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The provision is inadequate

Where practice is strong, children demonstrate levels of engagement as they play cooperatively with their friends. However, the curriculum does not always meet the individual learning needs of all children. Staff have awareness of what children need to learn and identify when they need support. However, leaders do not always ensure children get the tailored support they need. This has a detrimental impact on children's learning and progress, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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The provision is inadequate

Children who have been at the nursery for some time arrive happily and settle quickly to their play. Over their time at the nursery, children learn to be kind and considerate to their friends as they follow the lead set by staff. They look out for each other and are confident to ask for help when they need it.

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need to do better?

n There are significant weaknesses in information sharing and working together with parents and outside agencies to support children's needs. For example, leaders do not make referrals to other professionals swiftly enough to ensure children with SEND get the tailored support they need and are entitled to. As a result, staff do not have an understanding of what strategies they can use to ensure that children make rapid progress. This has a detrimental impact on children's learning, progress, and school readiness. n Risk assessments at the nursery remain inadequate. There are some children who require medical intervention and/or support that have no risk assessment in place to ensure that staff can keep them safe at all times. Risk assessments that have been created for other children contain limited information, and they do not give a clear enough overview about the child's needs or the potential risks to

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need to do better?

them. This means staff are not sufficiently informed to be able to keep children safe in their care. n Since the last inspection, leaders have developed the curriculum to better support the progress children make. While the curriculum is broadly appropriate for some children, it is not ambitious enough for all. For example, staff do not provide sufficient support for children who are quieter or those with SEND. This

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need to do better?

17 December 2024 is because leaders do not ensure staff identify individual targets for those children or implement the strategies needed to ensure these children make enough progress. This mean that these children are not active learners, and do not engage in meaningful learning experiences with the input they need from staff. n Despite weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum, some children enjoy exploring the resources available and leading their own play. Most children learn to be independent and confidently complete tasks for themselves. For example, they serve themselves at mealtimes and put their own coats on before going outside. These children also enjoy helping to tidy up. They confidently clear away resources after activities, ready for the next group of children to be able to take part. n Overall, children enjoy spending time outdoors in the fresh air. Staff help some children to walk along balance beams and climb onto wooden cubes. Those

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need to do better?

children who are confident, jump off but know they must wait for their friends to move. Staff encourage these children to take turns on bikes to support them to work together and share. Children are respectful and kind to each other. n Partnership working with parents is not effective. Not all parents are aware of what their children are working on at nursery. Parents do not receive key information, such as children's SEND support plans in a timely manner. This does not help parents to extend learning at home and has a negative impact on the continuity of care and learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure that leaders understand how to identify and reduce risks to children 15/01/2025

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Due date

17 December 2024 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 22/01/2025

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Due date

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. 22/01/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 145881 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10365551 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 100 Number of children on roll 143 Name of registered person Steps Ahead Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01225 719110 Date of previous inspection 11 July 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Steps Ahead Day Nursery and Nursery School registered in 2000. It is open from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6.30pm. The nursery employs 44 members of staff, most of whom work directly with the children. Of these, one member of staff holds qualified teacher status, and 31 members of staff hold relevant qualifications at level 2 to level 6. The nursery is in receipt of funding for free early education for children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Marie Swindells Chelsea Woollard Marie Swindells

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspectors completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. 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 One inspector carried out joint observations with the manager. n One inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspectors spoke with the manager about the leadership and management of the nursery.

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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

17 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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