First Steps Nursery

Inspection of First Steps Nursery Newmarket Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 2JP

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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 Good

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The provision requires improvement

Staff plan broad and effective educational programmes for children aged over three years in particular. This helps some children to make good progress and develop a love of learning in readiness for going to school. For example, older children develop their early mathematical, social and imagination skills while playing in the role-play construction site. They play harmoniously and with great excitement. However, the provider does not support staff to plan and sequence the curriculum well enough for younger children. As part of this, they do not deploy staff or use resources well enough to fully promote younger children's care, learning and developmental needs.

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The provision requires improvement

Children receive a warm and friendly greeting from staff, which helps them to enter happily and settle. Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills, such as learning to wash their hands before they eat and putting on outdoor clothing. Children are at ease with staff, which helps to foster aspects of children's emotional well-being. For example, babies and toddlers practise their developing large physical skills, such as learning to take their first steps. They receive encouragement, support and praise from staff. This helps to foster their confidence and motivation to keep trying. Children follow the expectations in the nursery well. Staff sensitively reinforce these as younger children learn to share for instance. Children learn respectful and kind behaviours and other important social skills, such as building friendships.

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need to do better?

n Staff continually observe and assess children to support aspects of their future progress. However, the educational programmes do not take full account of younger children's interests, stage of development and how they learn. For example, some activities and resources are either not challenging enough or too advanced, and eating utensils are not always well matched to younger children's capabilities. Staff's interactions are not consistently fully effective. Consequently, younger children do not engage well enough or make the best possible progress. n Staff swiftly identify children working below expectations and support them through timely referrals and excellent intervention strategies. For example, key staff are specifically employed to oversee provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and there is a designated intervention space. n Children, including those for whom the nursery receives specific funding, benefit

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need to do better?

immensely from one-to-one support and small-group activities. This includes those that build on children's social, communication and attention skills. n The organisation of the key-person system does not fully meet the needs of children aged under two years. For example, these children do not always

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need to do better?

20 March 2025 receive good enough support and interactions to prevent them from wandering around and to fully promote their engagement, confidence and motivation to learn. In addition, children aged under two years do not consistently have a new key person allocated to meet their care and learning needs effectively and help them to settle as they transition to the toddler room. n Although there are certain weaknesses in the provision for younger children, they do engage well with particular activities and resources. For example, babies and toddlers develop small-muscle strength as they explore tactile media, such as cereal and dough. Children aged two years use utensils to scoop sand, and they make marks with chunky chalks. Children enjoy singing and listening to stories, which helps to support their developing communication skills. n Children develop their large physical skills. For example, staff provide a variety of

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need to do better?

wheeled toys for children to manoeuvre around the outdoor area. As children learn to balance while walking across a plank, staff hold their hands to build up their confidence. n Staff gather important information from parents and carers to help new children to settle in. They continually share information electronically, face to face and via noticeboards. Staff provide home-learning resources, such as a library and activity sacks. n The provider encourages and supports staff's continued professional development in certain ways. However, they do not monitor staff's practice well enough to provide effective and precisely targeted mentoring, coaching and training that will raise the quality of education across the nursery. n Overall, staff promote children's all-round health and understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, older children harvest food and learn about good oral health. Children thoroughly enjoy healthy, home-made meals, such as cottage

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need to do better?

pie and vegetables. However, staff do not consistently recognise when younger children need their noses wiping to promote their comfort and well-being further.

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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

20 March 2025 improve the curriculum for children aged under three years by fully considering their needs, interests and stage of development when planning care routines, activities and the learning environment 17/04/2025

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Due date

improve the key-person system so that babies' and younger children's care and learning are fully tailored to meet their individual needs, including by ensuring that they receive better levels of support and attention 03/04/2025

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Due date

provide more effective supervision sessions and targeted support, coaching and training for staff, especially those who work with children aged under three years, in order to improve their personal effectiveness. 17/04/2025

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should:

n improve hygiene practices to meet the personal needs of children aged under two years more fully.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY259565 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10376233 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 118 Name of registered person First Steps Private Day Nursery Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01756 799339 Date of previous inspection 22 May 2019

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Information about this early years setting

First Steps Nursery registered in 1997 and is run by a partnership and located in Skipton. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff, 16 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications; one is at level 2, and 15 are at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The provider offers government funded childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the safety and suitability of the premises. She observed the quality of education, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a learning walk with the manager to understand how they organise the early years provision and curriculum. n The manager and the inspector observed, and discussed, a range of care routines and activities taking place across the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents during the inspection. The manager shared parent questionnaires. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and one of the nursery owners. She looked at relevant documents, including those related to 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

20 March 2025 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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