First Steps Day Nursery

Inspection of First Steps Day Nursery 44 Compton Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5QT

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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 are enthusiastic, motivated learners who flourish from the care and learning opportunities staff provide to support their development. The newly implemented curriculum is ambitiously designed. Leaders thoughtfully work with local schools to select educational programmes that deliver their curriculum effectively. For example, children join in with daily literacy sessions that build phonological awareness. They learn rhymes, sounds and visuals of letters in the alphabet through games that provide familiarity when children transition to school. Staff skilfully deliver this well, both playfully and energetically helping children to have a go and keep on trying to meet important milestones in their learning and development.

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The provision is good

Leaders deploy staff well. Children have ample support during the day to meet their needs. For example, during mealtimes, staff sit with children and have meaningful conversations and read books. Staff are attentive and actively promote children's independence, helping them to cut their own fruit and serve their own lunch. Children show great delight when eating their freshly prepared, nutritious meals. Staff teach children how to make healthy choices. Consequently, children learn how to keep their bodies healthy.

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The provision is good

Staff are excellent role models, demonstrating positive and respectful relationships. For example, staff help children understand when it is time to change their nappy, always ensuring they have their consent first. This helps children to build strong bonds with staff and makes them feel safe and secure. Consequently, children gain confidence and actively participate in hygiene routines.

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need to do better?

n Leaders show an unwavering commitment to their staff team. They prioritise staff development and provide them with opportunities to engage in projects such as 'maths champions'. This helps staff deliver the knowledge and skills children need to know more and remember more. For example, during small- group times, children learn number songs and rhymes, and staff help children to recognise a numeral of the week. They use consistent language such as 'show them and grow them' when exploring the quantity of the chosen numeral. Children delightfully count their fingers to match the numeral shown by staff. Children securely make progress in mathematics. n Staff excellently model music and movement routines that they have designed to promote children to make marks. Children copy the movements modelled by staff, holding small squares of material as they dance. Children carefully fold the material when they have finished and then apply the movements they practise

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need to do better?

onto paper using chunky crayons. Consequently, children develop the muscle

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need to do better?

2 July 2025 strength and patterns of movement to help them develop their early writing skills. n Children are very competent when using balance bikes. They learn to manoeuvre around obstacles with ease. Staff praise children as they manage risks safely as they ride. Children learn to balance and develop their spatial awareness as they experiment with different slopes and speeds. n Staff consistently promote positive behaviour and support children's emotional well-being. They sensitively encourage children to rest or sleep in a peaceful environment, helping them to fall asleep. This helps children to listen to the needs of their bodies and helps them to regulate throughout the day. Staff are attentive to sleeping children, staying with them while they sleep to ensure their safety. n Leaders organise trips beyond the setting to provide children with excellent firsthand opportunities to learn about nature, animals and how to care for them.

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need to do better?

For example, children visit local farms and the nearby shop to buy fruit and vegetables. This helps children to understand the world around them and learn about their community. n Children giggle as they share books together, learning new vocabulary related to space exploration. They access trays of rice and toy spaceships to promote them to talk through play. Children share how they land their 'spaceship' on the moon. Staff place a high priority on identifying children most in need of interventions and implement targeted, playful activities within a language-rich environment. However, weaknesses in assessment mean, at times, some children are not identified quickly enough, and this impacts their progress.

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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 develop assessment procedures to provide early intervention for children to support their communication skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 142796 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10410099 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 42 Number of children on roll 76 Name of registered person First Steps Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01749 346733 Date of previous inspection 30 June 2021

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Information about this early years setting

First Steps Day Nursery is privately owned. It registered in 1993 and is located in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. The nursery offers care from 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for public holidays. There are seven members of staff who work with the children. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, one holds an appropriate childcare qualification at level 6, two at level 5 and two at level 3. One member of staff is unqualified. The nursery provides government-funded places for childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual and manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n Leaders and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed how staff implement the curriculum.

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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

2 July 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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