Step By Step

Inspection of Step By Step 37-39 High Road, London N15 6DS

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Inspection date: 31 July 2025 - 26 September 2025

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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 Met

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The provision is good

Children arrive at the setting happy and eager to learn. They separate from their parents and carers confidently, knowing that staff understand their routines and preferences. Staff gather detailed information from parents about children's care needs, dietary requirements and interests, which helps children settle quickly and ensures continuity between home and the setting. Younger children are supported as they move from parents' arms into staff care, while older children run excitedly to greet their key person with smiles and hugs. These secure, trusting relationships help children feel safe and confident to explore the environment and participate in activities.

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The provision is good

Children display curiosity and positive attitudes to learning. They cooperate with friends and demonstrate growing independence, confidently engaging in both familiar and new experiences. The curriculum is planned thoughtfully to build on children's prior knowledge and interests. Staff support children in developing fine motor skills, preparing them effectively for early literacy. Older children refine their gross motor skills through activities such as balancing on obstacle courses and riding push-along bicycles. Communication and language are actively promoted through meaningful conversations, rich vocabulary and linking activities to children's own experiences. Imaginative play is encouraged, fostering creativity, problem-solving and self-confidence.

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need to do better?

n Leaders ensure staff are well supported. Weekly meetings focus on curriculum review, children's progress, safeguarding and sharing good practice. Staff report feeling well supported and having access to training that helps them meet their key children's needs effectively. This targeted support enhances staff's confidence and consistency in practice, resulting in improved outcomes for children. n The curriculum is coherently planned to build on what children already know and can do. The strong key-person system underpins this approach. Staff know their key children well, understand their individual needs and plan experiences that reflect their stages of development. As a result, children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. n Leaders and staff provide extensive support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The highly skilled and experienced team works closely

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need to do better?

with parents and carers and external professionals. They hold regular meetings to share information and plan effectively. This allows staff to provide tailored and high-quality care that promotes each child's development and well-being. n Leaders and staff build positive and supportive relationships with parents. This helps staff to provide consistent and reliable care for children. Parents praise the

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need to do better?

31 July 2025 'amazing and nurturing' staff and describe the care as 'highly inclusive'. They highlight the strong communication and the positive impact this has on their children's well-being and development. n Staff skilfully extend children's thinking and communication through meaningful interactions. This supports them to become confident communicators who engage positively with others, including visitors. For example, during role play and story sessions, staff ask open-ended questions, link activities to children's experiences and prompt predictions, enhancing vocabulary and reasoning. These practices enable children to consolidate their learning. n Leaders and staff are highly reflective and continuously strive for improvement. They actively seek and value the views of parents and children, using this feedback to shape the provision. By working closely with external agencies and the staff team, leaders regularly evaluate what is working well and make

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need to do better?

meaningful adaptations. This ensures that they meet all children's needs and the setting continues to improve. n Staff engage enthusiastically in children's play and show deep empathy in one- to-one interactions. Staff provide clear and step-by-step instructions. They model how to make musical shakers. Children enjoy creating instruments and confidently use them during music and dance sessions. This boosts children's creativity and confidence. n Overall, staff support children effectively to develop cooperative play and positive relationships. They use visual aids to teach rules clearly and act as positive role models, promoting kindness and respect. However, during group activities, staff do not always reinforce agreed rules consistently, which at times affects some children's focus and disrupts the flow of learning for others.

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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 strengthen staff practice in consistently reinforcing high expectations of behaviour to help children stay focused and engaged, and fully benefit from group learning activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY543386 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 10398799 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 30 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Step By Step London

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reference number

Telephone number 0208802 2362 Date of previous inspection 10 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Step By Step registered in 2017 and is located in Tottenham within the London Borough of Haringey. The provider delivers full-day care through Mini Steps Nursery all year round, alongside an out-of-school club during term-time and a holiday playscheme. The nursery operates 45 weeks per year, closing for one week at Christmas, four weeks in the summer, and two weeks for religious holidays. The operating hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm on Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 12.45pm on Friday. The nursery employs 15 staff members, five of whom hold level 3 childcare qualifications and four hold level 2. The out-of-school club runs during term-time from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, and the holiday playscheme operates from 10am to 4pm on Monday to Friday, with 37 staff across both provisions, including 11 qualified to level 2 or level 3. The setting provides funded early education for eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspection started on 31 July 2025. The inspector conducted a further visit to the setting on 26 September 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with 'Ofsted inspection and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy'. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. 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 Managers engaged in meetings with the inspector to discuss the leadership and management of the setting. n The manager and the inspector carried out joint observations. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting. n Parents, staff and children shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

31 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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