First Steps Nursery

First Steps Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY423564 Address: West End Road, Maxey, PETERBOROUGH, PE6 9HA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 10/05/2011 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: First Steps Nursery (Maxey) Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face additional barriers, typically progress well. They are suitably prepared for their next stage of education. Children build their confidence and follow the daily routines with ease. They are keen to take part in the activities, such as jelly play and creating objects with dough. This helps them to gain skills for the future.

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Achievement Expected standard

Babies and young children's communication, language and literacy development benefit from singing nursery rhymes, and they enjoy exploring books. Children learn a variety of new words, such as the names of animals. This helps to build their vocabulary and language skills. Older children spend time exploring books independently and listen well in group story sessions. They remain engaged and confidently follow the narrative.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff understand the importance of building valued and positive partnerships with parents. They gather essential information about children to help them settle and explain the benefits of regular attendance. Children and staff have responded positively to recent changes made to children's learning environments. Leaders have monitored the impact on children. They find the changes have resulted in calmer environments and increased adult engagement in activities. Staff are warm and kind and encourage children to develop a positive attitude to learning. The structure of the day helps children to become familiar with the daily routines and behaviour expectations. Staff model the behaviours they expect of children, such as being polite. Children learn how to share and take turns. In group activities, the older children demonstrate that they can understand and follow instructions. For example, they move parts of their bodies into different positions when asked as part of a game.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported by staff to manage any difficulties they may face during changes in routine. Staff consistently monitor routine activities so that they meet the needs of all children. Recent changes to lunchtime routines in the pre-school mean that children spend less time waiting to serve their own food. Leaders have identified further improvements to develop children's independence during this time, but these are yet to be embedded.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a safe, welcoming space. Key-person relationships are positive. Babies smile and approach staff for cuddles, and children giggle when staff make them laugh. Staff ensure that new children spend time with their key person to help them feel safe and settled. Staff generally encourage discussions about feelings and emotions, which helps children to recognise and begin to understand these. Care routines meet all children's needs effectively. Nappy changing areas afford children their privacy, and staff are respectful of children when asking them to have their nappy changed. Staff embed positive hygiene practices, such as handwashing. Children participate in planned activities that promote the importance of brushing their teeth.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff promote children's physical skills, and children have daily opportunities to be active. Leaders have further enhanced opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle. They have recently introduced focused dance and movement sessions and a cooking club to help promote healthy foods. At mealtimes, staff help children learn about foods that make them grow 'big and strong'. Young children are encouraged to be independent. They prepare their own food at snack time. Children are supported to handle the safety knifes correctly to help them gain an understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff know their key children and their families well and form close bonds. The curriculum focuses on children gaining the skills they need for moving on to school, including their language skills, social development and independence. Staff plan activities that cover all areas of learning. Staff work hard to promote the importance of books and a love of reading throughout the nursery. Staff weave mathematics into everyday routines, such as snack time. They encourage children to count how many children are present and how many plates they need. There are daily opportunities for all children to be physically active. Staff monitor children's learning closely and identify next steps that consider children's individual needs and starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching during most activities is purposeful and enables children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to achieve well across all areas of the curriculum. Staff generally demonstrate clear intent for children's learning, such as naming the different parts of a plant and understanding their function when exploring spring flowers. Staff engage children in conversation to help build language skills. Routine activities, such as mealtimes, are promoted well as a social occasion. However, at times, staff do not model language effectively or make the most of incidental teaching opportunities to extend the older children's learning beyond what they already know.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate that they understand how to build on children's knowledge and skills. Staff specifically trained to coordinate the support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are new to the role and continue to develop their knowledge and experience. However, they demonstrate a clear overview of the children needing extra help in their learning and development. They understand how to meet their needs. Staff make links with outside professionals when required. They follow advice and guidance to help devise and support children's individual learning targets and review these regularly. Staff implement appropriate strategies to support children's learning needs. For example, they use visual pictures or objects of reference to help children understand what is coming next as part of the daily routine.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are aware of those children in receipt of additional funding. They use these funds to help enhance the nursery experiences for children, such as providing more staff support within the rooms and targeted resources that meet children's interests and learning needs. Staff work closely with parents and carers throughout children's time in the nursery and hold regular discussions about their child's progress. They discuss how they can work together to meet children's needs both in the nursery and at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders generally understand the strengths and areas of development in the nursery. They evaluate and implement changes that have a positive impact for children. Leaders have reflected on the areas to develop since the last inspection, and a continuous programme of professional development has helped to improve staff's knowledge and skills in childcare. Engagement with children in activities is now more purposeful and supportive. Leaders also give staff the time they need to support children who face barriers to their learning. However, there have been recent changes to the ownership of the nursery, and some staff members are new. Leaders are aware of some of the small inconsistencies in teaching. They have appropriately placed an area of focus on helping staff to develop their confidence and recognise the need to embed high-quality teaching consistently into staff's everyday practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff speak highly of leaders. They appreciate and value the regular team meetings and supervision sessions, which focus on additional training and on their wellbeing. This helps to ensure that the nursery continues to develop and improve. Parents speak highly of the setting. They find staff approachable and caring and appreciate the support and advice they receive.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy their time in the nursery and develop a sense of belonging. They separate easily from parents and carers and are eager to play. Children settle quickly because staff offer gentle reassurance and sensitive support. Babies experience warm, responsive interactions from their key person, helping them to develop secure attachments and early communication skills. Staff promote children's attendance, working in partnership with parents to ensure that children's individual needs are met.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders have recently made changes to the children's learning environments, including changing base rooms to support better transitions as children move through the nursery. These changes have had a positive impact on children's play and learning. Children have adapted well to their new playrooms and the increased opportunities for independent play. Children play together and learn the importance of sharing and turn-taking. They form close friendships and are kind and helpful towards others. For example, children hold each other's hands to support and steady themselves as they walk across a balancing beam.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders and staff design an effective curriculum and generally implement it well. There is a focus on helping children to be independent and to be able to communicate confidently. Children enjoy active play that helps to promote a healthy lifestyle, and all children spend quality time in the outdoor environments. They develop good attitudes to learning and achieve well across the curriculum. Since the last inspection, staff have improved their understanding of the intent for children's learning during activities, and there is a focus on making learning inviting and exciting. Where children, including those in receipt of additional funding, need extra support, staff recognise and respond swiftly to help meet their needs.

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Address:

West End Road Maxey PETERBOROUGH PE6 9HA

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: First Steps Nursery (Maxey) Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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Next steps

Leaders should continue with plans to build the confidence of staff to deliver high-quality interactions. Leaders should embed high-quality practice that enables staff to consistently adapt and respond to children's thinking during their play.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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