Special First Steps

Special First Steps

Unique reference number (URN): 2795078 Address: 195 Middleton Road, Carshalton, SM5 1HE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/06/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Special First Steps Ltd

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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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have highly secure and effective systems in place that consistently ensure children's welfare and wellbeing. They prioritise and actively cultivate warm, nurturing and responsive relationships with children, ensuring they feel emotionally secure, settled and ready to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Mealtimes are highly sociable and purposeful occasions. Staff skilfully use these interactions to deepen children's understanding of healthy eating and overall positive health. As a result, children are mindful of their options and increasingly independent, confidently making healthy choices as they select nutritious items from their lunch boxes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Care practices are consistently delivered with thought, dignity and respect. Staff ensure that children's privacy is carefully protected during intimate hygiene routines, such as nappy changing and wiping noses, supporting them to become independent. Staff speak warmly and kindly to children, maintaining friendly and reassuring conversations. Children's emotional security is promoted consistently and effectively, ensuring they feel safe, valued and well supported at all times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders share clear procedures for reporting absences with parents and carers. Staff follow up and monitor any unexplained absences in a timely manner. This ensures children's safety and welfare remain a priority.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take purposeful action to identify, assess and meet children's needs, successfully reducing barriers to learning and development. Delays in children's development are swiftly identified, enabling leaders to implement highly effective support at the earliest opportunity.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work in close partnership with parents, carers and other professionals involved in children's care, such as speech and language therapists. This enables them to create targeted support plans that are carefully tailored to children's individual developmental needs. These plans are regularly reviewed and adapted in line with children's progress. Leaders also ensure that staff undertake specialist training, precisely matched to children's specific needs, including training to support communication and language development. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive high- quality, consistent support from knowledgeable staff. Leaders further ensure that the learning environment is sensitively adapted to meet the needs of children with SEND, such as allowing children to spend time outdoors on arrival, to support their emotional wellbeing and successful transitions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders know families extremely well and use this knowledge effectively to support disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding effectively to enrich children's experiences and reduce barriers to learning. For example, they purchase books that help children develop

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Expected standard

their understanding of different families, and provide resources such as trampolines to strengthen children's physical development and coordination.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve well from their different starting points. This includes developing self-care skills, communication and growing in confidence. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive enhanced support that helps them to achieve. For example, during small-group circle times, children develop their communication, listening and interaction skills. Overall, all children, including those with SEND, are suitably prepared for the next stage in their learning journey, including their move on to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children are keen to take part in regular whole-group activities, such as circle time. However, ongoing assessment to support staff to differentiate between ages and stages of development will enhance this further.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children sing songs, and most are excited to take part in telling the story, practising their language and developing their recall skills. However, not all children consistently join in and engage. This means that not all children consistently access the intended learning and fully benefit from the experiences.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance and implement effective systems to monitor this closely. They generally work well in partnership with parents and carers to promote regular attendance and punctuality, ensuring children benefit fully from the learning opportunities provided.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff are kind and are attentive to children's needs. This helps children to feel confident in their surroundings and be ready to learn. They readily go to staff for reassurance and to ask for help. Staff use encouragement and meaningful praise to support positive behaviour. Children respond to gentle reminders of nursery rules, such as using an 'indoor voice'. Children enjoy a range of learning opportunities, such as independent play, group time and one-to-one activities. They learn to play collaboratively with their friends, helping one another during an art and craft activity for instance, waiting for their turn and sharing resources.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff typically build warm and respectful relationships with children. They are positive role models for children and encourage using manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children respond positively to these expectations and use polite language during interactions with adults and their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders typically have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum. It is designed and sequenced appropriately to build on what children know and can do. The curriculum is ambitious and focused on promoting personal, physical and emotional development. During circle time, children happily share how they feel. However, on occasion, staff do not fully extend children's learning through insightful and targeted teaching during activities and interactions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff generally provide a well-planned curriculum that covers all areas of learning and development. Staff typically assess children's progress to shape experiences. They prioritise children's independence skills and emotional wellbeing. Teaching is adapted for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff support children who speak English as an additional language by using visual timetables and learning words in their home language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children access a wide range of physical activities and resources, including bicycles in the outdoor area. Staff support children by modelling how to push the pedals and encouraging them to develop their coordination and confidence. Indoors, children enjoy using a trampoline, supporting their balance and movement skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy a range of mathematical activities through their daily routine. However, at times, children lose interest because some activities are too challenging and are not always matched appropriately to their stage of development. Parents and carers are positive about the progress their children make at the nursery. As a result, children are generally well prepared for school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the context of the setting and use this knowledge effectively to tailor the support and care they provide. They regularly review practice and make meaningful improvements to benefit all children, such as adjusting routines to support individual needs. These changes support children's learning, included for those who are disadvantaged.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders continually evaluate provision and have recently used funding to develop a sensory room, supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This has had a positive impact on children's wellbeing, engagement and access to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders prioritise staff development and wellbeing. Staff access regular training and report that they feel well supported in their roles. For example, staff have undertaken training to support children with speech and language delays and work effectively with external agencies to ensure early intervention and targeted support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with parents and carers are solid and contribute positively to children's development. Leaders work with families to promote key areas, such as independence, potty training and the use of technology. Initiatives, such as a book-bag scheme, support shared reading at home and strengthen parental involvement in children's learning. Parents speak positively about the support provided and the impact on children's progress and readiness for school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership arrangements ensure clear oversight and reflective practice. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen staff's understanding of curriculum design and differentiation for stages of development to enhance teaching, interactions and children's learning outcomes.

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

Staff welcome children and their families into the setting. Children arrive content, including those who are disadvantaged and those who may face other barriers to learning. Staff support all children to enjoy meaningful activities. For example, during bug-themed activities, children take turns and ask questions. Staff take the time to engage with all children to help them feel well supported.

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

Staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing through daily practice. For example, they help children to use scissors and to cut their fruit independently for snack. They adapt activities by giving children smaller snacks to cut. This helps to keep children safe while promoting their learning.

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

Children thrive in the calm and positive atmosphere that staff create. They behave well and respond positively to staff's clear boundaries and expectations. They learn about emotions and talk about their feelings during small-group activities. Children safety is supported by staff who supervise them closely and follow clear guidance during mealtimes and play

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Address:

195 Middleton Road activities, including when children explore outdoor equipment. Staff also maintain children's safety throughout the daily routine by ensuring regular supervision, carrying out regular checks of the environment, and reinforcing safe practices during transitions and everyday activities.

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Address:

Children enjoy a range of engaging activities. For example, they benefit from using the new sensory room, which enhances their curiosity and supports learning through play. They use bicycles and trampolines to develop their physical skills, strengthen their large and small muscles, and improve their coordination and movement skills. These opportunities support children's physical development, confidence and understanding of the world.

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Address:

Leaders inform parents and carers about their children's learning, progress and development, supporting regular attendance and participation. Parents speak highly of the setting and say that their children enjoy attending and are making progress in preparation for school.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding to support children's learning and development even more effectively. Leaders should support staff to differentiate activities to extend all children's learning and ensure they remain engaged and challenged.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents, carers and children 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. Carshalton SM5 1HE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Special First Steps Ltd

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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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