Positive Steps Childcare LTD

Positive Steps Childcare LTD

Unique reference number (URN): 2747438 Address: 4 Loudon Street, Derby, DE23 8ER Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Positive Steps Childcare 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

Children overall achieve well from their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning and development. Children are learning to communicate confidently and hold conversations. While engaging in imaginative play, they talk about the food that they are making as they pretend to work in a takeaway. They are kind to their friends, happily take turns and share resources, such as a toy microwave in the role-play area.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children use mathematical language as they play. They count and talk about weight and volume as they fill and empty containers with water. Children are developing their small muscles as they use pencils with control to draw and colour.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff understand how children learn and use the information they gain from assessments to plan suitable next steps for children. This includes planning appropriate next steps for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is adapted appropriately to meet the needs of all children, including those with SEND. During group activities such as welcome time, children are invited to join in when they are ready so as not to overwhelm them. Children are engaged and focused on the activities on offer. They develop their social skills as they learn to play alongside each other and take turns with toys and equipment. Staff praise children for being kind to each other.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff support children to use mathematical language and knowledge. Staff talk about size and model language, such as 'long' and 'short' and 'big' and 'small', as children play with toys that can be lengthened and shortened. Staff support children's language and communication skills. They model and repeat single words and short sentences to help children extend their vocabulary. Children copy this language and use it as they play, saying 'squeeze' and 'stretch' as they play with soft toy balls.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff receive relevant training to develop their understanding of inclusive practice. This strengthens their confidence in tailoring support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning and development. Staff complete regular assessments of children's development and monitor children's progress closely. This ensures that staff recognise emerging concerns. They identify delays in children's development, changes in behaviour and any changes in their home circumstances. Staff review children's needs regularly and adapt the support that children receive appropriately. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals, including speech and language services, to identify targeted strategies to overcome barriers. Children with SEND, and those who face barriers to learning, achieve well from their starting points.

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Urgent improvement

The provider uses additional funding effectively to reduce barriers and extend children's learning opportunities. For example, staff purchase resources linked to individual children's targets. They use these to help parents to continue children's learning at home. When children speak English as an additional language, staff use key words in the child's home language and provide storybooks in dual languages for parents to read to their children at home.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not support all children to understand the expectation for behaviour during mealtimes. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning and development. Staff allow children to walk around and stand up while eating and drinking and do not help all children to understand why they need to sit at the table and not stand up and move around while they have food in their mouth. This results in children being confused about what is expected when they are eating and drinking.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Overall, children demonstrate a suitable understanding of the familiar and well-practised daily routines. For example, when children arrive, they independently hang up their coats on their pegs and put their lunch bags on the trolley. Staff are positive role models. They treat children with kindness and respect. Staff acknowledge children's positive behaviour and praise them for being polite and showing good manners. They draw attention to children who say 'please' and 'thank you' without having to be reminded to do so. This encourages children to repeat the behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders put strategies in place quickly when they identify that there are issues with attendance. This helps ensure that all children can access the early education that they are entitled to.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Despite leaders and staff understanding the risks of choking, they allow children to walk around and stand up while eating and drinking. This is a risk to children's safety. Staff have not considered how to teach all children about the importance of remaining seated while they are eating and drinking. Although staff are near to children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, at these times, they do not take appropriate action to minimise the risk to children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff implement hygiene routines consistently and support children to make healthy choices. Children learn to wash their hands before sitting down to eat. Staff talk to children about the need for healthy food and good oral hygiene. Children confidently recall that their teeth will rot and they will have to go to see the dentist if they eat too many sweets and do not brush their teeth. Staff know the children in their care well and respond to children's needs attentively. They recognise when children need additional comfort and reassurance. When children become unsettled due to changes in their normal routines and home circumstances, staff work with parents to support transitions into the setting to ensure that children's emotional needs are met.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff do not ensure that safe eating procedures are consistently implemented, despite this being raised as a concern at a previous inspection. This poses a risk to children's safety, as staff allow them to walk around and stand up with food and drink in their mouth.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have worked closely with local authority advisers to address the actions set at the last inspection. Leaders and staff have updated their safeguarding knowledge and understanding. Leaders regularly test staff to check that they understand the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures and their role within them.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders support staff's wellbeing through providing regular reflection sessions, supervision and coaching and by ensuring that staff have manageable workloads. Parents are well informed about their children's day and speak highly of the progress that their children are making. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning and development attribute the progress that children make to the close partnership working.

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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

Leaders and staff do not consistently implement appropriate procedures to ensure children's safety when they are eating. They do not fully support children to learn how to keep themselves safe. Children receive mixed messages from staff about why it is important to remain seated when they are eating and drinking. Children are learning about some aspects of a healthy lifestyle. They understand the need to wash hands before they eat to ensure they do not have germs on them that will make them poorly. They are also learning about the benefit of a healthy diet and good hydration on their bodies.

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

Children arrive to the nursery happy and confident to start their day. They are familiar with the routines and settle quickly to activities. Children are happy to see the staff who care for them. They have formed friendships with each other. Children play well together and are kind and caring towards their friends. They are able to share and take turns with the toys and ensure that they include all children in their play. Children are learning about what makes them unique and individual. Staff encourage children to share their experiences from home and plan activities to help them learn about each other's traditions and cultures.

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

Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals to provide targeted support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who face barriers to learning. This helps ensure that children make the progress that they are capable of. Children demonstrate the confidence to make choices for themselves. They enjoy looking at books and take books to staff to look at with them. Staff use these opportunities to support children to develop their language and vocabulary. Children learn to solve problems as they play. Staff help children think about why a water wheel is not spinning when they pour water into it. Children display positive attitudes to learning and concentrate as they work out what has gone wrong. They identify that the water wheel is jammed. Children remove the blockage and celebrate when the water wheel begins to work.

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure staff understand and actively manage the risks of choking so children are safely supported while eating 15/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure staff set clear expectations for behaviour that are applied consistently, so children understand what is expected of them and how to keep themselves safe 15/05/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the staff 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. Registration date: 19/09/2023

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About this inspection

Registered person: Positive Steps Childcare Limited

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 14:30

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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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