Our Lady's First Steps Pre-School

Our Lady's First Steps Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): EY244150 Address: Clincton View, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8JN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 27/11/2002 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Our Lady's First Steps Pre-School Committee

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding, that adequately protects children from harm. Leaders have failed to ensure that all staff working at the nursery have been suitably vetted. Not all staff have a relevant Disclosure and Barring Service check or references. This puts children at significant risk of being exposed to unsuitable people. Ongoing suitability relating to health is not monitored, for instance the impact of new staff medication is not considered when assessing if they remain suitable for their role. Leaders have not ensured that all staff, including those with a lead role for safeguarding, receive the training they need to fulfil their role. This puts children at risk. Furthermore, leaders do not consider the importance of responding in a timely manner when children are absent from nursery.

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders and staff are able to demonstrate an understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the procedures for referring concerns about children's welfare to the designated safeguarding lead and to children's social care. Staff recognise what would be concerning about staff behaviour and know how to follow the setting's whistleblowing procedures. However, weaknesses in the overall safeguarding arrangements do not ensure that children are adequately kept 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Although leaders know what they expect from children's behaviour, these are not always implemented well enough. The curriculum for personal, social and emotional development is unclear and, consequently, this creates mixed messages for children. For instance, not all staff reinforce good manners for all children. Staff give instructions at tidy-up time but then do not follow through when children do not listen. This does not help children to have a sound understanding and a positive attitude to what is expected of them at nursery.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders support all children to access their full entitlement to nursery, particularly those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use additional funding, received to provide one-to-one support, to help children with SEND to attend the nursery. This helps to provide consistency and routine for these children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The key-person system is effective, and staff form strong relationships with children. Staff are kind and nurturing towards children. They get to know them well and provide a warm

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Urgent improvement

and inclusive environment. Staff recognise when children with SEND need some adaptations to the routine and implement these effectively.

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Inclusion Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in the procedures for supporting some children who are at risk of falling behind. Although staff accurately identify concerns about children's development, at times they are slow to respond. These concerns are not explicitly shared with parents at the earliest opportunity, which means support strategies are delayed. This has a negative impact on the learning of younger children.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Support for older children identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Leaders initiate referrals and work closely with outside agencies. They use strategies, such as objects of reference and one-to-one intervention, to support children's learning. Staff responsible for providing one-to-one care for children with SEND get to know them well. They have a good insight into their individual needs and how they learn. These staff attend targeted training in autism and sensory processing to develop their knowledge and skills. Older children with SEND make some progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children are not supported to develop age- and stage-appropriate skills and knowledge across all areas of learning. Although children demonstrate some skills, such as riding a bicycle, playing football and using climbing equipment, this is incidental learning and not by design. Children spend a lot of time in free play, which lacks a focus on their next steps and, as such, purposeful learning is limited. Key skills, such as using manners consistently, are not embedded. This does not help children to make sufficient progress in preparation for school.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Sometimes, older children enjoy taking part in story time. They chat about the content of the book and answer questions posed to them. Some children are confident to share their thoughts and ideas, demonstrating some recall and understanding. Older children enjoy creative activities. They work together with their friends to create structures with cardboard boxes. Sometimes, children engage well with activities of their own choosing. However, the lack of ambitious curriculum does not ensure that children achieve well across all areas of learning, nor are they prepared well for their next stage of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders do not establish policies and practices that support children's welfare and wellbeing. Risk assessments are not well devised or implemented. Staff continue to put children to sleep in pushchairs despite recent government guidelines indicating this is unsafe. The procedures for moving children around the nursery are not effective. Children are not sufficiently supervised when transitioning from the garden to the dining room. As such, children are left unsupervised for a short period of time without staff noticing. This compromises children's health and safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The procedures for keeping children safe at mealtimes are particularly weak and result in a chaotic environment. Leaders do not ensure that children are in sight and hearing of staff when they are eating. Several children sit with their backs to staff. This means staff may not be able to respond to children when they experience silent choking and therefore puts children at risk. Some children share cups and chew on their knives during mealtimes, putting them at risk of injury and allergic reaction. Furthermore, despite leaders having identified that the nursery menus do not comply with government guidance, no action has been taken to address this. This does not promote children's good health.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have oversight of the curriculum or its implementation. The curriculum is poorly designed and does not cover the breadth of the early years foundation stage. Sequencing is ineffective and does not help children to build on what they already know. For example, children leaving for school are taught to count low numbers that they already know, such as 'one to three', while younger children are taught to create repeating patterns. This means, at times, children become frustrated with learning and disengage. Staff assess children's development each term. However, this is not used to inform the curriculum or what they plan. This prevents children from extending their existing knowledge and skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The quality of teaching is very inconsistent. Although staff's interactions with children are engaging, they lack a real purpose. Staff do not take into account children's next steps in learning during conversations and therefore they are unable to build on previous knowledge. This does not help children to get the most from their experiences at nursery.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Staff make some appropriate adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, they recognise when some children are unable to cope with whole-group activities. They plan separate one-to-one sessions based on activities that help these children to engage. This works well and helps to ensure children with SEND access a curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

There are significant failings at this nursery. Leaders did not ensure that the requirements of their legal entity were fulfilled until the day of inspection. The nursery has been operating without a committee for several years and lacks strategic leadership and governance. Leaders are not supported in their role. They do not demonstrate a secure understanding of the legal requirements or a capacity to improve the quality of the nursery. Despite identifying breaches to the legal requirements, these have not been acted upon. This is not in the best interests of children. Furthermore, the provider failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event as required under their registration.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Procedures for staff induction and supervision are not in place. New staff do not receive a thorough induction when they first start work, or access the mandatory training required to fulfil their role. The arrangements for staff coaching and mentoring are not in place. As such, there are weaknesses in the quality of teaching. Although staff report feeling supported, they do not have any targets for development to help them build on their skills and knowledge. This means there are inconsistencies in staff's practice across the team.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Partnership working with parents is inconsistent. Not all parents receive ongoing and up-to- date information about children's learning. They are unaware of children's next steps or how they can extend learning at home. This does not provide consistency in children's care and learning.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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

Significant breaches to the legal requirements mean that children's safety and welfare are compromised. Children are cared for by adults whose suitability has not been assured. Significant gaps in staff supervision and induction mean that staff have not accessed mandatory training, such as safeguarding, to help improve their knowledge of how to keep children safe. Weaknesses in risk assessment mean that mealtime and sleep routines do not ensure children's safety. Leaders do not have a secure understanding of the legal requirements. Children do not access an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that helps to prepare them for the next stage of development. This leads to disengagement and lost learning. Although staff get to know children well and form strong bonds with them, they do not use what they know to further their development.

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

Children are happy and well settled at the nursery. Older children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well integrated. They are supported to access their full entitlement with one-to-one provision. Children enjoy being at the nursery and have formed positive relationships with their peers. They benefit from warm and trusting relationships with staff. Some older children have appropriate social skills and enjoy playing with their friends in the outdoor area. They work together as a team to play football and understand how to manage conflict. Some older children enjoy creative activities. They use chalks to make purposeful marks, showing some finger control and pre-writing skills. Overall, children have a positive attitude to learning. However, due to weaknesses in the curriculum, children do not all achieve well across the areas of learning.

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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

implement robust and diligent recruitment procedures to ensure staff caring for children are suitable 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children are always in sight and hearing when eating 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children are put to sleep in line with the latest government guidelines 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that effective risk assessments are in place for moving children around the nursery 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all staff have appropriate references in place as part of their pre-recruitment checks 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure all staff, including those with the lead for safeguarding, complete relevant safeguarding training 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement robust procedures for supervision, coaching and mentoring 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement robust induction procedures for all new staff 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement robust partnership working with parents to provide continuity for children 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children's absences are monitored effectively and within a timely manner 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that foods provided to children are in line with current government guidance 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that staff who take medication are supported and their ongoing suitability is assured 31/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that concerns about children's development are shared explicitly with parents in a timely manner 18/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

plan and implement a broad and sequenced curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do 18/08/2026

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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About this inspection

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

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Our Lady's First Steps Pre-School Committee

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Address:

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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Age range of children at the time of 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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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

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

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