First Steps Childcare @ Chichester College

First Steps Childcare @ Chichester College

Unique reference number (URN): 113485 Address: Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1SB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/10/1990 Registers: EYR Registered person: First Steps Childcare Group 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 are confident communicators. They have access to a rich vocabulary through books, discussions and singing. Children develop their physical skills and have plenty of opportunities to practise their large and small muscles. Babies delight as they cruise around the room, building up the muscles that are later needed for walking. Older children use pens to make lists and scissors to cut paper. All children, including those who face barriers to learning, achieve well from their starting points. They make progress across all areas of development, giving them the knowledge they need to be prepared for the next stage in their education. Children consistently receive appropriate support to help them reach age-related developmental goals. They develop a wide range of skills and are developing the confidence to explore and lead their own play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

In this nursery, staff build warm and trusting relationships with all children. Typically, key persons know their children well. This enables them to ensure that the environment supports children's wellbeing and development. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff are good role models, providing respect and a high level of nurturing to every child. There is an inclusive approach to children's behaviour. This ensures that all children's needs are accommodated and considered, including for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Routines are clear which helps children to understand what is expected of them from an early age. Children behave very well. They are kind and thoughtful to each other, to the staff and to the environment. Staff praise children's positive behaviour, which helps children to develop high self-esteem and feel proud.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The nursery's approach to attendance is clear. Leaders demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities. They can quickly identify patterns of poor attendance and engage promptly with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children attend regularly. Parents feedback that they have positive relationships with the leaders and staff and that they feel able to raise any concerns that they may have.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They are excited and eager to engage in learning opportunities with other children and staff.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff develop purposeful bonds with children. They take a genuine interest in their conversations. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging as they excitedly tell staff about their experiences outside of the nursery. Staff ensure that when children become upset or overwhelmed, they are offered cuddles and comforters. Children regularly approach staff to invite them to play or join in discussions. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and feel safe and secure. Children are strictly supervised when eating or sleeping. Staff have a full awareness on how to safely accommodate children's dietary and medical needs. This helps children to be safe during snack and mealtimes. Leaders and staff provide children with healthy snacks and nutritious meals and remind children of the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

All children are developing independence when feeding themselves. Babies are encouraged to use spoons. Older children use knives and forks, fetch their own water from the tap and pour their own drinks. However, there are times when some children have to ask staff when they would like a drink outside of snack and mealtimes. They are not always able to access a drink for themselves. This means that the youngest of children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities may not always get a drink when needed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff have a particular focus on children's emotional development. They have a full understanding that children and babies need emotional support in their early years to enable them to develop a sense of belonging and to be ready to learn. Staff use assessment well to identify what it is they want children to learn next. Typically, this helps children to develop well in their learning, including children who face barriers to their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, staff are skilled at extending children's learning through play. They expose children to different vocabulary and help build on their literacy and mathematical skills. For example, children learn about size, volume and capacity as they make dough for their friends. Staff weave in opportunities for babies to hear numbers when singing songs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have continuous access to outside play where they can run around in the fresh air and develop their physical skills. They have access to experiences that they may not have previously benefited from. This helps to close the gaps in children's learning. However, staff teaching can, at times, be variable and they do not consistently identify how to extend children's learning in order that children remain motivated. This can occasionally mean that some children become disinterested and wander off.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The environment is inclusive and this ensures that all children feel safe, happy and valued. Typically, all children have their unique needs met promptly and sensitively. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs quickly identified. This enables a programme of support to begin in preparation for using external professional services when needed. Staff work very closely with parents to gather detailed information about children's development and current interests. Parents are regularly invited to contribute to their child's learning in the nursery and also from the home environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding to purchase resources and provide an enhanced ratio so that children can benefit from one-to-one support or small group interventions. This helps children to make sustained progress from their starting points. Staff regularly observe and assess children's existing knowledge and identify what they need to be learning next. This generally ensures that children's next steps are purposeful. Staff receive training so that they can effectively support children who face barriers to their learning. This enables them to help children to regulate their feelings and behaviours and teach children to understand how to communicate, such as using visual picture cues.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a good oversight of this nursery, including its strengths and areas for further development. They are knowledgeable and ambitious for all children, particularly for those children who face barriers to their learning. Leaders have created a culture that encourages staff to identify their own training needs and be proactive in their own professional development. Staff feedback that leaders are extremely supportive in helping them to progress and learn in their roles. Leaders provide regular supervision meetings during which staff can discuss their key children, focus on safeguarding and explore their own training needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage with parents and external agencies in ways which support children's care and wellbeing. They emphasise the importance of collaborative working when children require outside support or are transitioning to other settings, such as school. They work hard to ensure that appropriate and important information is passed on promptly. This helps to provide children with a positive start in their new setting or school. Parents mention that they feel confident that their children are safe and well-cared for, and they know who to go to if they would like to raise a concern.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are aware that there are inconsistencies in staff teaching and have plans to provide further coaching to improve teaching in the future.

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

Children arrive at the setting happy and are keen to begin their day at this welcoming nursery. They demonstrate the close bonds that they have formed with the caring staff team. Children chatter with excitement to their friends. They show that they feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings. Children attend regularly and on time as a result of leaders working closely with parents to promote children's good attendance and to remove any barriers that may prevent good attendance. Children develop the skills they need for the next stage of their education, such as moving on to school. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those children who face other barriers to their learning.

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 113485 Children are curious and eager to learn. Older children design and construct a model hotel from the materials provided. Staff use this opportunity to encourage reluctant writers to draw designs and plans. Babies enjoy splashing in water. They hear new words, such as 'splash' and 'drip'. Leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum that weaves in children's current interests to ensure children's ongoing motivation to learn.

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About this setting

Staff guide children in their learning and provide a dialogue during play. This effectively supports children's language skills and is particularly effective for children who speak English as an additional language and for very young children. Children form firm friendships with other children. Staff work hard to ensure that children are included in all activities and are encouraged to play collaboratively. For example, children regularly ask other children to join them in play. They problem-solve in small groups and discuss how to make a 'roof' that will 'stop the rain getting us wet'. Babies sit next to each other and clap along to familiar rhymes and songs. They are learning to share small story props whilst staff gently reassure them that they will have their turn next.

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Next steps

Leaders should further support staff to ensure that interactions and activities are consistently purposeful to effectively support children's learning and progress. Leaders should ensure that drinking water is readily accessible to all children throughout the day and that staff provide consistent reminders and encouragement for children to drink regularly.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents 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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Address:

Chichester College Westgate Fields Chichester West Sussex PO19 1SB

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: First Steps Childcare Group Limited

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Address:

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