Footsteps Wilmslow

Footsteps Wilmslow

Unique reference number (URN): EY409494 Address: Tudor Road, Dean Row, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 2HB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 24/09/2010 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Footsteps Children's Day Nurseries 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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Inclusion Expected standard

When children first start attending, staff gather a wealth of information from parents about children's abilities and individual needs. Leaders are aware of the different needs of children and families within the community they serve. They are proactive in identifying and assessing when children may have barriers to their learning and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers to maintain continuity between home and the setting. They plan home visits which positively impact children. These visits help staff to develop secure relationships with children and their families, and enable them to settle and transition into the setting effectively.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders put targeted reasonable adjustments into place to support any gaps in learning. For example, staff use sign language to support children's communication skills. These are typically implemented well by staff to enable children to make progress in their learning. Staff monitor children's development and generally adjust activities and the environment to support children's individual progress. Leaders work with a range of professionals to make sure children receive the right help at the right time. They implement specialist speech and language activities to support children's communication and language skills.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some children do not consistently make progress across all of the areas of learning and development. This is due to the weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching. For example, some children move quickly between activities and do not sustain engagement for extended periods. This limits their opportunities to achieve well.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children who face barriers to their learning or have special educational needs and/or disabilities make steady progress from their individual starting points. For example, this is particularly evident in their personal, social and emotional development as they settle into the setting well and are eager to play. Furthermore, children demonstrate progress in their language development. Babies join in with repeating single words, such as 'rhino' as they explore the animals. Older children expand on the meaning of vocabulary as they read stories. They explain 'exhausted means tired'. Children are developing a wide range of vocabulary from an early age.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in how some staff support children's behaviour. Some staff do not consistently support children's behaviour. For example, when children throw sand at their friends, staff do not always support children to understand their actions and the impact their behaviour has on others. This means that some children do not develop an understanding of boundaries.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Some parts of the routine are not organised effectively to sustain children's attention. For example, during transitions to mealtimes and sleep time, children wait for long periods of time. This causes disruption to some children's routine, and they become disengaged from their learning. Children are provided with opportunities at mealtimes to develop their independence skills. For example, children pour their own drinks and self-serve their own meals. They develop some key skills they will need for the future.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders promote a positive culture of attendance. Children attend punctually and frequently, and leaders have procedures in place to monitor any absences and support consistent routines and continuity in children's learning and care. Staff are positive, calm and affectionate towards children. They praise and recognise children's achievements which boosts their self-esteem. They support children in a caring manner when transitioning into the setting. This helps children to settle.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The key-person system is not fully embedded consistently across the setting. While staff in the baby room have a secure understanding of the key children's routines, this is not consistent across the setting. When there are changes to staffing, leaders do not ensure that all staff have a secure understanding of children's individual needs. While children develop secure attachments with staff, their learning needs are not sufficiently met.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children learn about their personal hygiene skills. For example, children are supported to wash their hands after wiping their noses. Children enjoy healthy mealtimes, and adaptations are made for children with dietary or food preferences appropriately. However, there are limited opportunities to develop children's understanding of healthy eating during these times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Older children learn about how to keep themselves safe. Children confidently demonstrate the skills to continually risk assess the environment around them. For example, they recognise that when water is on the floor this becomes a slip hazard. Children have a variety of opportunities to explore the outdoors and further develop their physical skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have begun to take action to improve the curriculum and teaching. However, this is in the early stages and has not had an impact yet. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with barriers to learning receive the right support to access the curriculum. However, the curriculum in some of the rooms across the setting is not yet consistently sequenced or implemented well enough to ensure that children build succinctly on their next steps in learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Children have the opportunity to take part in daily activities. For example, younger children explore the textures of feathers and older children explore paint and shapes. Staff monitor children's development. However, some children's next steps are not always unique to their gaps in learning. As a result, some activities generally do not build on children's existing skills and lack a clear purpose. For example, children explore animals in the water tray, but staff do not expand on children's thoughts and ideas. This impacts on the engagement and progress of children's development.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff read stories and rhymes to children regularly throughout the day. Older children develop autonomy as they choose their favourite stories and staff read with enthusiasm. Younger children join in with familiar actions and rhymes. These opportunities help children to develop a love for reading and songs.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There has been a change of leadership since the last inspection. The new leadership team are aware of the strengths and areas of development of the setting. They have begun taking action to improve the implementation of the curriculum for children. However, leaders' actions have yet to make the improvements needed to improve the quality of teaching and children's learning experiences.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have worked hard to develop aspects of practice that were previously highlighted. Since the last visit, leaders have taken action to improve staff's knowledge and understanding of risk assessment procedures to ensure children's safety. They carry out spot checks to ensure staff are following procedures at all times. In addition, leaders have ensured that all staff have received a supervision and professional development opportunities to further enhance their knowledge and skills. For example, recent training on safer eating and safer sleep has supported staff to develop a deeper understanding of these procedures. Leaders have implemented new procedures for staff taking medication to ensure they remain suitable to work with children. Furthermore, leaders identify safeguarding concerns accurately and take appropriate, immediate action. They have provided staff with refresher training on whistleblowing to strengthen their understanding of

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

the safeguarding policies and procedures. This has helped to strengthen safeguarding arrangements at the setting.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff report positive levels of wellbeing and support from leaders. Staff feel valued and enjoy working in a team. Leaders and staff build secure relationships with parents and families. They have established links with local schools to help support children's transitions to the next stage in their education.

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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

Children's learning experiences vary across the setting. Overall, the experiences for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is positive and they make steady progress. However, the curriculum in some of the rooms is not yet effectively implemented or well sequenced to build consistently on what children know and can do. As a result, this limits children's engagement in their learning and daily routines.

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

The key-person system is not fully secure across the setting. Some staff are not fully aware of children's capabilities and where to take them next in their development and routines. However, children build trusting relationships with staff. They demonstrate they feel safe, happy and secure at this setting. Children seek out cuddles from staff to help them settle. Staff are positive role models and have kind and caring attitudes.

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

Overall, children behave well. However, they are not always effectively supported with their understanding of behaviours and boundaries. There are inconsistencies in how staff support children's behaviour and children do not always learn how their actions may impact others.

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

Children develop a sense of belonging and value at this setting. For example, babies sing a 'hello' song to each other to welcome their friends into play. Older children beam with pride as they share their models with their key person. They learn to take photos in a safe way of their models and share it with their parents through the online app. This immediately boosts their self-esteem and attitude towards learning.

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

Children build positive relationships with their peers and develop a love for stories. Older children recognise the meaning of an author and an illustrator and understand the importance of reading from left to right. Children engage in a range of stories throughout the setting to develop their vocabulary.

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

Leaders understand and promote the importance of attendance. They understand regular attendance support children's wellbeing and development. Furthermore, they have procedures in place to monitor attendance of children regularly.

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Next steps

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 all staff consistently model and implement agreed approaches to supporting children's behaviour and routines, so that children know what is expected of them 16/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement a well-sequenced curriculum that is planned to reflect what children need to learn next across all areas of learning 16/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement a key-person system that consistently meets the needs of all children 16/07/2026

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Tudor Road Dean Row Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 2HB

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Footsteps Children's Day Nurseries 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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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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