Early Learning Steps Sutton ValenceOfsted report card, 1 Oct 2026

Early Learning Steps Sutton Valence

Unique reference number (URN): 2861205 Address: The Parish Rooms, Chart Road, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, ME17 3AW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 24/09/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Early Learning 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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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress across all areas of learning. Younger children become increasingly confident as they progress from indistinct words and short phrases to clear, well-articulated sentences. They listen to and follow instructions, demonstrating their understanding. Staff use signing and communication boards to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children systematically develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education, including school. They become increasingly independent and follow established routines. Children concentrate well during activities. For example, they persevere when using scissors to cut paper, adjusting their grip to achieve the cut. Mark making and modelling dough strengthen the muscles in their fingers and prepare them for future learning, including early writing.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop the skills they need to manage their personal hygiene independently. They wipe their noses, dispose of used tissues appropriately, recognise when to wash their hands and open their food packets at lunchtime.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff set high expectations for behaviour. They model respect and kindness and remind children to use 'kind hands'. Staff build strong relationships with children, who enjoy their company and readily seek comfort or reassurance. As children progress through the nursery, they develop collaboration and turn-taking skills. Younger children play contentedly alongside one another, while older children take turns sending cars down a ramp.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff warmly welcome children who are new to the nursery, helping them settle quickly. They offer specific praise, such as recognising good listening, so that children understand expectations and develop a strong sense of belonging.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff establish and maintain consistent routines. For example, children follow clear routines when preparing for snacks and lunch. Children also make independent choices about their activities. They show consideration and empathy; for instance, one child noticed that a baby doll was missing its mother and remarked, 'poor thing'. Parachute games provide further support for children to develop the skills of collaboration and turn-taking.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders maintain strong relationships with parents. They investigate unexplained absences to confirm that children are safe and emphasise the importance of regular attendance. This approach supports a successful transition to school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise the wellbeing of every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. They know each child and family well and refer families to appropriate support, when difficult circumstances arise. Staff work closely with parents to manage transitions, such as stopping the use of a dummy or learning to use a potty. This partnership ensures continuity of care between home and the nursery. Children build warm, trusting relationships with their key person and other staff. They readily seek reassurance from any member of staff, strengthening their sense of belonging and security.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff teach children to recognise and manage risks. For example, they remind children to walk indoors to prevent trips and falls. Staff also provide frequent opportunities for outdoor play in the sunshine and fresh air. Leaders offer healthy snacks and provide water or milk, which children learn to pour independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are helped to recognise and regulate their emotions. When children become frustrated or behave inappropriately, staff respond calmly, offer gentle guidance and reinforce clear expectations. This consistent approach promotes children's emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff make mealtimes positive social occasions. They sit with children during lunch and encourage conversation about the morning's activities. Children recall experiences such as painting and observing shaving foam turn blue. Staff promote independence by encouraging children to open their own food containers. Parents provide healthy lunches.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. They discuss children's interests and preferences with parents and incorporate this information into daily activities. For example, in response to children's interest in vehicles, staff provide opportunities for them to fill trucks and diggers with sand and transport it around the setting. Staff observe children as they play and learn, identify their next steps and share this information with parents.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use effective teaching strategies to help children achieve their next steps, but they do not consistently extend children's learning. For example, children enthusiastically search for plastic minibeasts in shaving foam. Staff develop children's vocabulary by identifying and naming each creature. However, staff do not extend the activity by encouraging children to search for real creatures in the garden. Children also take part in activities that develop fine motor skills, such as using paintbrushes to clean digger wheels. However, staff do not introduce mathematical language, such as by discussing the wheels' shapes and sizes. Staff speak clearly, allow children time to think and respond to questions and model correct pronunciation.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff promote children's physical development effectively. They provide an age-appropriate range of ride-on toys outdoors. Children negotiate space, practise balancing on beams and navigate the obstacle course, with support when needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders create an inclusive environment for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face additional barriers to learning. They identify children who may have SEND promptly and, in partnership with parents, implement support and/or health care plans that provide targeted additional support. Leaders monitor these plans carefully and refer families to external professionals for specialist advice, when children make limited or no progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have recently introduced signing to support children's communication. Staff also use additional aids, such as communication boards, to support all children, including those who speak English as an additional language. Leaders have the skills and knowledge required to identify and support children with SEND. However, some staff do not consistently apply recommended strategies or use the available resources effectively. All staff have received training in specific aspects of care to meet individual children's needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Professional working relationships with external agencies and the local authority's SEND department are maintained by leaders. These partnerships enable leaders to seek advice from relevant professionals and provide parents with appropriate guidance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Additional funding is used effectively to support children and their families. Leaders purchase resources that support families, reflect children's interests and encourage speech and language development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders evaluate the nursery realistically and understand both its strengths and its areas for development. They place children at the centre of their work and remain available to families and staff. Leaders have identified the need to communicate children's next steps to parents more clearly and to celebrate children's achievements more effectively, and they have begun this work. The calm, nurturing environment helps children settle quickly and benefit fully from the activities available.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have completed appropriate training to strengthen their support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. Some staff have completed similar training, although leaders recognise that further development remains necessary.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders meet regularly with staff to review practice and identify training needs. They provide ready access to training. Staff are confident that leaders actively consider their wellbeing and workload.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide a wide range of additional experiences that enrich children's learning. For example, after learning how apples grow and how pollination occurs, children made their own apple juice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders maintain strong partnerships with parents. Parents speak highly of the provision and express confidence that staff care for their children well and keep them safe. Leaders also work closely with local schools to support a smooth transition from nursery to school, which parents confirm is effective.

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

Children enter the nursery eagerly and show their excitement as leaders unlock the door. They follow established routines by hanging up their bags and placing their lunch boxes and water bottles in designated areas. Children warmly greet their friends and choose activities together. The welcoming environment helps them feel happy, safe, secure and valued.

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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning, benefit from a broad range of additional experiences. Visits to the local church and sessions with the school 'Lollipop lady' help children learn about their community and to cross the road safely. By observing caterpillars develop into butterflies and then releasing them, children deepen their understanding of the natural world. Making pizzas helps them develop practical cooking skills and learn about healthy food.

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

The needs of children and their families are understood by key persons. This knowledge enables staff to plan appropriate activities that capture children's interests and sustain their engagement. For example, children enjoy cutting modelling dough and creating animal shapes, such as frogs. They imitate frog sounds and laugh together. Staff observe children closely, record their achievements and identify areas where they need further support.

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

Children are encouraged to act independently and adapt activities to reflect their ideas. For example, children take paintbrushes outdoors to paint toy trucks and identify the colour blue. They enjoy stories and songs and participate enthusiastically. Staff recognise when children are ready for a new challenge and adjust activities accordingly.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff use all activities to extend children's learning as they play, and have a consistent focus on securing excellence for all children. Leaders should ensure that all staff have sufficient skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of all children, but particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning.

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Address:

The Parish Rooms Chart Road, Sutton Valence Maidstone ME17 3AW

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Early Learning Steps Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 03:00

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, parents and children during the inspection. The inspector viewed written comments from parents.

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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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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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