First Steps Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time in the nursery.

Staff treat all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as individuals and ensure that they all have access to the same play opportunities. As a result, all children are confident, happy, and feel valued. They form secure bonds with the caring and attentive staff and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging.

Babies' routines at home are followed closely at nursery, which adds to their sense of security as they settle into the nursery. Children behave well and form good friendships with each other. They seek each other out to ...play and share experiences with.

Young children are starting to learn the importance of sharing and taking turns.Children have access to a wide range of interesting resources and activities which staff plan based on their individual needs and interests. Babies demonstrate a strong exploratory impulse as they engage in sensory play.

For instance, they grasp porridge and watch with awe as it sprinkles through their fingers. Younger children are immersed in creating their own jewellery with dough. They practise their fine motor skills as they roll, mould, and decorate it with brightly coloured confetti.

Older children concentrate intently as they put shapes together to make pictures on cork boards with hammers and tacks. Children thoroughly enjoy playing in the well-resourced garden area, where they get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The manager and her staff team are passionate about helping all children achieve the most that they are capable of.

There is a clear focus on ensuring that those children with SEND or who are at risk of falling behind their peers receive prompt and targeted support. They work very well in partnership with parents and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to help those children move on to the next stage in their learning.The focus of the well-sequenced curriculum is well understood by staff, who monitor children's development closely.

The manager encourages staff to contribute ideas for the curriculum content. Staff know their key children well and what they need to do help them to move on to the next stage of their learning. They provide lots of opportunities to help children consolidate their knowledge.

Staff share this information as a team to ensure continuity. As a result, all children make good progress.Staff plan a wide range of interesting learning opportunities for children, both indoors and outdoors.

For example, younger children are completely immersed in an activity around 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. They learn the language of weight, size and texture as they explore the porridge they pour into the bowls. However, there are times when staff do not consistently focus their interactions to ensure that children are wholly challenged or fully benefit from the intended learning.

The manager drives a strong ethos in considering parents as colleagues. Staff regularly involve parents in the planning of what their children need to learn next. Parents speak positively about the manager and her staff team.

They feel that their children are happy and well cared for and that they make good progress in their learning.Children of all ages have access to a wide range of books. Older children have immense fun as they learn about word structures while tapping the number of syllables in the names of animals in a book.

This positively supports children's speech development. However, there are times when staff do not make the most of all opportunities to encourage children to express themselves or introduce new vocabulary; for example, when children engage in self-chosen play, or during mealtimes.Staff provide clear expectations for behaviour.

Older children are learning the importance of waiting their turn and following instruction in readiness for school. Children learn why some behaviours are not acceptable, through the patient, calm and kind guidance of staff.Children develop important independence skills from a young age.

For example, they have opportunities to serve their own vegetables at lunchtime and pour their own drinks. Young children are starting to manage their own self-care needs independently. Older children recognise that they need to wash their own hands after using the toilet.

The manager and deputy regularly evaluate the quality of the provision, and there are clear, ongoing plans for improvement. They have a good understanding of areas of staff practice which need to be enhanced through their regular observations and monitoring. Staff feel as though they have regular opportunities to meet with their manager on a one-to-one basis and feel well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff receive regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. Overall, they demonstrate a good understanding of the signs which could indicate a child is at risk.

They are clear about the procedures they must follow to keep children safe, including the whistle-blowing procedure. The premises are safe and secure. Staff supervise children very well and have a clear understanding of how to support their individual dietary needs, such as allergies.

They positively support children to recognise how to keep themselves and each other safe. The manager monitors records of minor accidents to make sure that steps are taken to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus coaching of staff to help them tailor their interactions during activities so that children consistently benefit from the intended learning and receive the highest levels of challenge develop staff's understanding of how to fully support children's early speech development.