First Steps Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and enjoy their learning in this nursery. The bright, stimulating learning environments inside and outdoors are welcoming and encourage children to explore and have a go. Children enjoy warm relationships with staff and receive good levels of care.

When they become poorly and are waiting to be collected, children are sensitively reassured and cuddled as staff are kind and nurturing.Children make good progress in their learning and development. They enjoy a broad range of activities that meet their individual learning needs and interests.

For example, babies explore and investigate cereal, an...d toddlers are in awe of the visiting police car's lights and siren. Pre-school children learn about the role of the police community support officer and how they can keep themselves safe when travelling in a car or visiting a supermarket. Children benefit from a consistent team of staff who all work very well together with the management team to continually improve and develop the service they offer.

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

When children first begin at the nursery, staff gather a broad range of information to help establish children's starting points. Children's key persons know them very well and work closely with parents to share ongoing information about their children's progress and how they can further support this at home.Regular and accurate assessments are completed of children's learning and development.

These help staff to quickly identify where there may be gaps or delay and take appropriate action to seek outside professional support if required. Planning reflects different topics, children's next steps in learning and their interests. This ensures that activities are meaningful and encourage good levels of engagement.

However, sometimes, staff do not give children enough time to demonstrate what they already know, or consider their responses before more questions are posed to them.Babies are cared for in a separate mobile building. They receive very good levels of care and enjoy the company of attentive staff.

Low-level furniture gives them lots of opportunities to cruise around until they are able to walk independently. Babies' individual routines from home are followed and parents are given written and verbal information about their child's day.Toddlers show that they are beginning to understand about the world and mimic familiar experiences.

For example, they lay dollies on their tummies on the floor, sit between them with their legs crossed and gently pat their backs to get them to sleep. Pre-school children enjoy exploring blocks of ice. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'shard' and 'cavity', as children use warm water and tools to try to find the items that are hidden deep in the ice.

However, sometimes, children are not able to finish activities to their own satisfaction as staff make the decision about when to move them on.Children are encouraged to have a love of reading and stories, which supports their early literacy development. Babies are engrossed in electronic books and repeat animal names and the sounds they make.

Pre-school children enjoy core storybooks and lots of activities to extend this interest. A library enables children to take books home to share with their families.Staff have broadened the curriculum for mathematics since the last inspection.

They have attended training to give them ideas, which have been implemented successfully in the nursery. For example, children use large-scale measuring equipment, freely access the mathematics areas and create height charts outside.Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they are fully aware of children's allergies and any dietary requirements.

The nursery cook creates a varied and nutritionally balanced menu and takes account of children's specific needs. Children enjoy their meals and eagerly serve themselves.Recruitment procedures are robust.

Staff have regular supervision meetings to reflect on their practice. Risk assessments are implemented effectively, which helps to assure children's safety.Feedback from parents is overwhelmingly positive.

For example, they comment, 'We are so pleased with our choice of nursery' and, 'I have no hesitation recommending the nursery and staff to all friends and family.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a thorough knowledge of their responsibility to protect children from harm and neglect.

They know where to report any concerns to, including allegations against a colleague, and in what circumstances. Since the last inspection, staff have developed their understanding of wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty, and how this may relate to the young children they care for.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: give children more opportunities and time to demonstrate what they already know and are thinking during activities so that adult interaction is of the most benefit to children's learning find and implement innovative ways to give children the opportunity to finish activities to their own satisfaction before being asked to move on.