Footsteps Nursery Cannock

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Leaders have made multiple changes since the last inspection, such as strengthening the rest of the team's understanding of safeguarding. They have accurately identified ongoing weaknesses in the nursery and are committed to making improvements so that children make good progress. However, the ongoing improvements are still in their infancy due to the lack of time the new manager has had to fully embed these.

Leaders have a good understanding of what they want children to learn and are passionate about helping to prepare them for school. Children enjoy playing with friends, and activities are planned with children's interests in m...ind. Team members share familiar stories with children and involve them in 'bear hunts' around the nursery to further extend their knowledge.

Babies learn key words as team members narrate stories to them, naming familiar animals. Babies are encouraged to copy animal noises as team members sit close to them. This supports the development of children's early communication skills.

Team members form good relationships with children and their families. These are formed before children start to attend, through the completion of home visits. Leaders implement flexible settling-in sessions to meet the needs of children to ensure that they are settled and happy.

Team members attend to children's emotional needs. They comfort children when they become upset, giving them cuddles, which helps them to settle quickly.

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

Leaders provide opportunities for children to take part in extracurricular activities, such as baby yoga and cooking club.

Leaders recognise the benefit of providing these activities to broaden children's knowledge and development. As a result of these activities, children learn how to move in different ways and practise using mathematical concepts when weighing and mixing ingredients.Established daily routines are implemented across the nursery.

Some of these, however, are not well organised. For example, children often wait for long periods while meals are served. As a result, young children become restless and begin to wander around the room.

This leaves the environment feeling a little chaotic at times. In addition, transitions between lunch and sleep time are disjointed. Some children wander around unsure of what they need to do and walk over others who are settling to sleep.

This does not promote children's understanding of what is expected of them.Children generally behave well and learn how to treat their friends. They show some empathy towards their peers.

However, children are not taught how to respect the environment or resources. Children drop toys on the floor and walk over books. Team members do not teach children how to look after resources or implement expectations about keeping the environment tidy.

As a result, children do not have a good enough understanding of how to behave in appropriate ways.Leaders meet with team members regularly. They have invested a substantial amount of time addressing actions that were previously raised by Ofsted.

Although leaders recognise weaknesses across the nursery and have supported team members to make some changes, they do not always monitor practice closely enough to ensure that the changes they have made are implemented consistently across the nursery. As a result, changes are not yet fully embedded.Important records are not always completed in line with nursery policy.

For example, the current procedures for informing parents of when medication is given is not effective. Some notifications have not been responded to on the current electronic system. This means that leaders cannot be sure that parents or carers have knowledge of medication being administered.

Team members feel supported by leaders and have access to training opportunities. They have recently refreshed their safeguarding training and feel they are supported to develop their own professional knowledge and skills. However, team members who are employed through an agency do not have the same opportunities to enhance their own development.

As a result, they do not have the same level of knowledge, and this impacts on the quality of experiences children receive.Team members interact well with children. They sing songs that children are keen to join in with.

They regularly share stories with children to support their communication development. They ask children questions and offer key words to name characters in a book. There are times, however, when team members do not give children sufficient time to work things out for themselves or respond to questions.

This means that children do not make as much progress in their learning as they are able to.Parent partnerships are a key focus at the nursery. Leaders value parental input into children's learning and understand their role in helping children to make the progress they are capable of.

Nursery routines mirror those from home as far as possible, and transitions between rooms are planned in collaboration with parents and carers. Parents are invited into the nursery to take part in activities and are provided with regular newsletters to inform them of upcoming activities and events.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date improve the organisation of routines, with particular reference to mealtimes and sleep times 31/01/2025 improve staff's understanding of how to support children's behaviour effectively 31/01/2025 monitor and support staff practice more closely to ensure improvements within the nursery are completely embedded 31/01/2025 improve the procedures for ensuring all records are completed in line with nursery policy 31/01/2025 ensure all staff, including agency staff, have access to the same opportunities for training to further improve the quality of experiences for children.31/01/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to understand when to give children time to work things out for themselves.