Footsteps Nursery Lichfield Road

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy on arrival at the nursery. They are greeted warmly by familiar staff who are kind and caring towards them. The close relationships formed between children and key staff are evident.

Children readily go to staff to play and for cuddles and reassurance. This helps children settle quickly and feel safe and secure in their care. Children are keen to explore the play environment set out specifically for them.

Staff arrange the equipment to enable children to access resources for themselves. For example, babies use their senses to explore and feel various items safely, such as the textures of soft hairbrus...hes, while others practise crawling across the room at speed to collect brightly coloured balls that they focus on. Toddlers collect various vehicles of interest and happily sing a familiar song about a bus while they play.

Children generally behave well. They respond well to staff reminders to use their good manners. The oldest children routinely say 'please' and 'thank you' at mealtimes.

Children develop the skills they need to play cooperatively and initiate turn-taking successfully when using the walkway that they have created together with planks and crates. Children gain the knowledge and understanding they need to prepare them for the next stage in their learning and the eventual move on to school.

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

The nursery curriculum is ambitious for what is intended for children to learn throughout the nursery.

Staff find out about children's prior learning from parents when they start to attend. This helps staff to prepare and adapt the play environments and plan for learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do.Communication and language is promoted effectively for all children, including those in need of additional support.

Staff use clear speech and repetition for children to hear words that are said correctly. They include new words in context during play, which helps children to understand their meaning and build on their vocabulary. Staff ensure that children have time to think and respond during conversations.

As a result, the oldest children become confident talkers, using well-structured sentences to express their ideas.All children regularly enjoy singing and listening to stories. This helps the youngest children to hear familiar and new words and to build on their vocabulary.

Toddlers become engrossed when listening to popular stories that are read by staff with enthusiasm. For example, staff vary the voices for different characters and giggle together with children while they read. Children listen closely and jump in with repeated rhymes during the story, as they have learned the sequence of events that follow.

Generally, children have fun during group activities and learn to wait their turn to speak. However, at times, when more than one activity is taking place for the oldest children, the organisation of these groups means that each group distracts the other, which impacts children's engagement in the intended learning.Children are provided with a varied menu of healthy meals and snacks, which they enjoy eating.

However, the arrangements at mealtimes for older babies and young children leave them waiting for long periods before receiving their meals with little interaction or engagement in activity.Children develop increasing independence over time. For instance, babies learn to feed themselves, toddlers manage cutlery and begin to manage their self-care.

The oldest children are keen to complete tasks for themselves, such as dressing in outdoor clothing and carrying their meals to the table.Children have fun while they develop their physical skills. For example, they strengthen the muscles in their fingers while they stretch and poke the play dough.

They practise and strengthen their cutting skills using scissors and a range of other tools to create their intended shapes. Others are excited to use brushes or their hands to explore play foam. Children show high levels of focus and control while they paint and spread a range of objects with the foam.

Staff include new language such as 'slippery' to describe how the foam feels.Managers ensure that staff receive the support, guidance and training they need to continue their professional development and strengthen their teaching practice. Staff speak positively about how the training and discussions help them to develop their skills further.

Parents are happy with the nursery, and they say their children enjoy attending. They speak highly of staff and comment positively on the relationships they have built with their children. Parents are happy with the information they receive about their children's care and learning.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the arrangements for large-group activities to enable children to remain engaged in purposeful play and learning revise the arrangements at mealtimes so that younger children continue to build on their social interactions at the table and receive their meals when they are ready.