Key Steps Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and separate from their parents with ease.

They are independent and free to make choices in their play. Children settle quickly because staff are nurturing and caring. Staff support babies to feel safe and secure.

They are attentive to their needs, offering reassurance, comfort and cuddles. Staff support children's physical development well. Children enjoy playing in the outside area, running, riding the tricycles, and balancing carefully on the equipment.

Inside, children make marks with purpose, using a range of resources. Older children learn to cut with scissors competently and are st...arting to identify and write their own names. They have fun modelling and rolling the dough as they develop use of their hand muscles.

Children are confident and are showing readiness for their next stage in learning, including school.Children learn how to be kind, considerate and well mannered because of staff's skilful role modelling. They behave extremely well.

They have exceptional attitudes to their learning. For example, children explore a variety of activities, including building panels, playing with bricks, and water play. They cooperate and share independently as they work in collaboration to build a den.

Children are deeply engaged in their play together.

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

Staff use their knowledge of child development and the different areas of learning to deliver the curriculum well. For example, staff teach toddlers how to use their big muscles to develop their core strength.

They help older children to exercise their hands and fingers ready for practising using writing tools. However, the knowledge of some staff of how to implement the curriculum for mathematics is less well developed. This affects how well some children develop their knowledge of mathematical concepts relating to number, shape, space and measure.

Children behave exceptionally well. They show kindness and consideration towards their friends. For example, children kindly offer to share toys with each other as they play in the outdoor space.

They continuously demonstrate excellent manners, saying 'thank you' and 'please' at snack and mealtimes. Children help the staff to tidy up the room during the routine transitions and, in return, staff praise children's efforts with words of encouragement. Staff use effective behavioural strategies that are individual to the child.

For instance, staff quickly identify children who struggle to self-regulate their behaviour. They offer calm and reassuring support. Children from an early age demonstrate they understand and can express their feelings in a positive way.

Staff focus on developing children's communication skills. They use signing as an additional form of communication for children who are developing their speaking skills. Very young children receive good support as they progress from saying single words to putting two or three words together.

Staff speak slowly and clearly, using simple words and phrases, to support children's understanding. They describe what children are doing and ask lots of questions. However, staff do not always give children enough time to think about what they are being asked, to build their communication skills even further.

Children's independence is supported well. Children enjoy making choices, based on their interests, about their play. For example, they choose whether to play inside or outside, select their own toys and clear away after themselves during lunchtime.

Children's health and hygiene are supported effectively. Children wash their hands before eating and have discussions about healthy foods and the importance of good oral health. This helps children to understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

Managers have created a strong staff team, and staff are confident in their roles and enjoy coming to work. Staff feel well supported and have lots of opportunities to continue their professional development. They regularly attend training courses relevant to the needs of the children in their care.

For example, staff recently took a course around behaviour. This guided them to build children's emotional development even further.Parent partnerships are strong.

Parents describe the staff as 'kind, friendly and approachable'. Parents mention that their children have made good progress with their confidence, language and self-care skills. Staff speak to parents daily and use an online childcare application to communicate children's achievements and share information.

Parents have positive views about the nursery and highly recommend it to others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures.

They can identify signs of physical abuse and neglect. Staff have a confident knowledge of the process involved to report a concern about a child or an adult. They are aware of who to report a concern to, both in the nursery or to outside agencies.

Staff know where safeguarding information is should they need it. They extend their knowledge of safeguarding by discussing it during staff meetings and training.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to extend all aspects of mathematical concepts to develop children's skills further give children more time to process their thoughts while in conversation with them and when asking them questions.