Millom Stepping Stones

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is goodnThe manager is a well-qualified, knowledgeable and passionate early years practitioner.

She focuses on ensuring that every child progresses well from their unique starting points. The manager works closely with a committed team of directors and her staff to achieve this outcome.nPartnerships with parents are excellent and highly effective at supporting children's learning.

For example, parents are delighted that they can access observations and assessments online and have valuable discussions with staff as they drop off and pick up their children. nThe manager ensures that all staff place safeguarding children at the heart of everything they do. Saf...eguarding knowledge is excellent, policies and procedures are extremely robust and evident in practice.

Staff focus on keeping children safe, wherever they play.nThe environment for learning is vibrant, welcoming and inviting for children. They are keen to engage in play from the moment they enter the setting.

Children form strong bonds with staff, who get to know them extremely well and build on their interests and fascinations.nChildren are extremely well supported to develop an understanding of their community. Staff have established very strong links with the local care home where children visit and spend time engaged in a range of activities with the elderly residents.

nStaff treat children with kindness and respect and are excellent role models. They help children to think about how their actions affect others. Children of all ages and stages of development play happily together.

They begin to understand and follow rules, are polite and behave extremely well.nAlthough staff engage in professional development, this is not yet sufficiently focused on what staff need to do to raise the quality of their teaching.nSometimes, children's learning is interrupted for long periods by routine activities, such as getting ready for outdoor play.

Also at this postcode