Positive Steps Childcare LTD

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children enter the setting confidently and are greeted warmly by staff. They settle quickly as they join in their favourite activities.

Staff are caring and nurturing towards children. As children play, staff support their communication and language development. For example, staff playfully interact with children, ask them questions and listen carefully to identify what each child knows.

Children learn about the world around them as staff walk them to the park. When children discover a squirrel, staff ask them questions to help them recall previous learning. Staff promote children's understanding of daily routines and goo...d hygiene practices.

Children know to wash their hands and sit at the table ready for snack time.Children eagerly explore the activities on offer. Staff support them as they access different activities.

Children explore paint and collage materials as they create cards for their families to celebrate Eid. They develop the small muscles in their hands as they tip and pour sand into a variety of containers. However, staff are not always clear about what they want the children to learn from activities or how they can support their individual learning.

The manager does not recognise the weaknesses in staff teaching or provide enough support to help them improve their skills. Consequently, children are not consistently supported to make the best possible progress.

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

Overall, the manager is keen to improve and enhance the setting.

However, she does not identify the weaknesses in staff practice or provide them with the coaching, support and training they need. Staff are unclear about the manager's intent for children's learning. Although staff generally engage with children as they play, they do not consistently support their next steps in learning and help them build on what they already know.

Children generally behave well. For instance, they follow staff instructions as they prepare to go outside. However, some staff are not clear when sharing their expectations of the children.

For example, they do not talk to children about safe walking as they make their way to the park. When some children struggle to walk in line, staff react and redirect them rather than gently explaining their expectations and reasons why these are necessary.Staff provide a range of activities to help children build their physical skills.

For example, children move and stretch in time to music. They develop their coordination and balance as they dance and join in the actions of familiar rhymes. However, at present, the outdoor area is still being developed and is not in use.

While staff take some children on a daily walk, not all children currently access the outdoors to help benefit their health and well-being.The manager and her deputy seek advice from other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They develop individual development plans to help support children to make progress.

However, staff sometimes overlook children with SEND and do not always give them the level of support they need to make the progress they are capable of.Staff work well with parents. Parents are complimentary about the friendly, caring and calm staff.

They know their child's key person and receive information at the end of each day on what their child has learned and the progress they are making. Parents say the manager and her staff encourage them to help their children learn at home by suggesting activities. Staff offer advice on potty training to help children develop these skills at home.

Staff support children to build their independence skills. Children are helped to serve themselves healthy snacks and pour their drinks. Children are encouraged to make independent choices as they select their favourite activities.

They confidently collect their lunch boxes, sit at the table and open them independently. These activities help children to prepare for the next stage of their education.

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 and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure staff receive robust coaching, support and training to enhance their understanding of the curriculum and improve their teaching practice.12/07/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen staff interactions with children to role model how they expect children to behave and sensitively share expectations strengthen daily routines to promote all children's health and well-being strengthen support for children with SEND.