Stepping Stones Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children form strong and beneficial relationships with their key persons and the other staff working at the pre-school, which helps to foster their confidence and well-being very effectively.

Staff are very kind and extremely patient. Children flourish on the individual attention they receive. Parents say that staff are flexible in their approach for each child and what works best for them, and that they can absolutely trust their child is valued, safe, nurtured and thriving at the pre-school.

Staff create a calm and caring atmosphere. Their thoughtful, sensitive interactions provide good support for children. Staff pl...an interesting new experiences and group times to extend children's knowledge and skills.

Children's communication, language and social skills develop effectively, including children who speak English as an additional language and two-year-olds in receipt of funding. Their confidence and self-awareness progress well. For instance, children happily reply to staff who use greetings in their home language, and staff encourage other children to do the same.

Staff offer strong, consistent support to develop children's speech and progress their skills, modelling language and using actions and signs to reinforce their messages and ensure that children understand. Children listen well and are keen to learn. They proudly recognise different noises in a sound game.

They enjoy stories and readily join in with songs and action games.

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

Staff observe children as they play, tracking their achievements carefully. They know children well and develop good partnerships with parents.

Staff ensure that there is a strong two-way flow of information with parents through daily chats, entries in the pre-school's online system and regular parents' meetings. Staff follow children's interests and focus carefully on their individual learning needs, home cultures, languages, and religions.Children make good progress.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who need additional help are closely supported. Leaders and staff, such as the special educational needs coordinator, give high priority to working with other professionals. They identify and carry out interventions to enable children to achieve their potential and be well prepared for their move on to school.

Children are curious and are keen to explore and create. They connect blocks and construct items such as an aeroplane. They pay attention to details and carefully select blocks of the right size and colour for their design.

However, staff do not always plan activities to encourage children to experiment in their own ways. Some creative areas lack variety, or staff do not adapt activities to help children test out their ideas and try different techniques and materials. Consequently, children's creative thinking and exploration does not develop as much as it could.

Staff are responsive to children's needs and quickly give lots of reassurance and support when children are upset or struggling to understand expectations. Children show respect for staff, listening to them and beginning to learn about the needs of others. They share toys and start to play cooperatively.

Staff offer very timely and effective help for children who require additional support.Children are happy to take on challenges and do things for themselves. They proudly put their pictures into their tubs to ensure that they take them home.

They tidy and put things away, helping staff carry mats to the cupboard. However, staff do not consistently encourage children with other tasks, such as getting their bags or putting their coats on. Additionally, at times, staff do things for the children instead of encouraging them to try for themselves, such as opening packets or peeling fruit.

This means that children's sense of responsibility and self-care skills do not develop as much as possible.The long-standing staff team work well together. They hold daily briefings and regular meetings to share ideas and plans.

Staff morale is high. The pre-school leader regularly conducts review meetings with staff. She supports them to attend training, focusing this on the changing needs of the children who attend.

All staff show dedication to achieving good outcomes for the children, and effectively support children with a complex and diverse range of needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The pre-school leader undertakes higher-level child protection training.

She uses this, together with regular updates from the local authority, to lead the safeguarding practice at the pre-school. Staff also refresh their knowledge through training. The staff team follows clear risk assessment procedures for all areas, implementing these well to effectively identify and minimise hazards to children.

They understand what to do if they are worried about the children or if they have concerns about another member of staff. They are vigilant in their security procedures and their supervision of the children, to ensure that children receive good care and are kept safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend the opportunities for children to develop their creativity, supporting them to test out their ideas and develop their creative thinking and exploration as much as possible make the most of opportunities to encourage children to do things for themselves and develop their independence skills further.