Stepping Stones Pre-School and Kid’s Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily engage in meaningful play and learning during child-led times of the day. They enjoy making choices about how to spend their time in the highly motivating and engaging learning environments indoors and outdoors.

Staff are very responsive to the children and they sensitively engage in play with them. They use questions and modelling to extend children's learning. For example, in the role-play hospital, staff take on different roles and model appropriate language and behaviour.

Staff get to know children very well and this supports them to build on children's existing knowledge and interests effectively.... Adult-led activities provide further opportunities for learning. For example, children develop the confidence to share their own views, ideas and feelings.

They use sign language to tell their key group whether they are feeling happy or sad, and are encouraged to explain why. However, the organisation of some group activities does not fully support the needs of all children. Children behave well and staff respond quickly on occasions when they do need to intervene in children's play.

For example, they support children to take turns and share resources. Staff consistently interact calmly and positively with children. Children are familiar with the nursery routines and respond positively to staff requests.

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

Strong knowledge of what children know and can do supports staff to ensure children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Staff make regular observations of children's play and learning. This enables them to identify appropriate individual next steps, and build on current interests.

The manager closely monitors children's progress and supports staff to quickly identify and address any gaps in learning.Group activities ensure all children develop their literacy skills. They visibly enjoy listening to and getting involved with stories.

There are daily group opportunities for children to be physically active. However, at times, the organisation of groupings makes it difficult for staff to support all children to become fully engaged in learning.Children are well supported to develop their independence and self-help skills.

They learn to competently manage their outdoor clothing and give a detailed explanation of how they wash their hands properly. Children confidently move around the environment. They know where to find resources, and take pride in organising their own pictures to take home.

Support for language development is very effective. Staff provide a strong model of spoken language. They speak clearly and introduce new vocabulary frequently, such as 'sour' and 'millipede'.

Staff repeat phrases back to children; they extend sentences and correct pronunciation. Sign language is used to support the understanding of younger children and those with special educational needs.Children thoroughly enjoy engaging in self-initiated exploratory play with the exciting resources available.

They mix colours with watercolour paints, and persevere to cut up vegetables when they make 'stew' in the mud kitchen. Outdoors, children use magnifying glasses to investigate worms; indoors, they use them to study the inside of citrus fruits, before juicing and tasting them. However, the daily routine sometimes interrupts these activities, preventing children from being able to engage in learning for sustained periods of time.

Children interact confidently with other children and adults. Their early writing skills develop well as they write their name on their own drawings, fill in forms at the role-play hospital, and make marks in sand and on whiteboards with chalk. Children's knowledge of number and mathematical language develops well as staff skilfully incorporate it in their play.

For example, children consider how many eggs they will need to make four pancakes.The staff team work very closely together to continually develop the provision. They feel very well supported by the manager and owner.

Regular peer observations and supervisions support staff to develop their practice. Staff are encouraged to access available training.There are many opportunities throughout the year for parents to become involved with the setting and their child's learning, including art days, performances, stay and plays, and parents evenings.

Parents say that they are well informed of their children's learning and progress, and they value the range of opportunities provided for their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a strong understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children's welfare.

They are confident in their knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse, and the processes to follow if they are concerned about a child or about the behaviour of a member of staff. Statutory training for paediatric first aid and child protection is maintained. Staff have accessed training on wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty.

Regular updates, training and discussion take place within staff meetings. This ensures staff knowledge remains up to date and that staff continue to be confident to identify and act upon concerns.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of group activities to ensure that all children are able to fully benefit from the learning opportunities provided build on the already good opportunities provided for child-initiated play, to ensure children are able to become engaged in learning for sustained periods of time.

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