1st Stepping Stones Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop strong relationships with their key person and they settle quickly on arrival. Older children demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence as they move around the playroom to explore the wide range of resources accessible to them. Children display very keen interests in their play and they also learn to make decisions about what they want to do. For example, children spend a long time exploring with different role-play resources in the home corner and they use their imagination effectively to bring their ideas to life. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop social skills and form positive relationships with others. They support them to develop good communication and language skills. For example, staff ask questions about their play and children respond appropriately. Children enjoy regular visits to the local park, where they have access to physical resources, such as a large climbing frame, slide and swing. This helps to strengthen children's balance, movement and coordination. Staff have high expectations of children. They work closely with parents to support children to manage their feelings and to teach them right from wrong. Subsequently, children display positive behaviour and they treat others well.

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

• Staff plan a range of exciting activities to promote children's curiosity and learning. For example, young children enjoy exploring and pretending to drive different vehicles around. They learn to press the buttons and they watch the flashing lights while copying the different sounds that they hear.
• Staff support children's language and literacy skills well. For example, they use a range of props to help bring the stories to life. Children show great interest in books and they listen attentively to familiar stories. Older children confidently answer questions about what they can see on the page. Staff engage with them in conversation and introduce a wide range of vocabulary.
• Older children learn to manage their self-care needs on their own. For instance, they use the toilet themselves and learn to dress for outdoor play. Children help with small tasks, such as setting up the plates and cups for lunch, which helps them to gain a sense of responsibility.
• Staff support children to develop good health and well-being. They provide healthy food for them to eat, plan opportunities for regular exercise and talk to them about brushing their teeth.
• Children behave well and any minor disagreements are swiftly handled by staff. New children to the nursery are beginning to understand the rules and boundaries. Staff act as positive role models for children to see and to know the behaviour they expect from them.
• Staff observe and assess children's progress, helping them to build on what they already know and can do. This includes children with special educational needs
• Inspection report: 1st Stepping Stones Nursery School 20 September 2021 2 and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents to make referrals, to seek support from other professionals for children with gaps in their development. In comparison with their starting points, children make good progress with their development and they are prepared well for the next stage of learning and their move on to school.
• The manager ensures staff maintain constant communication with parents and they share ideas to extend children's learning at home. Parents talk very highly of the nursery. For example, parents feel staff are friendly and easy to approach. They feel their children are making good progress and have increased their independence and confidence.
• The manager consistently evaluates the ongoing performance of the nursery and considers the views of staff and parents. Staff feel they are managed well, receive good support and are given meaningful professional development opportunities.
• Staff do not consistently support some children that find it challenging to maintain interest during group activities. As a result, these children would leave the activity and play alone without an adult interaction.
• On occasion, staff do not implement activities to support older children's mathematics skills effectively. For example, they do not support children to develop an understanding of basic shapes before moving them on to more complex mathematical concepts.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of group activities to ensure all children are consistently supported to meet their learning needs
• enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop their mathematical skills.
• Inspection report: 1st Stepping Stones Nursery School 20 September 2021 3