Early Steps Daycare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify children's individual needs early and act quickly. Staff use observation and assessment to identify children's emerging needs. They engage in timely liaison with external agencies where appropriate. Typically, staff use visual prompts, key vocabulary in children's home languages and predictable routines, to enable all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, to participate meaningfully.

Generally, leaders monitor children's progress closely and use these checks to refine next steps. They adopt the curriculum to meet children's individual needs to help them thrive. Leaders and staff share effective strategies with parents and carers so they can continue their children's learning at home. This helps to provide level of consistency in children's learning and development.

Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully for targeted time and resources. For example, they provide increased adult support during small-group work. Children known or previously known to children's social care and children with SEND are monitored. Leaders ensure that records are clear and accurate. They evaluate the impact of support that children receive to ensure they make steady progress from their individual starting points.

Overall, leaders provide staff training, which is developing staff's confidence to adapt routines and experiences responsively, however, not all staff yet consistently support SEND children's thinking and communication and language skills

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened curriculum sequencing so that experiences are built on what children know and can do. Leaders ensure that staff use assessment effectively. Staff assess children's prior knowledge and tailor activities to their different starting points. Staff build children's early mathematical understanding through daily routines and planned experiences. For instance, matching quantities to numerals, comparing sizes and talking about position and pattern. Staff promote physical development indoors and outdoors. For example, children have frequent opportunities to practise core strength, balance and fine motor control.

Staff make appropriate adaptations for disadvantaged children, those with special educational need and those who speak English as an additional language. For example, they simplify instructions, repeat new vocabulary and use visual supports.

Leaders evaluate the curriculum that is being delivered and identify areas to improve further. Staff typically teach the curriculum well. However, they are times when interactions are not yet consistently rich in language or challenge. At these times, children can get distracted or lose focus as staff do not fully extend their learning as they play and during daily routines.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children including those receiving additional funding, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known or previously known to children's social care make steady progress from their starting points. Typically, children secure foundational knowledge in all areas of development. Overall, children develop language and communication skills and use these to communicate their needs. They demonstrate their mathematical knowledge and show pride in their knowledge. For example, they proudly count in front of one another and adults present.

Children develop their physical skills with plenty of opportunities to develop both small and large muscles. Children know they need to wash their hands before mealtime, showing they know the hygiene routines. As a result, children become increasingly independent, confident and ready for their next stage of education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders establish clear and age-appropriate expectations for behaviour that children understand and follow. Staff attend training to strengthen their understanding of supporting children's behaviour in a positive way. This helps staff to teach children about kindness and respect. Children behave well and respond positively to guidance from staff. Relationships between staff and children are warm and positive. Children collaborate, take turns and typically stay engaged during activities, including outdoors, where they negotiate space and share resources safely. Overall, leaders and staff work together to create a positive, inclusive and respectful setting for everyone. Clear routines help children to feel safe and secure.

Leaders' work with families has improved attendance and punctuality with targeted support, where patterns of absence emerge. Staff consider children's stage of development and individual needs when helping them follow routines. For example, by using visual schedules, prompts and a calm tone. Where children need additional help, staff typically provide them with tailored support so they can participate well alongside peers. This helps to build their confidence in their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted well. Care practices meet children's individual needs effectively. Staff recognise those children who need sleep and follow safer sleeper practices. Secure attachments are fostered through consistent key-person relationships, which help children feel safe, soothed and ready to learn. Leaders and staff implement effective allergy management and risk assessments, to ensure children's safety. Children have daily access to outdoor play, where they develop their physical skills. Overall, staff supervision of outdoor spaces is attentive and proportionate.

Children learn about healthy choices and personal safety through daily conversations and modelling. For example, staff support children with handwashing, safe climbing and tidy-up routines. Generally, staff support children to notice and name emotions, offering words and visuals to help them regulate. Routines, such as mealtimes and transitions, are typically used to promote independence.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have taken meaningful action since the previous inspection and regulatory visits. They have improved safeguarding practice, staff deployment, paediatric first-aid arrangements, staff's understanding of behaviour expectations and premises safety. Oversight of notifications and record-keeping is now stronger and consistent.

Partnership work supports children and families, especially those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are known to children's social care. Leaders always act in the best interests of children. Additional funding is used carefully to help all children to make steady progress and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Leaders understand the setting's strengths and the areas that could be further developed. Recent staffing changes mean leaders are prioritising the recruitment of suitable, qualified staff and consolidating induction, supervision and daily coaching so improvements continue and are exceeded over time. Leaders consider staff workload, when making decisions. However, their coaching is not always precise enough to secure consistent curriculum implementation, through language-rich teaching to further support children's engagement, thinking and communication and language skills. This means that, on occasions, children can get distracted or lose focus as staff do not fully extend their learning as they play and during daily routines.