Forward Steps (Yorkshire) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, safe and secure in this fun and engaging setting. They seek out staff to join in with their play and are keen to show visitors what they are doing. Staff have high expectations for all children's learning, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language. Staff are good role models and interact positively with children. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement as they play. This helps children to develop a can-do attitude towards their learning. Children are eager to do things for themselves and try out new skills. For example, babies persist until they successfully fit animal shapes into a puzzle.

Staff celebrate children's achievements with smiles and cheers. Children are confident and independent. They successfully meet their own care needs, such as washing their hands before they eat. Older children pour their own water and serve their own lunch as they practise self-care skills. Children are well behaved and are aware of what is expected of them. Older children talk about the setting's 'golden rules' and follow them well. They show good listening skills as they engage in small-group activities where they practise sharing and taking turns. Babies learn about kindness and gently take care of soft toys.

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

• The manager and staff have worked together with local schools to develop their curriculum goals. They want children to leave the setting ready for their future learning. Staff plan learning opportunities that help children to become confident and independent. However, at times, they plan mainly adult-led activities for older children. Staff do not provide as many opportunities for older children to initiate their own play and exploration in order to consolidate and enrich their learning.
• The key-person system is effective. Children have secure attachments with staff, who know them well. Staff confidently talk about what children are interested in and where they are in their development. They understand what each child needs to learn next and how they are going to help them to make progress.
• Knowledgeable and experienced staff support children's communication and language development extremely well. They speak clearly and chat to children as they play. Staff engage children in conversations and support them to learn new words and explore their meaning. For instance, during a story, older children explore the words 'larder' and 'jig'.
• Mealtimes are a social occasion where children and staff sit together. They chat about children's experiences and friendships at nursery. Children demonstrate good manners and say 'please' and 'thank you' without being prompted by staff. They learn about the importance of having a healthy diet and discuss the positive effects that vegetables have on their bodies. For instance, children know that cabbage will help to make them 'big and strong'.
• The manager successfully monitors staff performance through regular observations and supervisions. She evaluates the quality of education and has robust training procedures in place to support staff to develop their skills and knowledge further. For example, staff have recently completed training to help them to further support children's communication and language development and to support those children who speak English as an additional language.
• Self-evaluation procedures are effective. The manager is ambitious and has clear plans in place to develop the setting so that all children make progress. For example, she has plans to develop the outdoor area in the summer so that children can plant and grow more. The manager is keen for children to start visiting places of interest in the local community once more, including the library, shop and parks, to help them to learn more about the world around them.
• The manager ensures that children receive any additional funding that they are entitled to. She works alongside staff and parents to decide how funding could be used to promote the best possible progress for their children.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff regularly share photos and information with parents about their children's learning and development through an online platform. Parents speak positively about the setting and compliment the manager and staff. They say that their children are happy and make progress in their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities for older children to choose their own play and activities to help them to consolidate and enrich their own learning.