Stepping Stones Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive content and thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery. They happily leave their parents when settled in their respective rooms with caring and warm staff. Children develop secure relationships with their key person. They feel safe and secure, knowing their needs will be met. They confidently go to them for support with activities, reassurance and a cuddle when needed.

Children are familiar with the routines of the day. They know what is expected of them and are visibly proud when they are praised for their achievements. For example, they have big smiles on their face as a staff member praises them for excellent singing and turn taking. Children demonstrate wonderful manners and behaviour towards their friends and adults.

Children explore and develop their imagination through a stimulating selection of activities and resources. For example, when children make a cake, they independently select from a wide range of ingredients to make a very interesting mixture. They discuss the theme of the cake, changing it from lemon to chocolate by adding different powder paint. Children are engrossed in their play and imagination as the mixture turns to many creations as other children add to it. As a result, children develop a creative imagination and are encouraged to use it.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum that follows children's interests and considers what children need to learn next. Children are enthusiastic and have a positive attitude to their learning. For example, children discuss what floats or sinks. They consider the weight, deciding what it will do as they add it to the water. Children make good progress in their learning and development, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children are encouraged to be independent from a young age. They happily help to tidy their activities away ready for story time. Children help staff to set the tables for lunch. They serve their own meals and pour their drinks, developing good coordination skills. Toddlers carefully use knives to cut up fruit and bread, learning how to use knives safely. Children learn to be independent as a result.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language development well. For example, they read stories and sing a wide range of songs and rhymes. Children enthusiastically sing out loud as they walk back from the park. They confidently talk and ask questions about what they see as they walk. However, staff do not always consider the abilities of babies to listen for prolonged periods of time, or understand what is being taught, such as circle time. As a result, babies sometimes become restless and not engaged in the activities.
• Children have opportunities, both indoor and outdoors, to build on their increasing physical abilities. Children are very excited as they watch their new outdoor area being renovated. Children walk to the local park, developing an understanding of road safety. They climb and swing on the equipment and enjoy running around. However, staff were unaware of gate changes at the park, which resulted in unplanned additional supervision being needed.
• Children are provided with good opportunities to learn where food comes from. For example, as they cut up fruit, they discuss where this is grown. They talk about how potatoes need, soil, water, and sunshine to grow. Children cut up raisin bread and learn how grapes become raisins. As a result, children develop a good understanding of the food they eat.
• Currently, the wider management team are overseeing the setting until the new manager starts. Parents have been informed. This ensures staff and children continue to receive consistent support and development from familiar management. Staff supervisions are completed regularly to give staff opportunities to discuss safeguarding and child development. Any learning opportunities are identified and actioned. This ensures staff continue to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Partnership with parents is good. Information about their child's daily routine is shared with parents on collection. Children's developmental assessments are completed each term and shared with parents. However, some parents do not understand what this information means for their child's development. This limits the targeted support parents can provide at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the focus and length of time when babies play together, to better support their communication and language skills
• ensure risk assessments are carried out prior to outings to ensure additional safety measures are planned for
• ensure parents understand the information provided to them regarding their child's learning and development, including home learning opportunities.