Stepping Stones Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from high-quality care and learning at this homely setting. They develop secure and trusting relationships with staff who care for them. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children become absorbed in their learning and show good creative skills. For instance, toddlers stomp through trays of various coloured paint and make different patterns on large sheets of paper on the ground. They explore a range of textures, such as flour and sand. Babies make dough and join in with baking activities, such as adding oats, banana and syrup together.

Older children show excellent thinking skills as they explore a wide range of different fruits, such as lemons, limes and melons. Children eagerly talk to staff and guess what they might see inside. They join in with conversations and think of ways that they might cut up large pieces of fruit like watermelons. Children develop an excellent range of vocabulary. They enthusiastically join in with stories and songs. Children finish off sentences with rhyming words and talk about what they think might happen next. This helps to develop children's communication and language skills.

Children show that they behave very well. They listen and respond to instructions given. Children are keen to help with tasks, such as helping to set up the table ahead of mealtimes. They show an eagerness to help others and show high levels of confidence when they are rewarded with a special pom-pom for their efforts. This helps to promote children's self-esteem.

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

• The dedicated and ambitious manager demonstrates an excellent understanding of what it is that she wants children to learn. She has high expectations for all staff and children. The curriculum is designed to offer all children an appropriate level of challenge to help develop essential skills for future learning. The manager works closely with the knowledgeable staff team to review and make necessary changes to the curriculum, according to the needs and interests of children.
• Partnership working with parents is a key strength of this setting. Parents speak very highly of the care that their children receive and are involved in all aspects of nursery life. They participate in the evaluation of the setting through questions and comments, including nominating staff for an 'employee of the month' award. Parents are provided with home learning tasks to help continue their children's learning at home. An example of this is parents are provided with gingerbread snacks and recipes, which their children enjoyed doing at nursery.
• Staff take children on outings to the local library and supermarket. Children experience using public transport and show a preference for being outdoors.
• Older children complete science experiments, such as adding sweets to fizzy pop and watching as the pop fizzes and erupts. Children play on bikes and navigate the space around them. They show good physical skills as they are able to stop and start when instructed. However, the manager recognises that the garden needs some improvement work in relation to creating a more inviting and welcoming space for children to extend their learning even further outdoors.
• Children benefit from a wide range of healthy choices during mealtimes. They follow good hygiene practices and talk about the importance of washing away germs. Children use tissues to wipe their noses and wash their hands regularly. They are able to access fresh drinking water. This helps to promote children's understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Overall, children are motivated to learn and remain engaged in their play and learning. However, staff do not ensure all children are supported to join in and sustain an interest during group times, particularly for younger children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the outside area to create an inviting and purposeful place to continue to build on children's independence and exploratory skills
• review group times for children to ensure all children remain deeply engaged in their learning, particularly for younger children.