Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create an inclusive culture. They make sure that every child has an equal chance to learn, develop, and succeed. Staff quickly identify children's needs through effective assessments, careful observations, and strong partnerships with parents and other professionals. Leaders act quickly when concerns arise. They make sure that children receive the right support at the right time. Staff put planned interventions in place without delay. This helps every child receive high-quality care and support that matches their individual needs. Staff use a wide range of strategies to meet children's needs. These approaches support all children, especially those who face barriers to learning. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress from their starting points. They build skills in small, clear, and measurable steps that prepare them well for future learning.

Effective communication with families helps them to feel involved in planning and reviewing their child's support programmes. Leaders work closely with families to provide a consistent approach between home and the setting. For example, staff provided communication bags for children to take home. These resources helped parents support children's speech and language development. This joined-up support helps children feel secure, improves their wellbeing, and supports their learning and development. Senior leaders work hard to secure the support that children and families need. They use funding carefully to remove barriers and improve outcomes. Leaders also work closely with schools to plan smooth transitions and help children move confidently on to the next stage of education.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the curriculum. They share this vision with staff and make sure that everyone has high expectations for all children. Leaders design a curriculum that reflects children's interests, assessments, next steps, and wellbeing. Staff working with younger children focus on their physical development, communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development. Staff responded positively to children's achievements and emerging confidence during physical play. They mirrored children's actions, celebrated successes and used enthusiastic praise to reinforce learning and encourage further participation. This helped to promote children's self-esteem, enjoyment and willingness to engage in new experiences.

Staff quickly identify children who may face barriers to learning. They use observations and assessments effectively to understand children's needs and plan their next steps. Staff adapt teaching and learning to meet these needs. This helps children to access the curriculum and make progress from their starting points.

Staff understand what children need to learn. They use a range of approaches, including planned programmes and learning opportunities that arise during play, to support children's development. However, staff do not always adapt their teaching quickly enough when children lose interest or become disengaged. For example, during some group activities, staff did not respond promptly enough to re-engage children or adjust the activity. As a result, not all children accessed the intended learning or benefited fully from the experience.

Leaders invest in staff training to develop teaching practice. For example, staff are beginning to use signing to support communication, and maths champions are helping to develop mathematical learning across the setting. These approaches help staff extend their skills and support better outcomes for children.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically make good progress from their starting points. Children who receive extra support develop new skills and become more confident in areas where they have found learning difficult. This helps them to catch up and fully take part in nursery activities.

However, some children do not stay engaged in learning activities for long enough to develop new skills and knowledge. At times, children lose interest and miss opportunities to build on their communication, listening and social skills. As a result, some children do not make as much progress as they could, and are not as well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children generally behave well and show positive attitudes to learning and play. Most children share resources, take turns and play cooperatively with their peers. Some staff support children to manage minor disagreements and praise positive behaviour. For example, a staff member supported some children in resolving a disagreement over a ball. As a result, most children develop positive relationships, strengthen their social skills and learn what staff expect of them.

Staff model kindness, respect and good manners. They encourage children to be polite and reinforce these behaviours through their interactions with children and colleagues. For example, they encourage children to say, "please" and "thank you". However, some staff do not set and reinforce clear behaviour expectations during some group activities, particularly for older children. At times, they do not respond promptly to minor disruptions or inappropriate physical behaviour. As a result, some children remain unsure of what staff expect and do not engage fully in group learning.

An effective key-person system helps staff to understand children's care routines well. They carry out babies' mealtime, sleep and personal-care routines safely and sensitively. Staff support babies' weaning, sleep and physical development effectively. As a result, babies feel secure, develop independence and make progress from their starting points. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance and support routines that contribute to children's learning and wellbeing.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of this setting. Leaders and staff work hard to make sure children and their families feel welcome, valued and supported. Staff know their children well and meet their individual health needs. They work closely with health professionals and complete training to support children's medical care plans safely. This helps all children get the support they need, including children who face additional barriers to their learning and/or have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children have lots of space outdoors to explore, play imaginatively and build their physical skills. They enjoy equipment that helps them climb, balance and move with confidence. Children in the pre-school take part in a wide range of physical activities, including visits to places in the local community. For example, they recently released tadpoles into the pond at a nearby park, which helped them learn more about the natural world.

Leaders have improved allergy-management procedures. They work closely with parents to make practical improvements to children's diets. Staff explain safe-eating practices with confidence, and the chef has a clear understanding of allergy and intolerance guidance. This helps to keep children with dietary needs safe.

Children can access drinking water throughout the day. Staff encourage them to manage their own personal care, which supports their health and independence. However, this practice is not yet consistent across the setting. In the pre-school room, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to promote children's independence, engagement and positive behaviour.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know the setting's strengths and areas for development. They create a welcoming environment, where children and families feel valued. Leaders gather information from observations, monitoring activities, staff discussions and feedback from parents. This helps them to identify priorities for improvement. Leaders welcome feedback and regularly review practice to strengthen the quality of provision. Leaders create a positive culture where staff feel valued and supported. Staff speak positively about their roles and describe leaders as approachable and helpful. Leaders consider staff wellbeing when making decisions and provide regular supervision, professional discussions and training opportunities. This helps staff to build their knowledge and skills, including how to support inclusion and meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to support children's learning, development and wellbeing. Parents speak highly of the setting and describe staff as supportive and approachable. They value the care, communication and guidance they receive. Parents also appreciate the relationships that staff build with their children. Leaders have taken steps to improve staff deployment and supervision in the pre-school room. However, these changes are not yet fully embedded, and staff do not always follow agreed procedures consistently.

Leaders monitor practice and provide ongoing support for staff. However, they do not always identify and address weaknesses quickly enough. As a result, inconsistencies remain in teaching, staff deployment and children's engagement. Although leaders have started to address these issues, they have not yet secured consistent practice across the setting.