Stepping Stones Nursery and Woodland Adventures

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and eager to learn. Friendly staff greet children warmly and settle them into the nursery with a choice of eating breakfast or making a start on the variety of activities.

The manager and staff know the children and families well. They make sure they share plenty of information with parents about what children are doing and learning, through chats at drop-off and pick-up times, photos, posts online or parents' evenings. Parents value the support from staff and feel that their children receive terrific support and learn well.

Children get to enjoy experiences playing and learning in the nearby fore...st daily. Older children readily recall the rules. They know 'no licking or picking' in case they give themselves 'a poorly tummy', 'stay inside the blue rope' because this is the safe area, and that when staff call 'one, two, three base camp', they must return to them.

Older children hold the hands of younger ones as they walk to the base camp among the trees. Children explore, experiment and manage risks under the close supervision of the staff. They develop their curiosity about the natural world and build their muscles and physical skills.

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

Staff create language-rich environments that encourage children to develop their speech and broaden their vocabulary. They encourage younger children to repeat words or use signs as they interact with them. As older children play, staff pose challenges and ask questions.

Occasionally, staff ask questions or talk too quickly so that children do not have sufficient time to think and respond.Younger children listen to stories with adults, pointing out and naming what they can see in the pictures. Older children recall the stories of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and 'The Gruffalo' on the walk to the forest area.

They recall the different characters, owl, fox, snake and mouse, and phrases from the books, such as 'swishy swashy grass' and 'stumble trip' in the forest. Children are gaining a love of stories and starting to make connections.Staff are good role models for children.

They say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking children to do things. They remind younger children to put tissues in the bin and wash their hands after wiping runny noses. Older children work out ways to share toys and receive warm praise from staff when they share well.

Children are learning to respect others and manage their feelings.Partnership with parents is good. Parents love that their children get to play and learn in the forest daily.

They say that children get plenty of healthy food choices with a varied menu during the week, prepared by the nursery chef. All staff build good relationships with parents and children, so they feel welcome and contented at nursery.Children behave well.

They listen to staff and know the different routines of the day. All children readily help when it is time to put the toys away for mealtimes. They clear up plates and cups after eating.

Staff offer reminders about changes in the routine, so children are prepared for them. However, at times, staff do not communicate with each other as well as they could. For example, when it is time for all the children to go to the forest, younger children are not ready at the same time as older ones.

Staff are still giving children snack or comforting them as they wake up from naps. Older children must wait around until all children are ready to leave.Staff introduce suitable challenges for children to help them extend their skills.

For example, younger children have tray puzzles of different animals. Staff encourage children to count the legs on the different animals, identify the colours they can see and give instructions for how to move the pieces so they can fit. Other children concentrate for periods of time connecting the plastic gear wheels onto the base boards until they can make them turn as they push them.

Older children take part in activities discovering letters and sounds. Children repeat the sounds of the letters and recognise the initial letters of words such as animals, objects or their own names. Staff prepare children well for their future learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make sure that when staff interact with children they give them time to listen, think and respond nensure staff communicate better with each other when arranging whole-setting outings to the forest to make sure that older children are not left waiting for periods of time with little to do.