Steps Ahead Day Nursery and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

The provision is good • The provider and management team are committed to providing high-quality childcare.

They evaluate the strengths of the nursery effectively and are ambitious to improve it continually. For instance, they have worked hard developing the outdoor provision and have plans to improve it further. • Partnerships with parents are a key strength of this setting.

Staff provide excellent support for children and their families. For example, they ask all parents a question each week to gain an insight into where parents might need support. • The management team works closely with staff to analyse the progress of individual children and groups.

The tea...m uses the information to support children to close any gaps in development swiftly and to improve experiences for all children. • Staff confidently promote older children's literacy skills through enjoyable activities. For example, children delight in taking part in small-group activities.

They match rhyming words with confidence. It is not yet outstanding because: • Occasionally, staff do not allow children sufficient thinking time to respond to questions or suggestions and extend their problem-solving skills. • At times, staff do not recognise when to offer greater challenge and extend older children's learning to the highest levels.