Little Steps Day Care

Babies choosing rhymes and older children sharing books give Little Steps Day Care a recognisable character: language and children's choices shaped its day in July 2022. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in staff questioning and everyday mathematics.

The nursery serves children aged 4 to 60 months at Marshwood House in Bedford. Its opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

In July 2022, babies selected rhymes and joined in with gestures and sounds, while older children completed familiar story sentences and looked through books together. These were concrete opportunities to listen, speak and participate, rather than simply hear an adult read.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the July 2022 examples included conversations, stories, cooperative play and opportunities to make choices. Babies signalled when they wanted to be lifted; older children could change their minds about an activity. Small decisions gave children a voice in their day.

Mathematics needed more attention in July 2022. Block play introduced shape and position, but counting and number practice were insufficiently consistent across the day. Staff also needed to use more probing questions to extend children's thinking. These are separate issues: the activities children encounter and the depth of the conversation around them.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that key people knew children well, worked with parents when development needed additional attention, and supported good progress for children learning English alongside another language.

In July 2022, communication helped parents understand what staff were working on with their children, giving families something concrete to continue at home. Familiar routines helped children switch between indoor and outdoor play, while small responsibilities, including helping at lunchtime, gave them practice in doing things for themselves.

The address is Marshwood House, 56 Ravensden Road, Sports Complex, Bedford, MK41 0JY. The nursery opens throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas.

In July 2022, session times ran from 8am until 6pm, and funded early education was provided for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Those arrangements describe that period.

• Everyday mathematics. Counting and number practice needed greater consistency in July 2022. During a visit, ask how these now feature across the day.
• Depth of conversation. Staff questioning needed to extend children's thinking further in July 2022. Ask for an example of how practitioners develop a child's idea during play.
• Attendance and funding. The nursery opens throughout the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Ask which booking patterns and funded arrangements fit your intended attendance.

Little Steps suits families seeking care across the year, with an opening window spanning 8am to 6pm. Its July 2022 picture combines child choice, shared stories and close key-person relationships. The important counterweight is educational depth: consistent number practice and more challenging conversations were the areas needing attention.