Right Step Kids Club & Nursery

Storybook tea parties, an outdoor obstacle course and a developing sensory garden give Right Step Kids Club & Nursery a recognisable character in its September 2022 account. Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 21 September 2022. The strongest detail is practical: children rehearsed everyday independence through play, taking turns and tidying their toys.

The nursery is on Norton Lane in Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 8BZ, and has capacity for 45 children. In September 2022, children attending were aged 2 to 11; that age span covered the setting rather than a single nursery group.

In September 2022, learning connected stories with hands-on play. Goldilocks and the Three Bears prompted a pretend tea party, introducing comparisons of size and quantities through making tea and porridge. Children could choose resources independently, giving them scope to follow their interests.

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the September 2022 examples included language, imaginative play and everyday independence: staff introduced vocabulary during play, while children practised putting away their belongings.

Outdoor experiences that month included bicycles, scooters, a slide and an obstacle course. These gave children different ways to practise movement and persistence. Development of a new sensory garden was also underway, rather than being described as a completed facility.

Teaching had two clear limitations in September 2022. Some staff interactions did not take learning far enough, and the organisation of whole-group activities left some children disengaged. Enjoyable resources and activities therefore did not consistently translate into sufficient challenge for everyone.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified SEND support as a strength, with staff adapting strategies to individual children and collaborating with other professionals. That is a dated assessment of practice, rather than an assurance about today's arrangements.

In September 2022, stories and play dough helped children express emotions. Staff also spoke with parents each day about their child's experiences, shared developmental information and discussed ways to continue learning at home. This connected nursery experiences with family life through concrete conversations.

In September 2022, opening hours were 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wraparound care ran from 7.30am to 8.40am and from 3pm to 6pm; holiday opening hours were 7.30am to 5pm. These describe the arrangements at that date.

At the same time, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The historical offer included both nursery provision and care beyond its term-time opening window.

• Group learning. In September 2022, some children lost interest during whole-group activities. Ask how these activities now accommodate different levels of engagement.
• Teaching challenge. Staff interactions did not consistently extend learning in September 2022. A useful visit question is how practitioners adapt an activity when a child is ready for more.
• Attendance arrangements. The September 2022 pattern combined term-time nursery hours, wraparound care and holiday opening. What attendance pattern now applies to your child's age?

Right Step suits families who value play linked to stories, everyday independence and outdoor movement, based on its September 2022 practice. Its September 2022 arrangements served both term-time nursery attendance and wraparound care, with holiday opening too. The Good judgement provides a dated reference point; the questions about group engagement and teaching challenge deserve equal weight in a family's decision.