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Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester)

Ofsted: Good
(Oct 2023)
·
4.3(6 parent reviews) ·179 Shrub End Road, Colchester, CO3 4RG · Essex
Number of places
69 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Oct 2023
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester) Limited, registered in 2018, offers full-day childcare for children aged 0 to 11 years. The nursery operates from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year, with a capacity for 69 children and 123 on its roll.

The 21-member staff team includes 13 with Level 2 or higher early years qualifications. The nursery prioritises children's consistency by carefully arranging staffing and key persons, helping them feel safe and secure.

Babies and toddlers are noted for their confidence and quick settling due to well-trained staff who tailor interactions to individual needs. The nursery actively encourages outdoor exploration with resources like magnifying glasses and fosters communication skills through engagement with stories and songs.

Parents are kept informed of their child's progress via regular updates and parents' evenings, and they are invited to contribute natural resources to support learning. The nursery also provides funded early education for two, three, and four-year-olds and offers additional sessions, including a weekly football coach for older children, to promote physical activity and healthy habits.

What it's like

Children are central to everything the nursery staff do. Leaders organise the curriculum, childcare space and staff arrangements with children's need for consistency in mind. This helps children to feel safe, secure and at home when they are at nursery. Babies and toddlers thrive, exploring confidently and settling quickly, supported by well-trained staff who tailor interactions to their individual needs. Children actively explore outdoor areas, with staff providing resources and encouraging discussion about their findings, which enthuses them in their learning.

Consistent careOutdoor explorationStrong parent partnershipIndividualised learningPhysical activity focus

Key facts

Opening hours

7am until 7pm, Monday to Friday

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2018

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester)

Last inspected 12 October 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are central to everything the nursery staff do. Leaders organise the curriculum, childcare space and staff arrangements with children's need for consistency in mind. This helps children to feel safe, secure and at home when they are at nursery. Babies and toddlers thrive, exploring confidently and settling quickly, supported by well-trained staff who tailor interactions to their individual needs. Children actively explore outdoor areas, with staff providing resources and encouraging discussion about their findings, which enthuses them in their learning.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are central to everything the nursery staff do, with staffing and childcare space organised for consistency and children's needs.
  • Babies and toddlers thrive, showing confidence to explore and settle quickly due to well-trained staff who individualise interactions.
  • Managers design a purposeful curriculum that helps children gain new knowledge and skills, increasing challenge as children get older.
  • Staff engage children in conversations, stories, and songs, developing communication skills, vocabulary, and subject knowledge.
  • Parents are happy with the care and education, contributing to learning by providing natural resources and receiving regular updates on their child's progress.
  • Children spend plenty of time outside, engaging in physical activity, including weekly football sessions for older children.
  • Staff provide close support for children learning key self-care skills, ensuring all children develop these abilities.
  • Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by knowledgeable staff and clear support plans.

Areas to develop

  • 1Strengthen planned learning experiences so that staff can purposefully deliver key information to further strengthen children's knowledge.
Inspection #10312596 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by knowledgeable staff, who work closely with other professionals. Clear support plans are in place for staff to follow, which leads to good results for these children.

Outdoor space

Children actively explore outdoor areas. Staff provide resources, such as magnifying glasses, and encourage children to talk about what they find. The nursery ensures that children spend plenty of time outside, where they can move freely and get exercise. Additional sessions further help children to enjoy exercise and movement, with a football coach visiting weekly for older children.

Parent Reviews of Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester)

4.3
(6)
Bernd Sass
3 years ago

Quite concerned about putting my children into the care of this nursery. One staff member - cook? Claire - has troubled me several hours today over an order. She got a promotion (reducing her rate) wrong but instantly accused others of her failure to read basic info. Then in the evening she continued making demands for special conditions, insisted on free cancellation and finally reviewed my hard work in assisting her to understand her repeated mistakes.Better stay away from people like this who cannot process basic info but draw innocent people into their own troubles without ever meeting them. From Second Steps I expect some better background checks on their staff to prevent such erratic behaviour and impact on our children.

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Uche
2 years ago

My children absolutely love this nursery. My littlest was very happy here and even after he left was very happy to return during the holidays. Close relationship with the staff who are very friendly, warm, helpful and good mannered. They’ll go the extra mile to meet your needs. I haven’t stopped referring this place to anyone who needs to hear it.

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Hanna Dean
10 months ago

All 3 of my boys have attended this nursery & its been the best decision, all the girls are lovely great communication & my boys have/are absolutely thriving

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Emma Louise
3 years ago

My little one loves coming to second steps ☺️ and is well looked after by all the staff 😊 I'll be sad when he has to leave x

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Inspection history

Date: November 2019

  • October 2023Good
  • November 2019Good

Frequently asked about Second Steps Day Nursery (Colchester)

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