First Steps Childcare @ Chichester College

First Steps Childcare @ Chichester College
Unique reference number (URN): 113485
Address: Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1SB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 05/10/1990
Registers: EYR
Registered person: First Steps Childcare Group Limited
Inspection report: 14 August 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children are confident communicators. They have access to a rich vocabulary through
books, discussions and singing. Children develop their physical skills and have plenty of
opportunities to practise their large and small muscles. Babies delight as they cruise around
the room, building up the muscles that are later needed for walking. Older children use pens
to make lists and scissors to cut paper. All children, including those who face barriers to
learning, achieve well from their starting points. They make progress across all areas of
development, giving them the knowledge they need to be prepared for the next stage in their
education. Children consistently receive appropriate support to help them reach age-related
developmental goals. They develop a wide range of skills and are developing the confidence
to explore and lead their own play.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
In this nursery, staff build warm and trusting relationships with all children. Typically, key
persons know their children well. This enables them to ensure that the environment supports
children's wellbeing and development. Leaders and staff have high expectations for
children's behaviour. Staff are good role models, providing respect and a high level of
nurturing to every child. There is an inclusive approach to children's behaviour. This ensures
that all children's needs are accommodated and considered, including for those children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities. Routines are clear which helps children to
understand what is expected of them from an early age. Children behave very well. They
are kind and thoughtful to each other, to the staff and to the environment. Staff praise
children's positive behaviour, which helps children to develop high self-esteem and feel
proud.
The nursery's approach to attendance is clear. Leaders demonstrate that they understand
their responsibilities. They can quickly identify patterns of poor attendance and engage
promptly with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children attend regularly. Parents
feedback that they have positive relationships with the leaders and staff and that they feel
able to raise any concerns that they may have.
Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They are excited and eager to engage in
learning opportunities with other children and staff.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff develop purposeful bonds with children. They take a genuine interest in their
conversations. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging as they excitedly tell staff about
their experiences outside of the nursery. Staff ensure that when children become upset or
overwhelmed, they are offered cuddles and comforters. Children regularly approach staff to
invite them to play or join in discussions. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and feel
safe and secure.

Children are strictly supervised when eating or sleeping. Staff have a full awareness on how
to safely accommodate children's dietary and medical needs. This helps children to be safe
during snack and mealtimes. Leaders and staff provide children with healthy snacks and
nutritious meals and remind children of the importance of washing their hands before
mealtimes.
All children are developing independence when feeding themselves. Babies are encouraged
to use spoons. Older children use knives and forks, fetch their own water from the tap and
pour their own drinks. However, there are times when some children have to ask staff when
they would like a drink outside of snack and mealtimes. They are not always able to access
a drink for themselves. This means that the youngest of children and those who have
special educational needs and/or disabilities may not always get a drink when needed.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders and staff have a particular focus on children's emotional development. They have a
full understanding that children and babies need emotional support in their early years to
enable them to develop a sense of belonging and to be ready to learn. Staff use assessment
well to identify what it is they want children to learn next. Typically, this helps children to
develop well in their learning, including children who face barriers to their learning.
Generally, staff are skilled at extending children's learning through play. They expose
children to different vocabulary and help build on their literacy and mathematical skills. For
example, children learn about size, volume and capacity as they make dough for their
friends. Staff weave in opportunities for babies to hear numbers when singing songs.
Children have continuous access to outside play where they can run around in the fresh air
and develop their physical skills. They have access to experiences that they may not have
previously benefited from. This helps to close the gaps in children's learning. However, staff
teaching can, at times, be variable and they do not consistently identify how to extend
children's learning in order that children remain motivated. This can occasionally mean that
some children become disinterested and wander off.
Inclusion Expected standard
The environment is inclusive and this ensures that all children feel safe, happy and valued.
Typically, all children have their unique needs met promptly and sensitively. Children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs quickly identified. This
enables a programme of support to begin in preparation for using external professional
services when needed. Staff work very closely with parents to gather detailed information
about children's development and current interests. Parents are regularly invited to
contribute to their child's learning in the nursery and also from the home environment.
Leaders use additional funding to purchase resources and provide an enhanced ratio so that
children can benefit from one-to-one support or small group interventions. This helps
children to make sustained progress from their starting points. Staff regularly observe and
assess children's existing knowledge and identify what they need to be learning next. This
generally ensures that children's next steps are purposeful. Staff receive training so that
they can effectively support children who face barriers to their learning. This enables them to

help children to regulate their feelings and behaviours and teach children to understand how
to communicate, such as using visual picture cues.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have a good oversight of this nursery, including its strengths and areas for further
development. They are knowledgeable and ambitious for all children, particularly for those
children who face barriers to their learning. Leaders have created a culture that encourages
staff to identify their own training needs and be proactive in their own professional
development. Staff feedback that leaders are extremely supportive in helping them to
progress and learn in their roles. Leaders provide regular supervision meetings during which
staff can discuss their key children, focus on safeguarding and explore their own training
needs.
Leaders engage with parents and external agencies in ways which support children's care
and wellbeing. They emphasise the importance of collaborative working when children
require outside support or are transitioning to other settings, such as school. They work hard
to ensure that appropriate and important information is passed on promptly. This helps to
provide children with a positive start in their new setting or school. Parents mention that they
feel confident that their children are safe and well-cared for, and they know who to go to if
they would like to raise a concern.
Leaders are aware that there are inconsistencies in staff teaching and have plans to provide
further coaching to improve teaching in the future.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive at the setting happy and are keen to begin their day at this welcoming
nursery. They demonstrate the close bonds that they have formed with the caring staff team.
Children chatter with excitement to their friends. They show that they feel comfortable and
safe in their surroundings. Children attend regularly and on time as a result of leaders
working closely with parents to promote children's good attendance and to remove any
barriers that may prevent good attendance. Children develop the skills they need for the
next stage of their education, such as moving on to school. This includes children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities or those children who face other barriers to
their learning.

Inspector:
Tina Lambert
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 113485
Children are curious and eager to learn. Older children design and construct a model hotel
from the materials provided. Staff use this opportunity to encourage reluctant writers to draw
designs and plans. Babies enjoy splashing in water. They hear new words, such as 'splash'
and 'drip'. Leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum that weaves in children's
current interests to ensure children's ongoing motivation to learn.
Staff guide children in their learning and provide a dialogue during play. This effectively
supports children's language skills and is particularly effective for children who speak
English as an additional language and for very young children. Children form firm
friendships with other children. Staff work hard to ensure that children are included in all
activities and are encouraged to play collaboratively. For example, children regularly ask
other children to join them in play. They problem-solve in small groups and discuss how to
make a 'roof' that will 'stop the rain getting us wet'. Babies sit next to each other and clap
along to familiar rhymes and songs. They are learning to share small story props whilst staff
gently reassure them that they will have their turn next.
Next steps
Leaders should further support staff to ensure that interactions and activities are
consistently purposeful to effectively support children's learning and progress.
Leaders should ensure that drinking water is readily accessible to all children throughout
the day and that staff provide consistent reminders and encouragement for children to
drink regularly.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Address:
Chichester College
Westgate Fields
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1SB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 05/10/1990
Registered person: First Steps Childcare Group Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: West Sussex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 14 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
130
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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