The Mountbatten School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 129163 Inspection date 17/12/2009 Inspector Jill Nugent

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the childminding

The childminder registered in 1994. She lives with her husband and two adult children in a house in Cuffley. Access to the house is via a short flight of steps from the driveway. The whole of the premises is used for childminding and there is a secure garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a total of six children under eight, of whom three may be in the early years age group at any one time. When working with an assistant she may care for six children in the early years age group.

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Description of the childminding

Currently there are nine children on roll and, of these, six are in the early years age group, one on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register and two on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The childminder works regularly with her daughter as an assistant.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder provides a welcoming and inclusive setting. Children enjoy their play and develop new skills as they make progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder promotes children's welfare effectively through the implementation of appropriate procedures for health and safety. She works closely with parents and other provisions so that children benefit from a consistent approach to their learning. She maintains a good capacity to improve through her commitment to attend further training which enables her to continually improve the outcomes for children.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 maintain a record of the risk assessment of the premises and any action taken following a review (Documentation). 05/02/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 deploy assistants more effectively in order to extend the range of play activities available to children  ensure there is a good balance of adult-led and freely-chosen activities delivered through indoor and outdoor play  develop further the system of observational assessment in order to plan and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 provide challenging learning experiences for all children.

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the early years provision

The childminder's documentation is generally well organised and she has the required policies and procedures in place. She has a very good understanding of safeguarding issues and how to deal with concerns relating to child protection. Adults living in the house have been vetted. All health and safety records are maintained appropriately and children are cared for in a safe environment. Risk assessments of regular outings have been carried out, and recorded, to show the actions taken to keep children safe. However, the childminder does not have on record a risk assessment of the premises. She maintains an up-to-date knowledge of first aid procedures and organises regular fire drills so that children know what to do in an emergency.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a strong working partnership with parents. They are well- informed about her provision and have good opportunities to exchange information about their children's care and progress. The childminder keeps daily diaries for very young children to assist their settling in. She shares children's observation books with parents so as to involve them in their children's learning and liaises closely with them regarding children's individual care needs. The childminder and her assistant help children to feel valued, and included, as they engage with them in conversation or join in their play. Children are able to choose freely from the resources available and also to take part in some adult-led activities. However, the childminder does not deploy her assistant effectively throughout the day in order to provide a wide choice of learning experiences for all children.

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the early years provision

The childminder reflects on her practice using self-evaluation and this helps her to identify aspects of her practice requiring further improvement. She is committed to the ongoing development of her practice through attending training courses to ensure that she maintains the quality of care on offer. Since the previous inspection she has attended various training courses to enable her to understand, and use, the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children have benefited from the introduction of a system of observational assessment which enables the childminder to record their progress towards the early learning goals. She is aware of the need to work in partnership with other providers and is at present working towards establishing links with other settings which children attend so that they benefit from a consistent approach to their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy in the setting and develop close relationships with each other, enjoying playing together as a group. They like to share books with an adult, or sometimes with each other. The childminder and her assistant make good use of these opportunities to promote children's learning in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Children enjoy dressing up and role play, especially when adults join in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and take on a role themselves. In this way children are encouraged to develop social and communication skills. Adults interact with children to encourage them to acquire useful skills for the future as they explore toys, such as shape sorters and jigsaw puzzles. Children acquire and practise physical skills as they play in the garden and park. However, children do not benefit from being able to choose from a wide range of resources so that they can follow up their interests and extend

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and outcomes for children

their learning, both indoors and outdoors.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder and her assistant create attractive learning journeys for each child by collecting photographs and written observations into scrapbooks. These provide a useful visual record of individual children's development, for example, illustrating children's progress in manipulative skills or use of language. The childminder is aware of each child's stage of development and how she can move them on in their learning. However, the childminder and her assistant do not make full use of their observations to identify children's next steps in each learning area, and to plan around these, so that all children are challenged and extended in their learning. Consequently, although children are encouraged to participate in organised activities, such as decorating tree shapes, there are limited opportunities overall to take part in adult-led activities which focus and reinforce their learning in different areas.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe through opportunities to talk about health and safety issues with the childminder and her assistant. Children feel secure in the setting, enjoying the freedom to move around safely and interact with others. The childminder provides a selection of healthy and nutritious meals. Children enjoy sitting together eating fresh fruit at snack time. Any individual dietary needs are taken into account when planning the menu. The childminder and her assistant supervise children closely during the day. Children learn to abide by the house rules and behave responsibly, showing respect for other children and their feelings. They show a sense of belonging and respond positively to requests and instructions. When participating in activities organised around religious and cultural festivals, they learn more about the diverse nature of society. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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