Mini Stars Childcare LTD

Mini Stars Childcare Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY396927 Inspection date 14/04/2010 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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Setting address UK Centre for Carnival Arts, 3 St. Marys Road, LUTON, LU1 3JA Telephone number 01582 437 121 Email info@ministars-childcare.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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

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T: 0300 123 1231 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 setting

Mini Stars Childcare Ltd was registered in 2009 and is a private limited company providing full day care. It operates from a self-contained unit within the UK Centre for Carnival Arts building in Luton, Bedfordshire. Children have access to two play rooms and fully enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Description of the setting

The setting receives funding for early education. It is open each weekday throughout the year, except for one week during the summer holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 8.00am to 6.00pm, with the option of part- time sessions. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register to provide 33 places and there are currently 20 children attending who are within this age group. The setting serves a wide catchment area. A small number of children attend other settings such as childminders. The setting currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting is also registered to offer care to children aged over five years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. Children occupying these places share the same facilities as the children in the early years age range. There are currently no children on roll in this age range.

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Description of the setting

There are seven staff members. Of these, six hold relevant childcare qualifications. One staff member has achieved Early Years Professional Status.

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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

Managers and all staff have a positive attitude to self-evaluation and use thorough procedures to support the continuous review of their practice. This means that they are able to prioritise improvements and offer a service which is responsive to the needs of children and their families. Good procedures for working in partnership with parents and carers support staff in building a clear understanding of each child's needs. They can therefore ensure that these are consistently met and children are always offered appropriate support. A key strength of the setting is their commitment to promoting equality of opportunity, thereby ensuring that children are fully included in all aspects of the daily activities and routines.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the use of outdoor areas in order to offer children an extended range of opportunities  develop the procedures for snack time to offer further opportunities for children to develop and practise their independence skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The setting's thorough safeguarding procedures ensure that children's welfare is consistently promoted. Appropriate policies and ongoing training mean that staff have a good understanding of this area and enable them to work together to protect children. Stringent checks are carried out to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Effective risk assessments mean that hazards are minimised and children's safety is promoted. Ongoing explanations from staff help children to develop a good understanding of safety issues. For example, they can explain how to use scissors safely and why it is important not to run inside.

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the early years provision

Managers have a clear vision for the future and meaningfully involve children, parents and staff in reviewing the setting's practice. A genuine desire to continue to improve the outcomes for children, alongside the ability to prioritise actions mean that appropriate changes are made and the impact of these is monitored. An example of a recent change is the building of a partition to divide the play area and ensure that children of all ages can play safely and are able to concentrate on their chosen activities. Staff work well together and are offered appropriate support and further training. This creates a positive environment, where both staff and children are happy and respond to challenges with enthusiasm and confidence. The building and resources are used efficiently to promote children's learning and meet their varying needs. For example, space is organised to allow children to sleep peacefully whilst others are playing. However, outdoor areas are

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the early years provision

not utilised to the optimum to offer children an extended range of opportunities.

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the early years provision

Staff and managers have an excellent understanding of anti-discriminatory practice, offering a service which is inclusive for all children. The needs of all children and the promotion of equal opportunities lie at the heart of this new and developing setting. Well trained, committed staff and managers continuously review and adapt their practice. This means that they are highly effective in ensuring that all children are meaningfully included and are well integrated. Good partnership-working with parents and carers mean that staff have a thorough understanding of each child's background and can ensure that their needs are consistently met. Children's self-esteem and sense of belonging are promoted as their interests are actively included in the activity planning. Parents receive thorough information about the setting and their child's progress and activities, for example, through daily communication sheets, discussions and the use of

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the early years provision

informative notice boards. Consistency of care is further promoted as the setting has good procedures for working with others. For example, they are aware of the expectations of the lower schools and can support and help prepare children for this transition. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development because staff have a secure understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They conscientiously implement practical procedures for assessing children, actively using the information gained from assessments to inform activity planning and thereby promote children's individual development. Staff build appropriate, caring relationships with children and ensure that the environment is safe and welcoming. Children respond positively to this and their behaviours show that they feel safe. For example, they independently choose resources and readily approach staff for help or to join in with their play.

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and outcomes for children

The setting's ethos of fully involving all children means that their self-esteem and sense of belonging are promoted and they are involved in making decisions and determining their play and learning. They are therefore developing positive attitudes to this. Good staff interaction means that children are encouraged to develop their own play and ideas but are offered appropriate support in this. For example, children have time to explore the 'hairdressers' role play resources before a staff member joins them and they discuss how they are washing the doll's hair and the styles they are going to create. The thoughtful planning and provision of resources means that children are encouraged to be active learners, explore and think critically. For example, they plant seeds and observe them growing and use equipment such as magnifying glasses to examine bugs.

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and outcomes for children

The consistent approach to behaviour management reinforces children's sense of security and supports them in developing a good understanding of appropriate behaviour. Staff offer children ongoing explanations and encourage them to understand each other's feelings and work together to resolve any issues. Children's understanding of diversity is developed as they access relevant resources and participate in associated discussions and activities. For example, they join in with activities to celebrate Black History Month and St George's Day. The setting's good procedures for working with parents and other professionals mean that they are able to adapt activities and offer appropriate support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. This area is further supported as all staff and children actively use Makaton sign language.

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and outcomes for children

Children are gaining a clear understanding of the relevance of good health practices. They wash their hands before snacks and meals and discuss the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. However, the procedures at snack time do not fully support the promotion of children's independence skills. Children of all ages have opportunities to learn about the uses of information and communication technology and thereby gain skills for the future. Older children choose programmes on the computer, whilst babies and younger children use interactive toys and activity centres.

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and outcomes for children

Children's development is extended as staff make good use of learning opportunities. For example, whilst playing with water, children are encouraged to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 think about why the water is sucked into the shampoo bottle when they squeeze it under the water. Good use is made of children's interests to help promote their development. An example of this is where staff noted that children were interested in number activities and so purchased additional resources to aid them in counting and recognising written numerals. The thoughtful planning means that children's learning is reinforced. For example, when covering a 'Transport' theme, children used public transport to visit a discovery centre where they were able to examine other types of vehicles and transport. 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 1 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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