Compass Community School Mountfields Park

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 149200 Inspection date 29/03/2011 Inspector Susan Ennis

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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 assesses 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. 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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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 childminding

The childminder registered in 1971. She lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the childminder's house is used for childminding except for the third floor and there is access to a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder has one dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term-time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of eight children in the early year's age range when working with her two assistants and is currently minding seven children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years and this provision is registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register share the same facilities as those on the Early Years Register.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The dedication demonstrated by the childminder enables her to offer an exemplary standard of care and education. Children clearly thrive and make excellent progress across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage because the childminder has developed highly effective practices and procedures for planning, assessing and promoting their learning. She values diversity and is highly effective in ensuring that children's uniqueness and individuality is recognised. She ensures that all are fully integrated and achieving as much as they can. Excellent partnerships with parents contribute significantly to ensuring that the individual needs of each child are fully met. Thorough and effective monitoring of the setting ensures that the childminder has a comprehensive overview of her strengths. She demonstrates an extremely high commitment to her childminding and is enthusiastic about making and sustaining Improvement.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 continue to reflect on your day to day practice to further enhance the outcomes for the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a very high level of commitment to promoting and maintaining children's safety. She has a robust understanding of the procedures regarding safeguarding children, having attended additional training to increase her knowledge and has all the relevant documentation in place for reporting concerns. She ensures that anyone coming into contact with the children is suitable to do so and that visitors to the premises are supervised with their attendance recorded in her visitor's book. Children are cared for in a very secure environment in which their safety is of paramount importance at all times. The home is checked on a daily basis and comprehensive risk assessments are regularly carried out on all areas used by the children, including individual risk assessments for changes, such as, adverse weather conditions. This ensures that the environment is effectively monitored to provide for the children's continued

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the early years provision

safety and welfare. Resourceful procedures also ensure children's safety when on outings. They all have a card inserted into their pocket giving their parents emergency contact numbers, information about any allergies or medical needs and the childminder's details should they become separated from her at any time. She also personally carries a book containing the same details ensuring that she can act quickly and efficiently should an emergency situation arise.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides an extremely welcoming and stimulating environment which is exceptionally conducive to children's learning and development. Resources are very well organised and storage is at child level encouraging their self-selection and independent choices. The childminder makes excellent use of the available space by providing quiet areas for the older children who wish to do their home work or relax after school by watching some television whilst still ensuring that those who wish to play together have the space to do so. Children make active use of the outside play area as they free flow between inside and out stimulating their experiences further and developing their independence as they learn to put on their own coats and shoes.

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the early years provision

The childminder consistently and actively promotes equality and diversity and tackles unfair discrimination. She therefore offers a service that is extremely inclusive for all children and their families. She works very closely with parents to ensure that she understands each child's background, needs and beliefs. For example, for children for whom English is an additional language, she learns basic words in their home language and plays music from their own country to help them settle, especially at rest time. She also asks parents to share celebrations of their important cultural festivals with herself and the children. During Diwali some parents invited all the children to their home to celebrate with them. They provided different foods for the children to try and wore their traditional clothes for the children to see. The childminder demonstrated her respect and thanks by encouraging the children to make Diwali cards to take with them which the parents

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the early years provision

were thrilled to receive. Children's understanding of the wider world is actively encouraged as they play with resources, such as, 'small-world' figures, dressing up clothes and puzzles reflecting the diverse society in which they live. They also thoroughly enjoy activities, such as, visiting the local Chinese Restaurant in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 celebration of Chinese New Year.

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the early years provision

The childminder's dedication to building and maintaining trusting and professional relationships with the parents and others involved in the children's lives ensures that children are consistently cared for. She is able to offer a consistency of care with many of the children starting with her from a very young age and continuing through their time at school. The childminder also ensures that parents fully understand her working ethos and excellent practice. She fully discusses all policies and procedures with them and ensures that they are made aware of any updates or changes that take place. Parents are routinely informed about their children's learning through use of a daily diary, continual interaction with the childminder and looking at the children's learning journals which contain examples of their creative skills plus photographs and assessments. The childminder is very aware of meeting the children's needs as well as those of the parents. For example, during one of

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the early years provision

the children's first session with her she helps them create a card for their parent's desk or workplace. She encourages the children to explore different materials as they make a hand print for the card and then write 'Have you had as much fun as me today?' reassuring the parents that they have enjoyed themselves whilst with the childminder. The childminder also includes the parents in their children's learning by giving them a copy of her activity planning so that they can compliment the activities and themes at home if they wish.

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the early years provision

The childminder has forged professional and sharing relationships with other settings that the children attend. She works closely with them to ensure that the care and education given is consistent and has received praise for the information contained within children's learning journals. She ensures that she is aware of any topics and themes being covered by the settings so that she can compliment and discuss them with the children providing a continuity of care for all.

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the early years provision

The childminder's enthusiasm for her work and her genuine aim to provide high quality care means that she continuously evaluates her practices and makes changes to improve the outcomes for all children and parents. For example, she rigorously checks all her documentation to ensure that it meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage regulations and fully incorporates this into her outstanding day-to-day practice. She also sets text and e-mail alerts to remind her to carry out any planned updates or changes. She has an excellent attitude to training which also leads to rich and varied experiences for the children. She is very receptive to comments from parents, children and other childcare professionals to enhance her role. Parents demonstrate their contentment with her through comments, such as, 'We couldn't be happier and there is nothing that can be improved upon. Our child even asks to come at weekends!' Some parents also

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the early years provision

say that they have to practice being the childminder at home whilst participating in role-play scenarios with their children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are consistently offered highly appropriate experiences that support them in making excellent progress in all areas of learning. The exceptional range of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 child-initiated and adult-led activities ensure that children's interests and knowledge are continually being extended. All activities are clearly linked to the areas of learning and planning comprehensively ensures that the children experience a broad range across all areas of development. For example, whilst covering the letter B and the colour blue children develop their language skills by looking at the story book 'Commotion in the Ocean'. The childminder then links this to their physical development as the children are encouraged to move along the floor like sea creatures. They make under the sea pictures using paper plates and collage materials and experience the feeling of blue Gloop on their hands

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and outcomes for children

developing their sensory and creative skills. The childminder uses her extensive knowledge of children to adapt the activities and resources to ensure that all are fully included and their uniqueness catered for. For example, younger children are fully involved in creative activities either by using bigger shaped crayons for mark- making or by being given a tray of snow to experience whilst the older children are outside enjoying the change in weather. All activities are clearly linked to the children's starting point, observations and assessments enabling the childminder to build on what the children know and plan for their continued development.

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and outcomes for children

The children enjoy an extensive range of stimulating activities because the childminder uses her knowledge and imagination to plan activities that enable her to draw out the learning experiences for them. For example, they participate in a weekly activity called 'Leaps and Bounds'. This is carried out by the childminder and a visiting practitioner and takes the form of physical activities combined with songs and games to extend the children's language, number and personal skills. The children eagerly stand in a circle waiting for the first activity to take place. They listen intently to the instructions and enthusiastically take part in the 'Bean bag rock' shaking their bean bags in air, and balancing them, for example, on their knees. They then exchange the bean bags for wooden sticks choosing which colour they would like. They tap the sticks in tune to the music moving them high, low, in front and behind and receiving lots of praise for their continued efforts. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder then helps to set up an obstacle course encouraging the children to jump on the spot, on the coloured mats and then onto the trampoline. She encourages them to bend their legs and supports those feeling less confident by holding their hands. They stretch as they learn how to roll off a padded slope onto the floor and are excited to see how many jumps they can do on the trampoline. The children sit very patiently as they wait their turn and discuss how the jumping is making them worn out. They develop their catching skills as they place their hands together to catch the ball thrown by the childminder and their kicking skills as they try to control the ball into the goal provided. The session ends with action rhymes as the children, who are fully animated and happy, sing 'Three little monkeys jumping on the bed' predicting the words and actions that follow. They all receive enthusiastic praise for their participation and an 'I can jump' sticker to

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and outcomes for children

wear. They very politely thank the practitioner for her visit and say that they look forward to seeing her next week.

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and outcomes for children

Children also have an extensive range of free-flow activities enabling them to play both inside and outside. Whilst in the garden they develop their physical skills as they play on the bikes and ride on toys provided learning also that they must take turns and share what is there. They are also learning where food comes from as they plant items, such as, herbs, tomatoes and runner beans to be nurtured until This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 good enough to eat. Children's emotional development is comprehensively promoted as they develop secure and trusting relationships with each other and the childminder. They are keen to help with daily tasks, such as, preparing snack and confidently come to the childminder when they feel in need of a comforting hug. The childminder acts as a very positive role model praising the children' s achievements and assisting them in making the right decisions. They are aware of

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and outcomes for children

the consistent boundaries in place and often remind each other if unwanted behaviour is displayed.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive in this secure environment. They take part in routines that promote their safety and that of others including regularly practising the emergency fire drill and discussing road awareness when out and about on the school run or visits within the community. Children are becoming aware of good hygiene practices because they are effectively supported to, for example, wash their hands before eating with picture clues and written procedures acting as sensitive reminders. Their independence is encouraged as they make choices about what to eat as they, for example, ask for a piece of fruit as a snack and decide that they would rather not have soup for lunch. The childminder suggests that they might like a packed lunch like their older sibling takes to school. This they excitedly agree to only to mention as it is put on their plate that it is not in a packed lunch box also like their siblings!

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and outcomes for children

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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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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