St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 147241 Inspection date 07/12/2011 Inspector Carolyn Hasler

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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 was registered in 1992. She lives with her partner and two adult children in the London Borough of Barnet, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the childminder's home is used for childminding. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding two children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder collects children from the local school.

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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

This setting is highly effective. It offers a welcoming and inclusive service where children make excellent progress in their learning and development overall. Partnerships with parents and others are highly effective. Self-evaluation processes are fully developed and therefore effective in underpinning and securing improvement. The childminder shows an outstanding capacity for sustained 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?

 developing further the two-way flow of information with parents by offering more opportunities for them to contribute towards their child's initial assessments to establish their child's starting points

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the early years provision

The childminder has an exemplary knowledge and understanding of her roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. Regular training in safeguarding is maintained to a high level. The childminder understands and follows her procedure. Inter-agency links are made with professional bodies where appropriate. The childminder and family members over the age of 16 maintain appropriate checks. Children's environment is risk assessed and a safe environment is maintained. Children display an excellent awareness of safety This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 issues and recognise and understand how to keep themselves safe.

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the early years provision

Since the last inspection the childminder has continued to develop her knowledge in childcare. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and successfully implemented. Systems to monitor the effectiveness of the setting are robust. They take a balanced view of what does and does not work and helps the childminder identify priorities for development. The childminder has an excellent self-evaluation process. This takes account of both parents' and children's views. It recognises where improvements need to be made and communicates an ambitious vision for the future. The childminder drives forward improvement to provide high quality care and education.

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the early years provision

The environment children play in is conducive to learning. The childminder has exceptional skills in flexible and imaginative planning. Resources are extensive and allow the childminder to fully plan for children's exploration in all areas of their learning. The childminder takes well-considered steps towards sustainability as many of the resources used are from the natural environment or recycled. Resources provided both indoors and outdoors are equally highly effective in engaging children's interest and creatively encourage exploration. The childminder is highly effective in supporting learning in an exciting and interesting way. She works in partnership with parents to successfully monitor children's development and plan for future learning. She has an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and uses this effectively in her role to support learning and development. Children clearly benefit and thrive from the

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the early years provision

environment they are in. The childminder has all the skills to establish starting points successfully but has not yet implemented this as all her children have been attending prior to the Early Years Foundation Stage being introduced.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an exceptional knowledge of each child's background and needs as they have been attending over a long period. There is a clear focus on establishing practises closely linked to children's home experiences. Children have opportunities to meet and develop relationships with children from different age groups and with a range of diverse needs or cultural backgrounds. Accessibility to extensive resources helps children to explore the cultures and differences of others in-depth and celebrate the world they live in. This builds the familiarity and acceptance of others.

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the early years provision

The childminder's relationships with parents and carers are highly positive and communication is very effective. Parents are provided with daily information and termly reports, which they have commented are exceptionally informative. Parents have frequent opportunities to provide feedback on welfare and development. There is an exceptional array of information provided on the Early Years Foundation Stage both displayed on the walls and available in written form. Parents value the childminder's knowledge of childcare issues; they share concerns and discuss next steps to support continuity between home and the setting. The childminder and parents are fully committed as a partnership to contributing towards children's well-being and development. The childminder has long term relationships with the local school. She shares developmental information and extends planning from the school, which offers continuity in learning.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely well settled. They build a strong sense of security through the relationships they build with the childminder and other children. They are fully aware of the routines and help establish and respect house rules. They nominate other children as the 'star child' for the week for good behaviour. Children safely use a range of tools and equipment and fully understand how to play safely. For example, children enjoy wrapping presents for Christmas, managing sticky tape, scissors and writing equipment very well. All children are fully informed about evacuation procedures and road safety issues. They learn songs about safety and have a range of books which help them to be extremely confident in talking about their own safety. Children work exceptionally well independently and are developing excellent negotiation and cooperation skills. They are extremely well behaved, polite and well mannered. They engage in a wide range of activities to

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and outcomes for children

help them value diversity and show an excellent awareness of responsibility within the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an exceptional understanding of the importance of following good personal hygiene routines. For example, they talk confidently about why it is important to wash hands. Each child has their own bag of personal things they need to maintain their own hygiene. Children show extremely good knowledge of the importance of eating healthily and make healthy choices at meal times. Their individual dietary needs are fully catered for. They fully understand the importance of taking part in regular exercise and how their bodies respond. Children have a large variety of resources to choose from to encourage them to be physically active. They are fully informed about the importance of healthy lifestyles and engage in a range of activities designed to promote their awareness.

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and outcomes for children

Children make significant gains in their learning; their individual progress is consistently excellent in relation to their capabilities. This is because the childminder has exceptional skills in creating inspirational environments which engage children's explorative skills. Her interactions with children support their learning very well. All children are encouraged to be confident communicators. Reading, list making and letter writing are all enjoyed with self assurance. Children talk about size, shape and measurements during activities such as cooking or dressing-up. In addition, resources to support problem solving reasoning and numeracy are extensive and allow children to gain first hand experiences. Information, communication and technology resources are freely available and children confidently use cameras to take photographs of their friends. Children have first hand experiences growing vegetables and salad produce. They

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and outcomes for children

understand the changing seasons and have opportunities to explore wooded and open areas. They play a full and active role in their own learning and show great curiosity and desire to explore. This results in children developing excellent skills and becoming active and inquisitive learners. 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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