Little Stars Kindergarten

Little Stars Kindergarten Newton Bromswold and Court Memorial Hall, Rushden Road, Newton Bromswold, RUSHDEN, Northamptonshire, NN10 0SP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/03/2014 12/10/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Transitional arrangements are highly effective and consequently, children feel extremely well-prepared emotionally for the next steps in their learning.  The key person system is highly effective and as a result, children are able to make exceptionally secure attachments.  A child-centred approach is extremely well-supported by the staff. Consequently, children are able to independently explore and extend their learning and make rapid progress in all areas of learning.  The setting has an extremely effective leadership and management structure that is vigilant in supporting the needs of the children through a truly superb child-led environment. As a result, children develop supreme confidence in their daily interactions and communication with others.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both indoors and the outside play area.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager.  The inspector spoke to the staff throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at the planning and assessment records for the children.

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Inspection activities

 The manager checked the suitability and qualifications of all staff working with the children and the provider's evidence of self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents both at the beginning and the end of the session and through text message to the setting's phone.

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Information about the setting

Little Stars Kindergarten was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a memorial hall in the Newton Bromswold area of Northamptonshire. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children between the ages of two and five years. It operates from 9.15am to 1.15pm during term time and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. On occasions, the setting offers extra Saturday sessions to invite parents, siblings and extended family to share the setting. There are currently 23 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs three members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 continue using peer on peer observations to strengthen and maintain the already consistently excellent staff practice.

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who attend

Children and their parents and carers are welcomed into the setting. On their arrival children and their parents and carers are greeted warmly by staff and the children self- register with appropriate levels of support. Parents and carers are able to remain with their children for a little while if they feel they want to. At the point of admission the key person acquires extremely detailed knowledge of the children in their care, such as their likes, dislikes and factors that can affect the child's behaviour. This information contributes to the baseline assessment and identifies the child's starting points in their development. Consequently, children benefit from continuity and consistency in their care and this supports them settling rapidly into the setting enabling them to begin to feel safe and secure from the first day of attendance. Furthermore, the setting opens for extra sessions on a Saturday morning once every half term to enable parents, carers, siblings and

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who attend

members of the extended family to share in the setting. This is an additional feature that highlights the staffs commitment to working in an holistic and inclusive way with the child and their family. Once the child is in attendance at the setting they benefit from a highly effective key person system. The staff are exceptionally proactive in using information gained on admission to ensure children have targeted experiences to help them make exceptional progress in all aspects of their development. As a result of staff having detailed knowledge of the children in their care, the planning closely matches individual needs, supports them in their development and assists them with forming strong and secure attachments to their carers at the setting. This enables children to further their independence with a heightened sense of well-being.

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who attend

The assessment and tracking of children's progress is a key element to this highly effective child-led environment where they are free to access the resources provided without conforming to overly rigid and restrictive rules and routines. As a result of this highly effective method of tracking during children's daily attendance, staff are continuously monitoring and evaluating engagement levels and developmental progress. However, if children do not make the progress expected or engagement levels drop and children are identified as frequently 'on the move', staff are highly skilled and demonstrate high levels of insight to assess further, then seek appropriate and timely interventions. For example, they assess the provision of the resources and environment or undertake further assessment of a child and if necessary secure additional support to enable them to continue to meet the child's needs. However, all the activities and experiences provided

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who attend

are carefully considered and planned for by the staff, using their detailed knowledge of the children and their development. As a result, the environment is rich in open-ended experiences where the emphasis is on the process rather than the end product and promotes high levels of creativity, independence and communication. For example, children are able to mix their own powder paint and create colours of their choice. They can then paint their picture and write their name on a sticker to label it as their own to take home at the end of the session. This is an entirely independent process although staff are acutely aware of the children's movements at all times. As a result, children are exceedingly well-motivated, develop extremely high levels of independence and are continuously immersed in their learning environment.

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who attend

The children demonstrate supreme confidence and there is clear evidence that children are supported in developing this confidence in a range of contexts including managing situations that they feel uncomfortable in or upset by. From the point of admission the children are guided in using the 'stop' word in a clear voice and holding up their hand, a method which empowers the children to let those who have caused the negative feeling know that they are not happy. This is an adult supported strategy and when an adult hears this word they ensure the situation is manageable for the child but will intervene if necessary. As a result of this approach children are guided in their development of self- discipline and acceptable behaviour. As a result, incidences of inappropriate behaviour are rare. In addition, children caring for and supporting one another in their play and skill acquisition is fully supported by the staff. They guide the children in developing caring and

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who attend

sensitive attitudes and children are continually observed using sensitivity and encouragement for less able or younger children to complete tasks. For example, a child observed on the computer receives encouragement from another more able child who verbally guides them to complete the task. As a result of this, younger children's development is scaffolded by older more skilled children but both children begin to develop superb skills that will wholeheartedly support them in their next stage of learning. The children arrive at the setting ready and motivated to learn and as a result of the rich environment, their engagement levels remain extremely high throughout the session.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are wholeheartedly supported in taking and managing their own risks to extend their own learning. For example, a group of children work cooperatively and safely together to play out a scenario using the blocks and pulley suspended from the ceiling, with a bucket attached. A child wants to reach higher and uses three of the large wooden blocks as a tower to climb onto. The child achieves her aim and once she has, she jumps safely off. As a consequence of these experiences of risk taking, children are able to build confidence, manage risk and challenge, and develop high order problem solving and reasoning skills. This means that they are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in their learning. Children benefit from having free access to an enclosed outdoor area that has an array of interesting resources. For example, there is a garden shed converted into an all-weather sand pit with a wide variety of equipment inside. There are bikes and

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

areas for creative activities and a nature project involving tadpoles. The enclosed area backs onto fields where horses and ponies are kept. The children are safeguarded by being asked not to touch but they provide further opportunities for learning. Children's health is further promoted through adult supported physical activity before lunch involving the use of a parachute. This was the response of staff having a heightened awareness of the movements of the children that morning and providing further indoor opportunity to engage all children in large scale activity to promote their physical development.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Snack time in the setting provides further opportunities for children to make choices they feel comfortable with and develop greater independence. The snack is a rolling snack bar where children can access the snacks available when they wish. The snack is managed by a member of staff and children are given prompts in both pictorial and written form of what is on offer that day to support them in making choices. This provides a valuable learning opportunity for children to match words and pictures alongside choosing a snack they will enjoy. Children's learning is reinforced by rich opportunities in listening, speaking, language and number work, which is supported by highly skilled staff. For example, they introduce fruit that would be considered out of the ordinary, such as kiwi fruit, and prompt conversations requiring memory recall, such as comparing how many children were present yesterday and how many children are present today. Children are

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

given further opportunity to develop fine motor skills, such as cutting their own fruit. During snack time resources are not tidied away and as a result, children can continue to play uninterrupted. If children choose to access snack they are asked to go and wash their hands and if there isn't any room around the table children know to ask for a 'waiting chair,' demonstrating that they have highly developed levels of socially acceptable behaviour and patience. They know what is expected of them and possess an advanced ability to manage their own behaviour that is so clearly evident in the setting. However, although children may be sat waiting they are still included in the conversation and social experience of snack time and are able to freely contribute to the interactions that are taking place.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children benefit from frequent praise and reinforcement of their behaviour and there are daily opportunities for children's achievement to be recognised and celebrated. The setting has a designated 'wow' board where parents are provided with stars to document their child's home achievements and to share and celebrate these on the display board. Children benefit from this highly successful partnership working with heightened feelings of well-being. Transitions onto school is another area where exceptional partnership working is evident. These transitions are exceptionally well-managed. Children benefit from a highly sensitive and focused approach with the staff liaising with and visiting the local schools. They employ the use of a cuddly elephant who has their photograph taken in key areas, such as the toilets and classrooms in the school. These are then displayed on a board in the setting towards the end of the summer term and provide talking points for

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

the children. This ensures that children are exceptionally well-supported in becoming familiar with aspects of the next stage in their learning.

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provision

The leadership of the setting is driven by the aspiration to provide highly enjoyable, varied and creative experiences for the children who attend. There is strong evidence in the settings self-evaluation of continued reflection and an ethos of continuously striving for excellence. Along with all staff holding childcare qualifications at level 3 and accessing core training, they are proactive in seeking out continued professional development that will further improve the already excellent provision. The children are the central focus of training that is attended and staff are active in putting this training into practice. For example, from attending a keynote speech, the staff adopted the Tassoni method of tracking children's engagement levels. Consequently, staff have developed an acute awareness of children's movements during sessions ensuring that their safety and individual needs are exceptionally well-met at all times.

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provision

The staff team is small with communication taking place at the beginning and the end of the sessions. In addition, the team meet regularly to share excellent practice linked to training and reflect on the needs of the provision. The team, on occasions, has carried out peer on peer observations for 360 degree appraisals to enable all staff to sustain the confidence and skills they require. There is scope to further extend the use of this method of reflecting on staff's practice, in order to continue providing the rich and varied environment that has been superbly created by the highly skilled and committed staff team. As a result of excellent practice continually being shared and role modelled and areas for further training being identified, staff increase the range of their already exceptional knowledge to reflect on and make appropriate changes to their truly child- initiated provision. Furthermore, children are thoroughly safeguarded because staff have a

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provision

thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures along with a robust recruitment procedure where all staff, including cover staff, are employed with appropriate qualifications, and all the relevant checks for identity including references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks are sought. In addition, there is clear evidence that the provider and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in meeting the statutory requirements and there is evidence that children are consistently assessed and their progress is accurately monitored. This enables the early identification of any child that may require additional support and a timely intervention. This results in all children making rapid progress, given their starting points.

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provision

The setting develops exceptionally strong links with parents and carers and fosters this relationship with them through offering opportunities for them to have a high level of involvement in their child's attendance at the setting. As a result of this effective partnership working, children receive a consistent and continuous level of care which superbly contributes to preparing them for further learning. In addition to the exceptional home links the setting continues to develop and sustain high quality working relationships with a broad range of other professionals and settings. A system of transitional information between the setting and children's additional carers is embedded in practice and as a result of this, children have continuity of care. The setting has established partnership working with the primary schools in the area that the children will go on to attend and they have supported other settings in the county to develop their own

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provision

provision focusing on the child-initiated approach. Furthermore, the setting continues to work in a highly effective way with a range of outside agencies to support the individual needs of the children they care for. As a result of this partnership working, children are fully supported in their experience of the very best start to their learning journey.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY219888 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 848202

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Sally Louise Cotter Date of previous inspection 12/10/2010 Telephone number 07917066997

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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