Childcare Pathways

Inspection of Childcare Pathways M K Christian Foundation, Aylesbury Street, Wolverton, MILTON KEYNES MK12 5HX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision is good

The well-crafted curriculum meets the differing needs of all children. Activities provide all children with challenge regardless of the frequency of their attendance. Children are making good progress in their learning. Staff support children's communication and language skills well. Children are confident talkers who are eager to start conversations and talk about what interests them, such as film characters. Children engage in activities that boost their physical and emotional well-being. During the daily routine, staff encourage children to be active and aware of how exercise affects their bodies. Pilates sessions help to support children's emotional and mental health as well as strengthening their muscles.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is consistently good and managed well by staff. Children are respectful and kind towards each other and play together well. They test out their ideas and explore their identity in the safe and secure environment. Children are confident, articulate and able to express themselves well. Throughout the day, children make choices about their learning and select from the wide range of toys and equipment available for them. They are becoming independent and capable of meeting their own personal needs. Older children are gaining skills and becoming ready for starting school.

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need to do better?

n Senior leaders have a thorough understanding about the nursery and are committed to improvement. The manager leads the nursery team with a strong sense of direction and efficiency. Together, they have effectively addressed the weaknesses raised at the previous inspection. The setting has undergone significant improvement and staff show a strong capacity to continue to improve over time. n Staff organisation and supervision is excellent. Each member of staff has clear objectives and are challenged to develop professionally. Support for students encourages them to develop into confident and capable practitioners who take obvious pleasure in their work. n Staff use creative and innovative ways to communicate with parents and share ideas to help them to support children's learning at home. Staff develop effective relationships with other professionals. For example, they exchange information with the local children's centre to support families. However, there are not

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need to do better?

consistently productive relationships with every setting that children attend to help to provide all children with continuity in their learning. n The quality of teaching is consistently high and staff are responsive and aware of children's interests. This helps them to provide activities that excite children and sustain their motivation. Staff know children well and observe their progress, making accurate assessments about what will help to move their

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need to do better?

10 January 2020 development forward. n The daily routine works well. Children have time to rest and relax, and be active. Sometimes, the physical-activity sessions are not organised well to encourage children to participate and take part without distractions. n Staff support children to learn about numbers. Together, they play the missing- number game where children practise counting numbers. Staff remove a number and children identify what number is missing. Children are confident in this, asking, 'Where has the two gone?' This shows their developing awareness of counting and number recognition. n Children arrive at the nursery enthusiastic and eager to learn. There are trusting and affectionate relationships between children and staff. Children hug staff's legs and they respond by ruffling their hair. Young children gently trace their fingers over staff's faces as they become tired and stop to rest, cuddling up with

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need to do better?

the staff. These sensitive and gentle interactions help children to feel safe and secure. n Children express their wants and needs. They ask for staff to play music for them to dance to. Children say when they are hungry and thirsty. Staff manage children's dietary needs well. Stringent routines are in place for dealing with food allergies to help keep children safe. n Children benefit hugely from the community-centred approach of the nursery. They walk to their local shops with staff and visit parks and the organisation's farm. Children enjoy meeting older members of the community in the drop-in sessions and learn about the natural world at the forest school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know about the signs and symptoms that might indicate that children are at risk of harm. They are aware of local and national child protection issues and the work of the local safeguarding partnership. Staff have extensive safeguarding training and there are clear lines for students and staff to report any concerns about children's welfare. Policies and procedures help to underpin staff's work and provide clear guidance. Senior staff review accident records. Recent changes to the environment and staff's supervision of children has successfully reduced the number of minor accidents that children have in the nursery.

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should:

n develop more effective partnerships with other settings that children attend to provide greater continuity in children's learning n organise physical-activity sessions to maximise and encourage children's participation.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY456775 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10099751 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 1 to 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01908525085 Date of previous inspection 25 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Childcare Pathways registered in 2013. It offers a crèche within the nursery and a holiday play scheme. The nursery is open Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm. There are three members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 to 6. The crèche provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation and learning walk with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of staff and students working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to a small number of parents and read their written feedback during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

10 January 2020 We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

10 January 2020 regulates and inspects 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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