Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY345169 Unique Reference Number 03 May 2007 Inspection date Lynn Masterman Inspector

p.1

Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

p.2

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

p.2

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged 13 months and three-years-old. The family live in a small village near Rotherham. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time. She currently has two children under eight-years-old on roll. The childminder supports children with English as an additional language. She walks to take and collect children from the local school. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children's health and welfare are of high priority as they are cared for in a warm, clean and well maintained home. The childminder displays excellent hygiene practices and has highly effective procedures in place to prevent the spread of infection. For example, the childminder washes

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 her hands before attending to any aspects of children's personal care. Children learn from an early age the importance of good personal hygiene through extremely effective well organised daily routines. They independently and enthusiastically wash their hands at appropriate times with little adult intervention. They have individual face flannels after lunch to ensure they are clean and comfortable. The childminder has devised an excellent range of policies and procedures, which are routinely shared with parents, to support her childminding practice. For example, children who are infectious are not allowed to attend and the illness is recorded to ensure exclusion periods are followed in order to prevent the spread of contagious ailments to other children.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

Children join in a vast range of physical play enthusiastically because the childminder plans and organises a highly stimulating and diverse range of activities. Excellent use is made of the garden to promote children's awareness of growth and movement. Children plant sunflower seeds and nurture their care. The childminder extends children's bodily awareness by using music to encourage the children to curl their bodies and become tiny seeds and use their arms to grow into tall and strong flowers. Children are extremely skilful in developing their large motor skills and learning to move their bodies in different ways. For example, they have opportunities to jump, hop, skip, canter, run, crawl and move backwards and sideways. The childminder has an excellent understanding of allowing children to take supervised risks. For example, young children are given lots of encouragement to climb steps and how to climb down

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

safely. The access to an extensive range of physical activities contributes to children's good health in an extremely positive manner.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children receive a superb range of exceptionally good home cooked meals, which are both extremely healthy and nutritious. This helps children to develop healthy eating habits from a young age. Children are provided with an extensive range of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis to ensure they have the required five portions a day. Comprehensive and imaginative menus are devised by the childminder and shared with parents. For example, the childminder provides recipes for parents to try at home to help develop children's awareness of different textures and taste. This helps children to develop an excellent approach to healthy eating.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared in an extremely well-organised child orientated environment. For example, children have access to low level pegs with their name clearly displayed. This helps children to feel their presence is highly valued. The childminder has taken highly effective steps to ensure children have lots of free space to play and the opportunity to move around the premises in an extremely confident manner. Extremely comprehensive and very thorough risk assessments are in place for inside and outside the home to reduce any potential hazard, and every consideration is given to ensure children are safe at all times. For example, children's emergency contact details are located at all exits of the property. Highly effective procedures are in place to promote children's awareness of road safety. They are actively encouraged to use their senses, to look and listen for sounds, which tell them to be aware of potential dangers.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Excellent quality resources are easily accessed allowing children to make choices in a safe manner. Children's toys and equipment are meticulously monitored to make sure they remain safe, clean and appropriate for their age and stage of development.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are extremely well protected as the childminder has extensive knowledge and understanding of her role and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding children. She ensures

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 that her practice is underpinned by first class up to date knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow. She has an excellent written child protection statement, which is discussed with parents before children attend.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely eager to attend and relish their time at the childminder's home. The childminder shares an extremely warm and caring relationship with the children. For example, young children enjoy lots of cuddles and physical closeness, so that they feel secure and content. This helps to successfully enhance children's sense of trust and self-confidence. They have an extremely strong sense of belonging and are familiar with daily routines.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are extremely confident, very independent and develop self-esteem by the childminder encouraging them to try new activities and giving praise. Children are highly motivated and very interested in an excellent range of purposeful activities, which provide consistently high levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development. Activities are meticulously planned and based around topics, such as transport, which are linked children's experiences. Children respond extremely well to the childminder who sits with children at their level and follows their lead to ensure they are learning whilst having fun. The childminder is extremely skilled in her ability to use highly effective questioning techniques to develop children's language skills and imagination. For example, children play enthusiastically with the farmyard. They sing with delight 'Old McDonald has a Farm' whilst at play. The childminder asks the children 'where

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

is the farmer going in his tractor and do you think the animals might like to ride in the tractor'?. The children respond by making the noises of the animals.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder uses her extensive knowledge of children's development to differentiate activities according to the children's stage of development and there level of understanding. For example, children have opportunity to develop their sensory skills and mathematical concepts through an excellent range of tactile activities. Children make their own play dough. They weigh out the ingredients using balancing scales. The childminder talks to children about how many spoonfuls of flour will make the scales go up and how many they have to remove to make it balance. They mix, kneed, pull, twist and squeeze the dough until it is the correct consistency. This helps children to develop their exploration skills and the mathematical concepts of weight from an early age.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder has extensive knowledge and understanding of the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and the Foundation Stage. She has a very flexible approach to planning and an excellent balance between adult-led and child-led activities, which allows children to learn at their own pace. The childminder is very skilful in her ability to use children's comprehensive assessments records to inform her planning and to effectively plan their next stage of learning. Therefore, children are progressing at a rapid pace and are beginning to make a dynamic sense of the world around them. The childminder is extremely pro-active in looking at new ways to promote children's learning and extend her practice.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children are very warmly welcomed and play a full part in the setting, because the childminder values and respects their individuality and the family context for each child. The childminder actively seeks parents’ views about their children’s needs and interests before their child starts

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 at the setting, and on a regular basis throughout their time in her care. She consistently uses this information in a highly effectively manner to ensure children's individual needs are successfully met. Children’s sense of belonging is fully fostered through the warm, welcoming and homely atmosphere and the childminder’s overwhelming dedication to their care. For example, children have their own coat pegs with their names written above and individual baskets to store personal items.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has an excellent approach to equal opportunities. She sees the children as individuals and has great respect for the children's individuality. She is extremely skilful in her ability to promote children's awareness of the wider world through their play. The childminder supports children with English as an additional language. She makes excellent use of stories and reference books to promote their knowledge and understanding about each other. For example, the children use the atlas to find the country of Zimbabwe. The childminder uses simple but thought provoking questions, which the children can relate to their own experiences. For example, 'how do you think we would get to Zimbabwe, do you think we might need to catch an aeroplane, do you think it is very hot there and what animals do you think we might see'?.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exemplary due to the childminder's consistent and highly skilled approach in promoting positive behaviour. Children show respect for themselves and others, encouraged by the childminder setting a superb example. The childminder has an excellent approach to the management of children's behaviour. The use of praise and encouragement is used very effectively to praise children for their achievements and success. The childminder sees every step children make to achieve a task as an achievement. For example, children who are potty training are praised for recognising their need for the potty, their attempt to remove clothing and their success in using the potty. This results in children being highly independent and feeling safe and secure, through which they develop a high degree of self-confidence, an extremely strong belief in themselves and healthy self-esteem.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

An excellent partnership with parents contributes significantly to children's well-being. Parents are given a wealth of information, in the form of a parent pack. This is about the service the childminder offers and includes an extensive range of policies, procedures and information about the childminder and training she has attended. This ensures parents are extremely well informed and made to feel very welcome from the beginning. Parental contribution to the care of the children is highly regarded by the childminder. She sees this as the most important component in the process of meeting children's individual needs and the first policy given to parents is about working in partnership. Parents are fully informed of the planning for each term as well as their own child’s progress. Parental feedback shows that parents greatly value the care offered by the childminder. She ensures that all parents know how their children are

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

progressing and developing through verbal exchanges and very comprehensive assessment records. These steps ensure extremely effective continuity of care for the children.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children's care is greatly enhanced by the excellent organisation of the childminder. They move around safely, with independence and highly effective supervision. Children can easily access many of the toys and resources, and the childminder's home is ready for the children as they arrive each morning. Children's individual needs are extensively met through the childminder’s comprehensive knowledge of children's individual routines and requirements.

p.5

Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The childminder has an extensive knowledge of child development and has attended many training courses, covering a wide variety of topics. These include: ‘Birth to three matters’ framework; Child Protection; Food Hygiene; Raising Children's Self-esteem and Empathy Dolls. She is very pro-active in accessing training, reads relevant publications and ensures she is kept up to date with current practice. She is currently looking at completing her quality first kite mark training. Children's experiences are significantly enhanced as the childminder uses training opportunities to provide an exceptionally high standard of care for children.

p.5

Organisation

Excellent and comprehensively written policies and procedures are in place, which are individual to the setting. They address each of the National Standards and have a highly positive impact on children's safety and well-being. Documentation is kept in an extremely well organised professional manner and confidentiality is maintained at all times. The childminder systematically reviews her policies and procedures to address any changes made to the National Standards. For example, she has devised a robust system for recording complaints in line with the new regulations. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.6