Childminder in Salford

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 307279 Inspection date 25/11/2008 Inspector Susan Janet Lee

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Introduction

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration whichever is the later, which require Ofsted or the provider to take action in Annex C.

p.2

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).

p.2

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

p.2

Description of the childminding

The childminder was registered in 1990. She lives with her husband, two adult children and grandson in a semi-detached property in Eccles, Salford. The childminder's husband, son and daughter are all assistants and sometimes one of them will support the childminder in caring for the children.

p.3

Description of the childminding

The lounge, playroom and kitchen on the ground floor and the bathroom and two bedrooms on the first floor are used for childminding purposes. There is a rear garden available for outdoor play. The family have a dog, a rabbit and goldfish as pets. Access is gained to the property at the front of the house on the ground floor level.

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to provide care for a maximum of six children at any one time. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently five children on roll. The childminder has established links with other early years settings which minded children attend and that also provide the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder is able to take and collect children from the local primary school and she is a member of the National Childminding Association. The childminder holds a childcare qualification and she has completed the 'Quality First' assurance scheme. She is also the chair of the Salford Childminding Association and the link visitor in her area.

p.3

Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Highly effective procedures and practices ensure the safety and the welfare of the children. The very good partnerships with parents and others involved in the lives of the children ensure that everyone works together to support the children effectively. The childminder places a strong emphasis on valuing children and their families and she ensures that the environment is warm, welcoming and accepting of everyone. Innovative self-evaluation procedures are in place.

p.3

further?

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

p.3

further?

 develop a more consistent approach to planning play for the outdoor environment.

p.3

provision

The childminder demonstrates a high level of commitment to promoting children's safety and welfare. Very detailed and comprehensive risk assessments are in place This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and these are extremely effective in eliminating risks. The childminder organises space, time and resources exceptionally well to meet children's needs and to significantly enhance their play experiences. The childminder has a high regard for children's well-being as she attends lots of training to further develop her childcare practices.

p.3

provision

The childminder is a totally committed and enthusiastic childcare practitioner who strives for continuous improvement. She has developed her own rigorous systems to monitor the service she provides and action plans are used to plan and chart improvements. The childminder has developed a questionnaire for parents to complete to enable them to be fully involved in contributing to the evaluation process. The children are at the centre of all plans and decisions made and recent improvements have clearly led to improved outcomes for the children. For example, the playroom has been redesigned; the children have had extended opportunities to develop their large physical skills; and lots of work has been concentrated on to further promote healthy eating.

p.4

provision

Parents are kept very well informed about their children's progress and they are fully involved in their children's learning. This year, the childminder grew vegetables in the garden with the children. However, due to the poor weather conditions, the vegetables did not thrive. The childminder is now working with a parent and has use of the parent's allotment to grow vegetables with the children. The childminder works hard to ensure that the environment is warm and inclusive. The children and their parents develop a positive sense of identity and belonging. The childminder is very successful in celebrating each child's uniqueness and every possible effort is made to ensure that no individual child is disadvantaged. Superb strategies are in place to support children and parents who speak English as an additional language. The childminder has established exemplary links with other early years settings. As a result, the childminder is able to complement the

p.4

provision

children's learning journey in her home and provide continuity in their learning.

p.4

The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder exercises extremely good hygiene practices at all times to minimise the risk of cross-infection. The children are very well nourished and develop an understanding of healthy options because the childminder provides a very healthy and nutritious menu to aid their growth and development. The children are able to choose what they would like for snack using pictures, for example, one child chose raisins and apricots and another child chose a banana. The children are able to recall how many portions of fruit they have eaten using pictures to display on a board. The children develop a very good sense of belonging. Older children show care and concern for younger children. The children clearly enjoy their time at the setting and thrive on the childminder's attention and interaction. The childminder treats all the children with care and concern. She is fair and helps the children to understand their emotions and to be

p.4

The quality and standards of the early years provision

sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Consequently, the children develop an understanding of what is right and wrong and they learn to be kind and helpful.

p.4

The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder plans a lovely range of dynamic and stimulating activities to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ensure that every child enjoys and is suitably challenged by the learning experiences provided. However, outdoor play is more geared to children's interests without any formal planning. The enabling environment is rich and supportive, giving the children confidence to explore their surroundings. The childminder has an excellent understanding of children's individual needs and she truly values children's uniqueness. She shares very warm close relationships with the children. As a result, the children feel at ease and are secure and confident. This positive sense of well-being gives the children a secure foundation on which to play, explore and develop. The childminder is innovative and makes some very good resources for the children. For example, she collected jar lids and stuck

p.4

The quality and standards of the early years provision

photographs of the children and their families inside the lids. This is a wonderful tool for children who are settling in as they can carry them round with them to help them feel secure. It also gives other minded children a sense of identity and a link with home.

p.5

The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children have lots of opportunities to enjoy and develop their physical skills. They play in the garden, warmly dressed to protect them from the cold weather. The children take an interest in the world around them. They looked at wet leaves in the garden and felt the texture of them. The children rolled a ball down a gutter and found two snails. With the help of the childminder, they looked at them closely and talked about what they saw. Recently, the children watched as tree surgeons cut down some trees in the street. They were interested and excited as the trees were cut down and then the logs were put through the shredding machine. The children develop an understanding of life cycles. They closely followed the pregnancy of a friend of the childminder. The children met the lady and looked at scan images of the baby. They were very excited to meet the baby when it was born.

p.5

The quality and standards of the early years provision

The youngest children develop a strong exploratory impulse and older children display high levels of interest in their chosen activities. The children are able to make sense of what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. They enjoy exploring beans and lentils. They used their hands and fingers to feel the beans and lentils. They dropped the grains into other containers and listened to the sound they make. The childminder likened the sound to falling rain. The children then used straws to blow the beans around a plate. They develop an awareness of size, weight and texture and begin to understand variations in size. For example, the children are able to sort beans according to size and they know which are bigger and smaller. They use some number language accurately in their play to count the beans up to five. The children develop a sense of their own identity and learn that they have similarities that connect them to each other. A child said that the beans

p.5

The quality and standards of the early years provision

look like eyes. The childminder asked the child to point to their own eyes and the other children's eyes. The children develop good self-help skills as they freely access toys of their choice, drink from cups, feed themselves and help to tidy up. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.6

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

p.6

of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 1 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

p.6

Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 1

p.6

Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 1 How well are children helped to be healthy? 1 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

p.6

Years Foundation Stage promoted?

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

p.6

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

This section of the report includes details of any complaint/s made to Ofsted when:  we took action for the provider to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  we asked the provider to take action in order to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  the provider had already taken any necessary action to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register.

p.8

Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

We will not report on any complaint where the provider met the requirements of the Early Years Register or did not require any action by Ofsted or the registered provider.

p.8

Detail of the complaint/s

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

p.8

Detail of the complaint/s

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.8