Webster, Mrs Carol Anne

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

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Unique reference number 225385 Inspection date 06/01/2009 Inspector Alison Edwards

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Type of setting Childminder 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 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.

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

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Description of the childminding

This childminder registered in 1994. She lives with her husband and two adult sons in a house on a main road in a village in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire. Minded children use the ground floor of the house, which has level gravelled access. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. Three dogs, four cats, a rabbit, guinea pig and goldfish are kept as family pets. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six minded children under the age of eight years, including three within the early years age range. There are currently 13 children on roll on a part-time basis including four within the early years age range.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Excellent arrangements are in place to support children's welfare and development. The experienced and well-qualified childminder works extremely closely with parents to fully support each child's individual needs. She has an excellent understanding of how to ensure that all children feel included, secure and valued. Premises and resources are generally used extremely well to enable all children to enjoy very high levels of purposeful independence in their play, and to rest comfortably according to their individual needs. The childminder continues to implement very well-targeted plans to further develop provision for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend further the use of the garden to provide additional outdoor opportunities for children to use all their senses within the natural world to promote all aspects of learning.

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provision

Excellent organisation underpins children's care and learning. The childminder has developed very clear and comprehensive policies which are regularly reviewed to ensure they fully reflect current guidance and so effectively support all aspects of her practice. She has an excellent understanding of what child abuse and neglect mean. She is very clear on the procedures to be followed in the event of any child protection concerns in order to safeguard children's welfare to best effect. She makes continued use of rigorous self-evaluation, local training and local authority accreditation schemes to build on her existing excellent practice.

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provision

The childminder gives extremely high priority to developing excellent working relationships with parents. Very comprehensive written information and business This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 agreements help to ensure that the childminder and new parents have a very clear shared understanding of arrangements for children's care. Excellent systems are in place to encourage parents to share their own observations of children's interests and abilities. Parents are encouraged to share individual children's developmental folders, which contain photographs and samples of children's paintings and drawings and are extremely well-annotated with links to all aspects of learning. Consequently, adults establish an excellent shared understanding of children's progress and the next steps in their learning. The childminder has an excellent understanding of the importance of working closely with parents and other

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provision

relevant professionals to support the inclusion of children with disabilities or individual learning needs.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's safety receives extremely high priority. Comprehensive and systematic policies, procedures and risk assessments very effectively underpin the excellent precautions used at home and on outings, such as the use of a password system to ensure children are only collected by authorised adults. The childminder enables children to develop an excellent understanding of how to act safely from a very early age. For example, toddlers are delighted to demonstrate the fluorescent jackets that ensure they can be clearly seen when walking in low light levels. They quickly develop extremely high levels of independence and responsibility, as when toddlers very competently carry low chairs into the kitchen to enable them to reach the worktop to prepare fruit for their mid-morning snack.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder is extremely committed to helping children develop a healthy lifestyle. For example, toddlers excitedly point to their favourite fruit and vegetables on colourful displays and enjoy buying and tasting a wide range of exotic fruits, such as pomegranates. They are enthusiastic and dextrous when using small kitchen tools to help to prepare healthy snacks. The childminder makes highly effective use of observations of children's skills and interests to plan and provide a stimulating range of indoor and outdoor activities to extend balance, movement and coordination skills. She helps children to implement and understand excellent self-care practices within their daily routines. She has highly effective arrangements for the hygienic management of the care and feeding of family pets.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children make excellent progress in their learning. The childminder uses observations and parental information extremely well to assess what children can already do and to identify the next steps in their learning. This enables her to provide a very well-organised and stimulating environment, where children become engrossed in well-resourced, purposeful play and make significant gains in their learning. For example, very young children show great interest, care and understanding in their independent use of a wide range of good quality books. They are very confident in practical problem solving and use of mathematical language as they provide portions of play dough food for varying numbers of soft toys, or decide whether a favourite jumper is 'too small' for the childminder or 'too big' for a baby. They spontaneously use imaginative play to explore their own ideas, as when a toddler confidently involves the childminder in 'playing schools'.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

They readily use many aspects of everyday technology, for example, as they chat This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 into toy mobile phones, or experiment with toy cameras or 'swipe' tills. They already enjoy very good opportunities to use all their senses to explore the world around them. For example, they compare the textures of natural materials, such as acorns, conkers and fir cones, they experience the tastes and smells of herbs and spices when cooking, and listen to the different sounds they make with instruments, such as recorders, mouth organs, or un-tuned percussion. They benefit from many worthwhile outdoor activities in the childminder's garden, including well-resourced energetic play and growing and harvesting herbs and vegetables. However, the childminder is aware that the garden offers additional potential for outdoor learning and is developing plans to extend this further.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are establishing very good habits for their future development and learning. They benefit greatly from the childminder's strong commitment to building warm and trusting relationships with them. She shows very sensitive awareness to their feelings and needs, so ensuring that they feel valued as individuals and develop very high levels of confidence and independence in their play. She is very effective in helping children begin to take account of others' needs, so enabling them to build caring relationships with each other. She actively encourages them to express their own ideas. This helps to build their concentration on their play, and involves them in establishing positive and consistent expectations for their behaviour. She plans and provides excellent opportunities to build children's understanding of the local community. For example, they buy stamps at the local post office to send postcards or paintings to

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

their home address, and participate in local events, such as story sessions at the library or nativity services at the church. Children learn to recognise and respect diversity as they enjoy playing with an interesting selection of toys, musical instruments and puzzles reflecting different cultures, or tasting foods, such as pitta and naan breads. 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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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.

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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

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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? 1 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?

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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

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

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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.

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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.

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Detail of the complaint/s

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

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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.

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