Childminder in Liverpool

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 EY306017 Inspection date 14/05/2009 Inspector Margaret Patricia Mellor

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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 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

The childminder was registered in 2005. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Liverpool. Children use the whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home for their care, play and learning experiences. There is a secure, fully enclosed garden for children's outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range at any one time. She is currently minding four children in this age group. She also offers care for one child aged over five years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder attends the local toddler group on a regular basis. She receives support from the local authority and is a member of the National Childminding Association. The quality assurance of her childminding is assessed through membership of the local childminding network.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming family home and happily play in a well-resourced environment. They are safe and secure at all times and the childminder has a well-developed knowledge of each child's individual needs. Children enjoy learning about their local area and the wider community, whilst well-planned activities help them make good progress in their learning and development. Partnerships with parents and pre-school are a key strength and contribute significantly to meeting children's individual needs and creating an inclusive atmosphere. The childminder demonstrates a genuine commitment to continuous quality improvement. She has successfully met recommendations of the previous inspection and is beginning to identify strengths of her provision and areas for future development.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve the procedures for monitoring the quality of the provision, and promoting better outcomes for children  continue to develop opportunities that help to extend children's awareness of healthy eating, such as growing their own vegetables.

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provision

The childminder manages her provision well, promoting children's welfare and learning in a safe and secure environment. Partnerships with parents are good. Becoming familiar with each child's needs and their starting points is part of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 settling-in procedures. All children are included in the activities and happily engage in their play because the childminder provides good adult support and responds very well to their individual needs. Ongoing sharing of information is effective, for example, lengthy chats with parents on a daily basis and questionnaires, which seek their views on the quality of the provision offered. Parents themselves comment with kind words as they write about how very happy they are with their child's care, achievements and social development. Important links have also been forged with the pre-school, contributing to children's learning and development

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provision

The childminder takes all necessary steps to ensure that children's welfare is promoted and safeguarded. She has accessed safeguarding training and is secure in her knowledge of the procedures to follow for reporting concerns. Risk assessments of the premises, toys and outings, and procedures for the collection of children in an emergency are robust. Good hygiene practices are consistently followed by the childminder, and the provision of individual towels and indoor shoes helps to minimise the risk of cross infection. Meals and snacks are healthy and nutritious. Effective procedures about dietary requirements ensure that parents’ wishes are respected and children remain healthy. Well-written policies are shared with parents and good organisation of the daily documentation, such as accident and medication records contribute towards the safe management of the provision and children's welfare.

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provision

The childminder has attended Early Years Foundation Stage training and has a good understanding of how children learn and develop through play. Activities are planned around children’s developmental needs and interests and the environment is organised to create an inviting and welcoming environment for them. The childminder demonstrates a genuine commitment to promoting better outcomes for children. For example, since the last inspection she has prepared a set of policies, greatly improved the organisation of the toys so children can choose for themselves, and is beginning to consider the views of parents in self-evaluation. Future improvements include growing vegetables to extend children's awareness of healthy eating, and developing procedures to further support continuous quality improvement of the service offered.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children have plenty of fun in the childminder's home and displaying their paintings, helps foster their strong sense of belonging. They grow in confidence as they form close relationships with the childminder, who is very attentive and enthusiastically supports their play. For instance, she sits with, talks with and listens to the children, which motivates and stimulates their conversation and learning. Planning provides a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities, with emphasis on enjoyment and involving the children’s interests. Children have a development file where information is recorded to monitor and assess their progress. Observation linked to the areas of learning, together with photographs, work products and on-going discussions with parents and pre-school are used to plan for children's next steps in learning and achieving. This helps children to make good progress towards the early learning goals, given their age,

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

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

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder is very good at making sure all children are included so that nobody feels left out, for example, adapting the construction resources to meet the needs of the younger learners. Her kind words of praise and encouragement help children learn what they have done well and feel good about themselves. Children share the toys, enjoy playing together and follow simple instructions, such as, putting their slippers on. Regular visits to the childminder drop in sessions also provide worthwhile opportunities for children to socialise with others. They learn about their local area with visits to the park, library or museum and have plenty of fun following the 'Superlambanana' trail for Liverpool's capital of culture. Children become aware of differences in the wider community and learn respect for others. They play with different ethnic dolls, look at books and puzzles reflecting positive images of diversity and celebrate other cultures. Children also become aware of

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

helping others when joining in sponsored walks for charity.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children move freely and with confidence in the childminder's home. All the necessary safety equipment is in place to minimise hazards and the garden provides a variety of safe challenges for them. The childminder helps children become aware of keeping themselves safe, such as crossing roads and wearing luminous jackets on walks, and through planned activities, when practising fire evacuation. Fruit tasting sessions enable children to explore different textures, and discussion about the ‘Five a day’ poster further nurtures their awareness of healthy eating. Children develop very good levels of independence given their age and stage of development. For instance, they help themselves to drinks when thirsty, take pleasure in personal hygiene when washing their hands and self-select toys that appeal to their interests. Children love to play out and appropriate clothing enables them to enjoy fresh air on wet days. Running, peddling wheeled toys,

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

climbing, hopscotch and learning to pass balls promotes their co-ordination and physical development.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Good interactions with the pre-school and the sharing of information about their current topic 'Spring' successfully extends children's knowledge and understanding of the world, across provisions. For example, children learn about living things through stories about the life cycle of the butterfly and that the sunflowers they plant need sun, water and light to grow. Children's creative development is promoted well and re-enacting their own experiences through role-play helps them make sense of the world. They begin to make connections through experiences when playing simple computer games. For example, children learn to link sounds to letters, and recognise and write simple words, such as, their name. The childminder supports children's interest in books particularly well, using puppets, whilst reading and sharing books with them. Children confidently talk about shape, colour and pattern during play and use reasoning and calculation with confidence

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

in both planned activities and daily routines. In the community children extend their awareness of technology through the 'green man' when crossing roads, further contributing to their future skills. 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? 2 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? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 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?

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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

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