Kerry, Andrea

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 314481 Inspection date 04/06/2009 Inspector Elizabeth Patricia Edmond

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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 1999. She lives with her partner and two children aged 10 and seven years in a detached house in Driffield. The childminding facilities are easily accessible being all at ground level and there is a directly adjacent rear garden for outside play. The childminding premises are near to the local park and other amenities for children, including primary and pre- schools where she takes and collects children from. Children are transported regularly in a car for outings and the school run. The family keeps three cats at their home. The childminder works closely with another registered childminder and has assistants who also work with the children to maintain staffing ratios. Both childminders have overall responsibility for the childminding practice.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a recognised Level 5 qualification. She is also a member of the childminding network as well as local and county childminding support groups. The childminder is registered with the local authority to provide funded nursery education places for those children of eligible age. She is registered on the Early Years Register and, along with her co-minder, currently has 17 children on roll in this age group. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. At the time of inspection there were 18 older children attending the joint setting in relation to this part of the registration, some of whom attend only occasionally.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding. The childminder is highly proactive in working with the other adults at the setting and others to provide an effective individualised care and learning programme for all children. She provides a highly inclusive learning environment where children can usually access an exceptional range of learning opportunities freely as they play according to their age and ability. The childminder uses several tools, on the whole, to great effect to continually monitor and improve the quality of the provision.

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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 the self-evaluation system to continually evaluate the accessibility of the play based curriculum in the indoor and outdoor area, for example, double check that the broad range of learning opportunities covering all areas of learning and interest are always invitingly presented and easily accessible to all children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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provision

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of child development and how they learn through self initiated play. She continues to attend a broad range of training to supplement her qualifications and establish how her knowledge fits into the Early Years Foundation Stage. This enables her to make highly relevant plans for continued improvement to the provision and to children's learning and development. However, the various monitoring systems do not fully include the physical learning environment and how easily the full curriculum is being accessed by all children. Team work is a key feature of this highly successful early years setting. The two childminders slot easily into role to support children's learning and to guide the assistant.

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provision

All aspects of the childminder's documentation are exceptionally well organised and used effectively to monitor children's welfare and learning. Records are maintained in a highly professional manner, signed by parents and confidentially stored. Training levels and exceptionally well organised guidance means that children are very well protected and their well-being safeguarded. Partnership with parents and others are exceptional and highly effective settling in processes means that children are very confident and settled, even during their first days. The childminder develops extremely successful relationships with parents and provides them with clear detailed information about business matters, children's individual care routines and their daily progress. In addition to the daily discussions, formalised parents evenings and informal social events further strengthen the effective three way relationships that children enjoy with the childminder and their

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provision

parents together. Parents are overwhelmingly pleased with the standards of care and education provided; they feel their children have had the very best start to their learning and they appreciate the dedicated approach to meeting their children's individual needs.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children operate confidently and freely in an exciting, motivating learning environment. They flow freely between the various activities in the indoor and outdoor areas using the resources with great imagination in their play. For example, they are sometimes exceptionally active and creative in their role play, moving furniture and resources around as the game evolves into a shopping game, yet they can be exceptionally contemplative as they pause, still in role, to concentrate on their sand play. Older children are very confident to tell the childminder that they need water for their sand play and the younger ones are then motivated to join them. They then spend more time exploring and investigating what happens as they design interesting water falls in the sand tray. Children become extremely confident motivated learners in all areas of learning. Older children use their developing skills with great confidence to label their own

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

work as they paint and to handle the money or credit card machine as they use the till. Younger children also concentrate exceptionally well as they investigate the size, shape and texture of broad range of natural resources and household items with their fingers or mouths. The childminder is skilled in observing children's play This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and recognising this important learning, she uses intuitive observation to plan for children's individual learning needs and shares this with parents so that they can support their children's learning at home. Parents have access to extensive information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and how they can support their children's learning through all areas of learning. However, some information is not fully consistent with the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children develop exceptionally warm, positive relationships with the childminder and her co-workers. Younger children snuggle with any of the adults for emotional support and older children emphasise that they do not just have one childminder; they have 'two' very nice childminders. Older children laugh with cheerful indignation when they realise that childminder's husband has eaten the first ripened strawberry before they have seen it. Social learning is also a key factor to the success of the setting, older children are exceptionally caring and supportive of the younger ones. They often mimic the childminder's caring approach as they remind each other to say 'please' by coaxing them with 'pl… pl…?' until they remember. They then say and correctly sign 'please' so that all learn to understand and use very pleasant manners. Children's behaviour, confidence and self-esteem is impeccable. Access to the outdoor environment is used with great success to

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

promote children's learning and development. Supported by effective risk assessment, they learn a great deal about how to keep themselves safe as they access the childminder's allotment regularly, they learn how the healthy fresh fruit and vegetables that they grow for their lunch benefits their health and they learn about all the processes involved. Children enjoy being active in the outdoors, tired yet exuberant from their exciting outdoor play, children have excellent appetites and they relish the home cooked meals and healthy snacks. Well nourished and efficiently hydrated, younger children sleep or rest peacefully in the fresh air, wake refreshed and are good humoured throughout the day. 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? 2

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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

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