Childminder in Shropshire

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 223737 Inspection date 19/08/2009 Inspector Mary Anne Henderson

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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 1995. She lives in a large farmhouse in Shropshire with her husband and five children aged from three years to 19 years old. The childminder is registered to care for five children at any one time when working alone and for 11 children when working with her co-childminder or an assistant. Currently they are caring for 16 children within the early years age range. Children attend for various sessions throughout the week. All of the house is used for childminding and there is a large enclosed outdoor play area. The family have pet rabbits.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and also a member of the Shropshire Childminding Network. The childminder is also a link childminder for newly registered carers. She has gained a recognised level 3 and a level 4 early years qualification. She is able to take and collect children from local schools. The childminder receives support from the local authority.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The quality of the provision overall is outstanding. The childminder provides an inclusive environment where children feel highly valued, develop good levels of self-esteem and have a sound sense of belonging. The children learn and develop at their own pace, develop positive attitudes towards their learning and development and make excellent progress across all areas of their learning and development. The childminder provides an extensive range of adult-led and child- initiated activities for all children. She takes the lead at the setting when working with a co-childminder or her assistant. The childminder works closely with parents ensuring all children's specific needs are identified and met. Self-evaluation is very effective in identifying areas for further development and in making ongoing improvements to the children's welfare, learning and development opportunities.

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further?

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

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further?

 developing the planning for children's learning and development.

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provision

The childminder attends an extensive range of training workshops to ensure she is up-to-date with all current issues about the care and learning development of children. She has developed the extensive range of policies and procedures of the setting to reflect the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The co-childminder and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the assistants are fully involved in the development of the policies. The childminder ensures the parents have free access to the policies at all times. The childminder takes the lead and includes the co-childminder and assistants in the evaluation of the provision. She also ensures all parents and children are fully involved in the process. The capacity to make further improvement is excellent.

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provision

The childminder provides a warm and caring environment for all children. This promotes high levels of inclusion and ensures children's needs are fully met on an ongoing basis. The childminder has formed very effective links with other settings providing for the children in the EYFS which further promotes inclusion for all children on roll. Verbal and written two-way exchange of information and the sharing of planning files containing examples of the children's work, photographs, observational assessments and next steps in learning and development keep parents well-informed. To further improve the high quality early years provision, the childminder should consider developing the planning for children's development in all areas of their learning. All required documentation is kept up- to-date, comprehensive and meets requirements at all times.

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provision

Children's welfare and safety is a high priority. The childminder protects children from harm or neglect. She has a very clear understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board policies and procedures. Detailed and comprehensive risk assessments are undertaken and regularly reviewed to ensure children are kept safe as they play both in the indoor and outdoor areas. The risk assessment procedures fully include comprehensive details about all specific outings involving the children.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children find out about their environment, identifying features and noticing the natural world. They enjoy an extensive range of outings to places of interest, which includes visits to Fairbourne where they can explore the seaside and search for shells and stones to bring back to the setting. Children also enjoy exploring historical venues, such as Blists Hill where they look at how Victorian people used to live, extending their knowledge through activities and stories when returning back to the setting. The children enjoy playing in the extensive enclosed outdoor areas of the farmhouse setting. Here, the childminder implements her Forest School training providing opportunities for children to make dens in the bushes, make mud pies and jump in and out of puddles and to search for wild flowers and bugs and recognise the various birds that fly by. The children enjoy regular visits to see local farm animals, such as cows and sheep to find out how they live and

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

what they eat. Children confidently move with control and use a broad range of equipment to develop their physical skills. They run around the extensive gardens and use the climbing frames, swings and slides to develop their climbing and balance skills. They also enjoy playing various games in the garden with their peers, such as football and cricket and they ride on a broad range of trikes and scooters.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children are beginning to recognise the importance of keeping healthy and those things that contribute to this. They have free access to the indoor and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outdoor areas, moving freely between the two as they wish and take various toys and equipment outside with them to play with. The children measure each other over time and record their findings on the height chart. They talk to each other and the childminder's about the benefits of eating a healthy diet and being physically active. Children extend their understanding about healthy eating because they plant, grow and harvest their own vegetables and fruit in their own greenhouse. This includes broad beans and tomatoes, which they also take home to their families. The children are provided with a healthy diet which includes meat, fish, chicken and vegetables as well as fruit, such as apples from the

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

garden. They know they can help themselves to fruit, cheese and milk from the fridge should they feel hungry during the morning. Older children help themselves to drinking water throughout the day and younger children help themselves to a jug of fresh water from the table. Children know to wash their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet and do this independently. The children learn about the importance of personal safety. For example, they talk to each other and the childminder's about the possible hazards around the indoor and outdoor areas and they discuss and know to follow the house rules to ensure they stay safe. Children's learning about staying safe is well fostered through regular fire evacuation procedures of the setting. The children's learning about staying safe is further fostered because they learn to cross the road safely under close supervision during outings and local walks.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children use information and communication technology to support their learning. They enjoy using the computer under supervision finding reference information to support current themes they are working on. They also enjoy exploring a range of programmes which extends their problem solving skills, including identifying what's missing on the screen, working out concepts, such as adding and taking away and following the instructions using the mouse and keyboard. Younger children explore problem solving skills, such as shape and colour recognition and finding the numbers using table top V-tec computers supported by the childminder's. Children of all ages enjoy spontaneous opportunities to problem solve. For example, they work together to dismantle an old washing machine, looking at all the parts and using screwdrivers under close supervision and talking about their findings with their peers and the childminders. The children say and use numbers in familiar

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

contexts and they count and recognise numbers. For example, they enjoy baking activities where they weigh out the ingredients to make cakes and watch the baking process over time. They also count how many children are in attendance and take it in turns to count the plates and cups needed as they lay the table for lunch times.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children form excellent relationships with their peers and the adults around them. They have a high regard for one another and the childminder's and assistants that care for them. Children communicate very well with each other. They take it in turns to listen and talk and they enjoy sitting together for stories. Children's communication skills are extended as they have a go at signing using Makaton with each other and the childminders. They enjoy helping themselves to the extensive range of toys and equipment in the play areas and make choices about what they want to play with during child-initiated play times, moving freely between the indoor and outdoor areas as they wish. Indoor areas are well defined. For example, the children have access to a music room, library and a play room This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that at times is set out as a soft play room with crash mats and hundreds of small

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

soft balls for the children to jump about in. Children have a high sense of self- esteem because they are praised throughout the day by the childminder's as they achieve and help each other with tasks. Their art work and photographs are displayed around all walls throughout the setting which fosters an excellent sense of belonging. The children explore colour, texture, shape and form in two and three dimensions. They help themselves to the easily accessible range of resources to create their own work. They help themselves to paints in the outdoor play area and complete a large sheet picture together which is pasted to the brick wall for them to work on as a team. Children also enjoy exploring shaving foam, pushing their hands through it and talking about how it feels. They draw pictures using crayons and pencils and use scissors to cut up card and junk to make three dimensional models.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The children are beginning to understand that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs. They play with a broad range of toys that reflect positive images of diversity including small world people and dolls, dressing up in Egyptian and Chinese traditional clothes and reading story and reference books about various cultures and religions. Children also enjoy exploring various festivals throughout the year. This includes exploring Chinese New Year when they eat various foods using chop sticks and make a three dimensional dragon from sheets and boxes. The children also find out about people with disabilities through stories and discussion and playing with small world people, depicting various people with needs, such as wheelchair users and people who are sight impaired. 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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