Solomon, Julie Dawn

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 EY285725 Inspection date 20/07/2009 Inspector Carol Cox

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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 2004. She lives with her husband and children aged 13 and six years in Cotford St Luke, Somerset. The whole of the childminder's home is used childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time. She is currently caring for five children in the early years age group at different times during the week. The provision is registered 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 also offers care to older children and takes and collects children from a local school and preschool.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding. The childminder offers exceptional care in her warm and friendly home where children are happy and relaxed. They make excellent progress because the childminder has a deep understanding and instinctive knowledge of how children learn and develop. The childminder builds significant relationships with families and other services to ensure that children's needs are identified and met consistently. The childminder continues to make thoughtful evaluations of her practice to ensure that she can meet the changing needs of children and their families. She demonstrates continuous improvement through her successful implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop the good system already in place to record children's achievements and plan their future learning

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provision

The childminder has diligently developed her provision to embrace the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure children make very good progress in all aspects of their care, learning and development. She shares her well-written policies and procedures with parents to help them understand how she can best support their children. Rigorous risk assessments and daily checks ensure that children are safe and can move freely, access resources and extend their learning. For example, a young baby enjoys pulling herself up and walking with the childminder to perfect her walking skills. The childminder is committed to ensuring her knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues is current. She shares her excellent policy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and procedure with parents and is pro-active in anticipating and addressing her safeguarding training needs. The childminder is committed to ongoing professional

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provision

development and uses a self-evaluation to identify her future training needs.

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provision

The childminder continually evaluates her provision to ensure the needs of each and every child are identified and met and demonstrates a great commitment to continuing improvement of her practice. For example, she recognised the need for further promoting food hygiene and completed a Level 2 food hygiene certificate. She has been inspected by the local authority and been awarded a five-star food safety inspection. The childminder's excellent partnerships with parents ensure that children's individual and specific needs are carefully identified and provided for. She realises the importance of working with other services and is building links with local pre-schools and schools to ensure consistency of care for children when they move between services.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children make very good progress in relation to their starting points because the childminder has an excellent knowledge of how children learn. She has implemented the Early Years Foundation Stage effectively and maintains clear and detailed records of children's achievements. She records her observations of children's achievements with carefully written narrative observations, photographs and examples of their own work. These records are regularly shared with parents who are invited to contribute their own ideas and comments. She uses these records and her in-depth knowledge of each child to identify their individual next steps in learning. Based on this good knowledge she plans a well-balanced range of learning opportunities which are adapted to meet the needs of each child. Children enjoy opportunities to practise their skills in freely chosen play activities. For example, a young child decides to draw circles and explains that he can also

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

draw rectangles. At the same time a young baby sits on the highchair and draws her own pictures using stubby crayons. The childminder offers appropriate praise and encouragement and both children glow with pride. When building with blocks the childminder gently questions a three-year-old about how the construction has been made, listens to his explanation and then suggests they will keep the model to show daddy when he picks him up. The child and the childminder discuss the colours of the bricks and start to identify light and dark tones of colours. Children enjoy many opportunities to explore their local community and the wider world. They visit a local shop, go frog hunting at a nearby river and enjoy the beautiful local countryside. There is a wealth of well maintained resources which are made freely available to children. Resources show positive images of different people and children begin to enjoy finding out about the lives of others, for example, through

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

celebrating simple customs and festivals from other countries. They talk freely and confidently about their family and events and the childminder uses her good knowledge of each child's family to help them draw up family trees. Parents and families are fully involved in contributing and sharing information about family activities and children's interests and achievements at home.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's health and well-being is promoted extremely well through the childminder's careful attention to identifying the needs of each child. For example, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the childminder encourages children to learn good self-care skills; a three-year-old child confidently takes himself to the toilet and remembers to wash his hands with sensitive support from the childminder. She is vigilant in ensuring children are safe from the spread of infection through stringent hygiene precautions, such as the provision of individual towels for children. She has recently completed and infection control course to further protect children and has gained information to prepare a policy to protect children from swine flu in response to learning of the local case. There are robust systems in place to ensure children are treated appropriately should they have minor injuries and the medication procedure

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

includes gaining written consent and guidance from parents. The childminder has a very good knowledge of child protection issues and carefully follows the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Children are recognised and celebrated for their unique qualities and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the childminder's care. 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

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