Billington Louise

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY231953 Inspection date 23/09/2009 Inspector Jasvinder Kaur

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. 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 2002. She lives with her husband and two children aged nine and seven years in Tipton, West Midlands. All areas of the ground floor are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has fish and two dogs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time. There are currently three children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered with 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 carer and toddler group on a regular basis. She is able to take and collect children from the local schools. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is good. The quality of learning and development and a well planned daily routine ensure children make effective progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. All children enjoy their time at the setting and make progress in the six areas of learning. Good partnerships with parents ensure that children’s needs are met effectively. All policies and procedures are inclusive and implemented successfully to promote children's welfare. The childminder continually endeavours to improve her knowledge and practice in most areas to provide a good quality of provision to all children. Parents views are also sought to improve outcomes.

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further?

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

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further?

 further improve observation and assessment records of children and use the information gathered to plan next steps in learning  improve the two-way flow of information with parents in respect of written parental consent for seeking any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment  make better use of the existing risk assessment process to minimise hazards to children, with particular reference to unsafe equipment in the back garden This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are protected from harm or neglect, as the childminder has a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and her legal duties and responsibilities. All adults within the provision have undergone effective vetting procedures. The childminder promotes a working partnership with parents to safeguard children through sharing comprehensive policies and procedures. A risk assessment of the premises and of prospective outings and daily safety checks are carried out in most areas to eliminate hazards. However, not all equipment in the garden, such as the barbeque, is currently inaccessible to children to fully secure their safety. There is a good procedure to protect children from the spread of infection, as arrangements are in place to exclude children who have any infectious illnesses.

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the early years provision

The childminder is motivated to improve her childminding practice and, while being aware of her strengths, identifies most areas needing improvement. Ongoing training helps the childminder to update her professional skills by acquiring appropriate qualifications in childcare and attending a number of relevant training and workshop sessions. Currently she is working towards a level 3 qualification in childcare. She has provided new resources to accommodate the needs of children and promote their learning. She has applied for a grant to acquire equipment to promote physical development. The recommendations raised at the previous visit have been met successfully. All policies and procedures are under continual review, and information is shared with parents. The complaints procedure and most children’s records are well maintained. However, there are some weaknesses concerning written parental consent which impact on records of children’s health

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the early years provision

and welfare. Nevertheless, all documentation is readily available for inspection and for parents.

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the early years provision

Parents are well informed through a number of means about the service the childminder provides. For example, they receive newsletters and copies of written policies, discuss their child’s day informally and benefit from the sharing of daily diaries. The childminder values the role of parents, encouraging them to share what they know about their child at admission and on a daily basis. Routines of young babies are well incorporated into her own practice. The childminder demonstrates good knowledge of the need to develop partnerships with other professionals, such as local school staff, for any children who are moving on.

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the early years provision

Toys and resources are deployed well to provide free choice and encourage children's independence to participate and babies to explore the environment with interest. The childminder demonstrates a good awareness of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or children who speak English as an additional language. She has attended relevant courses such as ‘Awareness of Inclusion’. To help children to understand and respect the values of others, a good selection of resources is available depicting positive images of diversity. Topic activities, such as learning about different countries and celebrating different festivals all through the year, linking art work and tasting oriental foods, enhance children’s awareness of the wider world. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are contented in familiar surroundings where the childminder is sensitive to their needs and interests. Babies settle well, as the childminder provides a calm environment where they feel secure and demonstrate a sense of trust. Good maintenance and organisation of equipment and toys enables children to use the resources imaginatively and follow their natural curiosity as learners. Children are provided with good play opportunities to help them make progress across all areas of learning and development. Individuals’ interests and ages are taken into account in the planning of activities. The childminder has set up a system to maintain children's individual profiles, though her observations and assessments of their play are not sufficiently used to help her plan activities towards next steps in learning. Nevertheless, she plans purposeful play and a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop understanding of numbers and shapes through daily routines and play, such as matching and sorting shapes and colours, singing number rhymes and counting everyday objects like cars and trees while walking to school. They expand their simple calculation skills and learn about differences in size and pattern during role play and categorising toys according to size and colour. Children extend their vocabulary by sharing their thoughts and experiences and through encouragement from the childminder to learn new words. Routine activities such as singing nursery rhymes, reading stories and making marks enhance children’s communication skills. Babies respond to the childminder with smiles and eye contact. A selection of toys is provided to enable children to listen to a variety of sounds and rhythms. They show their enjoyment of nursery rhymes such as ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’.

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and outcomes for children

A variety of themed activities is planned to supplement children’s learning and knowledge of the environment, including nature walks in all seasons and trips to the park and farms. Children feed the farm animals and watch cows being milked. They also help in the garden and take cuttings to grow new plants. A good range of programmable toys gives them opportunities to acquire basic skills in operating simple equipment. Babies show interest in battery-operated and wind-up toys. A variety of musical instruments, listening to music and dancing supports children’s talents, along with texture experiences including sand, water, play dough, cornflour, jelly, spaghetti and pasta. Disco nights are arranged on Fridays. Children use imagination and express their thoughts while using a good range of art materials to develop their creative skills, for instance making birthday cards for family members.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical skills develop effectively through free access to the garden, sufficient resources and challenges. They walk to their local amenities on a daily basis and use the equipment at their local playgroups and parks to advance their physical skills. Babies can hold objects and are challenged to reach out for toys. Sufficient toys are provided for babies and organised with enough space to encourage free movement. Children routinely follow good hygiene practices, such This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 as washing hands. There is a relaxed atmosphere at lunch times. Older children are encouraged to learn about the benefits of nutritious and well balanced foods and drinks. Packed lunches are stored safely. Children learn to keep themselves safe through practical daily routines and the childminder’s guidance on the dangers of traffic and strangers or using scissors and knives safely. They are happy and

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and outcomes for children

confident, as the childminder uses a positive and consistent approach to managing behaviour which takes into account children’s levels of understanding and maturity. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

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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