Regan, Kelly Louise

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY283980 Inspection date 02/10/2009 Inspector Diane Lynn Turner

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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 has been registered since 2004. She lives with her partner and four children aged 11, eight, six and three-years-old in a semi-detached house in Scarborough. All of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding purposes, with toilet facilities on this level. There is a paved area at the rear of the premises which is used for outdoor play. The house is within easy walking distance of the town centre, local school and other amenities. The family has two pet rabbits.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is registered by Ofsted to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, no more than two of whom may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding three children in this age group, who attend on a part- time basis. The childminder is also registered on the Early Years Register compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and there are currently six children attending in this age group on a part-time basis.

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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

Children settle well in this very welcoming and child-centred home. They are valued and respected as individuals and are offered, and enjoy, a very good range of learning opportunities, both in the home and the local community. The childminder develops very good relationships with the parents, valuing them as the children's primary carers and working closely with them to ensure the children's individual care needs are met. She develops positive links with other settings the children also attend and she has most of the required documentation. Some systems are in place to monitor and evaluate her service, however, these are not yet fully developed.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment for all children (Promoting good health). 09/10/2009

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the system for self-assessment to ensure continuous improvement, for example, by using the Ofsted self-evaluation form and quality improvement processes  ensure the records of children's attendance contain all of the necessary This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 detail.

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the early years provision

The childminder has clear policies and procedures which underpin the safe and efficient management of her provision and ensure children are kept safe. She keeps her knowledge of child protection issues up to date through training and knows the procedure to follow should she have any concerns. She carries out effective risk assessments on the premises and for outings, ensuring action is taken to minimise any risks, and that these are reviewed regularly and amended as necessary. Her paper work is maintained effectively overall. However, the records of children's attendance do not include their full name, and she has not obtained written parental permission for the seeking of medical advice or treatment for all children, which is a breach of a welfare requirement.

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the early years provision

The childminder shows she is committed to promoting a service that is accessible to all children and their families and she achieves this very successfully. She provides a very welcoming, bright and stimulating environment, which is very conducive to the children's learning. This includes a dedicated play room which has a very good range of easily accessible toys and resources that children are able to choose from freely, promoting their choice and independence. She develops very good relationships with the parents and they are keen to express their satisfaction of the service she provides. They receive good information when their child starts to attend, including copies of her policies and procedures if they wish, and they are kept fully informed about activities the children have been involved in. For example, through chats at the end of the day when the childminder discusses the enjoyment the children have gained from visits to attractions, such as the

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the early years provision

'Rotunda', to learn about fossils. This enables parents to extend their child's learning at home, and re-visit the venue as a family if they wish. They are given copies of photographs of their child at play and she sends them a 'text' message to let them know that their child has settled if they have any concerns regarding this.

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the early years provision

The childminder understands the importance of self-evaluation and continuous improvement, to enhance the outcomes for children. Parents are asked to complete questionnaires so she can gauge their continuing satisfaction of her service and she improves her knowledge and practice through training, and by discussing elements of good practice with other childminders. She has successfully addressed the recommendations raised at her last inspection. For example, she has put together a 'treasure basket' containing a range of natural materials and household items to provide valuable tactile experiences for very young children. She does not, however, have a system to show the areas she has identified for future improvement, or to acknowledge the impact when improvements are made, in order to evidence her continuous improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children have close and trusting relationships with the childminder and feel safe and secure in her care. She provides a good range of activities that promote their interests, and she engages very skilfully in their play. Her enthusiastic approach inspires the children to take part in the activities, and as a result, they make good progress in their learning and development. She has effective systems to monitor their journey towards the early learning goals, including written observations of their responses to the activities and photographs of their achievements. She is beginning to use her observations to plan for the next steps in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder offers a good balance of both adult-led and child-initiated activities which enables the children to learn in different ways. For example, they confidently access activities that interest them, such as the pirate ship and associated resources. They become fully immersed in acting out the various roles, shouting 'land ahoy' as they look through the telescope and counting to three before they 'fire' their cannon. They have made treasure maps, and enjoy looking at books with the childminder, particularly those relating to pirates, and they confidently join in with familiar refrains as they read stories together. The childminder provides lots of opportunities for the children to learn in the outdoor environment. For example, they collect items, such as leaves and fire cones on their walks, which they use to make collage pictures. They make feeders for the birds, tend the strawberries in the garden, and they thoroughly enjoy visits to the

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and outcomes for children

sea life centre. They talk excitedly about the creatures they have seen, such as crabs and sharks, and wobble their arms as they describe how the jelly fish move.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn to behave very well. The childminder is a very good role model for them to follow and her very calm and caring manner is reflected in the children's behaviour. They are polite, confidently talk to visitors, and they use good manners. They are encouraged to become independent and to do things for themselves, such as spreading their own jam on their toast at snack time, and deciding if they want this cutting into triangles or squares. They learn to respect differences and to acknowledge the diverse society in which they live. For example, they celebrate the Chinese New Year, and examples of letters and words in the additional language that some children speak are displayed.

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and outcomes for children

The children are supported very well by the childminder in learning to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, she teaches them road safety when out in the community, implementing the knowledge she acquired on a course she recently attended. She ensures they practice the emergency evacuation procedures for the home regularly and talks to them about possible dangers when they go to the beach, such as getting lost, and what they should do. They enjoy lots of opportunities for fresh air as they play in the garden and as they visit various play parks. They learn the importance of washing their hands before they eat, with posters displayed to remind them of this. 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 2 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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