Barton Junior School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 118392 Inspection date 10/11/2009 Inspector Timothy Butcher

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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 1997. She lives with her husband and three children aged 20, 14 and 11 in the West Hill area of Portishead, North Somerset. The whole house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a number of pets, including a parakeet, dogs, a rabbit, a guinea pig, aviary of birds and bantam hens. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children, under eight years at any one time, of these, four may be with in the early years age range and of these one may be under one year. Currently, there are 13 children on roll, of these 10 children are within the early the early years age range and all attend on a part time basis. The childminder takes and collects children from some local schools, pre-schools and nurseries and has use of a car. She attends various

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Description of the childminding

organised groups throughout the week, such as toddler groups, church tots and soft play. The house is within walking distance of community amenities including shops and parks.

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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 enjoy their time with the childminder and have their individual needs met well. They make good progress in their learning and development. They have a safe, homely environment in which to play. The provider has begun to evaluate some aspects of the provision and this leads to steady and continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop assessment systems in order to match the observations of children to the expectations of the learning goals and to identify next steps for each child and measure these against their achievements  develop sytsems of evaluation further for example to show clearer action planning  develop further a planned learning environment that is rich in signs and symbols, numbers and words, and organise further the toy resources.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a secure knowledge of child safeguarding issues and knows how to protect children should she have a concern. She has a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms of possible abuse. The learning environment is made safe and attractive to children. The available resources are used well to achieve This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the desired outcomes in their learning. There is a good number of resources to meet children's general developmental needs, some of which reflect diversity. The childminder adequately promotes equality and diversity, as levels of engagement with parents are well established, and this results in a good knowledge of each child's background and needs. Parents report very positively on the consistent high quality of the provision and on the good levels of communication that the childminder establishes. Parents are fully consulted. Information is

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the early years provision

comprehensively shared on a day-to-day basis through discussions and through a daily diary. This strongly contributes to the continuity of care for children. More structured information about children's progress is shared with parents each term through the use of each child's learning profile. Parents comment positively on the homely atmosphere, on the good range of activities on offer, and on the positive relationships that the childminder has with children. The childminder establishes effective partnerships with other settings who also provide care to the children that she minds, such as those with pre-school, nursery and school.

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the early years provision

The childminder has addressed the recommendations made at the last inspection, for example, there is now a clear complaints procedure in place. The childminder is well-organised and regularly updates her policies and procedures. These strongly support the safe and smooth running of the setting. Although the written self- evaluation that she chooses to use is incomplete, the childminder demonstrates that she is keen to develop her practice, such as through the open communication with parents about all aspects of her practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children relish their time at the setting and settle quickly on arrival. They thrive in the homely atmosphere. Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder has a good understanding of child development and provides a good range of play opportunities to meet their general developmental needs across each area of learning. The childminder achieves this through the use of a range of local groups, visits out with other adults and children, as well activities with in the home. Children learn to socialise with others of their own age, and have enhanced opportunities for creative and physical play. A particular feature of the setting is the number of animals and pets to which children have supervised access. As a result, children have good opportunities to learn about nature, the local community and to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Children have good opportunities to

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and outcomes for children

develop their imaginations. They engage enthusiastically in role-play, using familiar resources. A particular favourite currently being 'babies'. In general, the childminder uses her skills effectively to support children's learning and to extend their play, for example, she consistently leaves sentences unfinished for children to complete. As a result, children make good progress in their language skills, given their starting points and become confident and assured in their play. Children follow some creative activities with in the home, such as drawing pictures and cut and stick craft activities. They are encouraged to make marks using a range of media. However, the home environment is not particularly rich in print, signs and symbols for children to develop a stronger understanding of the alphabet and the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 written word. Children strongly benefit from the warm interactions with the

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and outcomes for children

childminder. They are happy and become active learners. They are well equipped with the skills they will need in order to secure future learning. They have good opportunities to exercise choice, for example, through self chosen activities. Children develop a strong sense of belonging and are sensitively supported to develop a positive image of themselves. They respond well to the frequent praise and encouragement.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good knowledge of child development and a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder makes accurate observations of children, and uses a learning profile as a basis to plan some of the activities that will take them to their next steps in development. She has a system to track children's development. The childminder wishes to develop her use of the Early Years Foundation Stage further.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a safe environment in which to play. The childminder carries out a thorough risk assessment of the home and of planned trips out with children. Children's health and well-being is strongly promoted through sensible hygiene procedures. Children are suitably supported to learn self-care skills and to develop their independence, for example, they rush to the stairs to put their shoes on before going out. They have freshly prepared snacks and meals, and have easy access to their own drinking bottles throughout the day. They are guided to learn about their own safety and that of others, such as road safety. 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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