Gardner, Louise Martine

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY222976 Inspection date 05/11/2009 Inspector Jan Burnet

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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 in a village close to Bicester in Oxfordshire, with her husband and children aged 10, nine, seven and four years. The whole of the ground floor and three bedrooms are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has no pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for four children aged under eight years at any one time and two may be in the early years age group. There are currently four children in the early years age group on roll and of these, three attend on a part-time basis. The childminder is able to transport children to and from local schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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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

The childminder's understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is strong. She promotes children's individual care needs well and meets their individual developmental needs effectively. The childminder ensures that all children are valued and included. Information obtained from parents helps her to identify and address children's differences. The childminder is aware of her strengths and areas for improvement and uses this awareness to review her practice. Her commitment to continue to monitor and extend her practice within her childminding supports the development of children’s care and learning well.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend systems for using information from parents, as well as observation and assessment, to plan next steps in learning for individual children  extend the risk assessment record to include more detail on children's use of the trampoline.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a safe, warm and welcoming environment and good measures are in place to promote children's health. She is aware of her responsibilities with regard to supervising the children in her care. Necessary checks for herself and her family have been completed and the childminder ensures that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. Welfare requirements are generally well-met. A written risk assessment This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 identifies how potential hazards have been identified and addressed in the home and on outings. However, information on the use of a trampoline is very brief and does not identify any measures for ensuring that young children do not go under the trampoline whilst other children are jumping on it. Sound systems are in place to ensure that children are safeguarded. The childminder is aware of EYFS

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the early years provision

requirements and attended training provided by Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board in 2009. A written procedure is provided for parents. All required documentation and records are kept in good order. The childminder makes sure that resources meet the different developmental needs of children well. She continually reviews and renews toys.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the benefits of self-evaluation and identifies areas for improvement such as gaining more knowledge on drawing up learning and development assessments and on keeping risk assessment records. Her commitment to improvement is good and training on first aid, safeguarding and EYFS learning and development has been completed in 2009. There were two recommendations raised at the last inspection; to ensure younger children have opportunities to express their own ideas during creative play and to provide a range of toys and resources that promote positive images. These have been addressed by the childminder. Since the inspection the childminder has purchased a range of very good quality resources that reflect disability and culture positively.

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the early years provision

Information provided for and obtained from parents is good. Written policies include ones on safeguarding, illness, complaints, equal opportunities, managing behaviour, a missing child and a child not collected at the agreed time. Parents are made aware of all policies and procedures as they are included in a portfolio. The portfolio also contains detail on insurance and references from other parents. The childminder completes a daily diary for each child and shows parents their child's observation and assessment records, but systems for using what parents know about their child's learning in order to inform planning are not yet fully effective. The childminder encourages children to gain an understanding of difference, for example, they have daily access to resources that reflect different cultures and disability. Children gain an awareness of different religious and cultural festivals. The childminder obtains as much information as possible about each child's

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the early years provision

individual needs from parents and agrees with them how they can work together to meet these needs. The childminder is aware of the benefits of establishing and maintaining positive links with other professionals involved in the care and education of the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress and the childminder is clear of her responsibilities with regard to ensuring that all children are challenged effectively. The range of resources and activities meet their needs well. Children's achievements are being recorded, however, the childminder has not yet developed a fully effective system of observation and assessment to clearly identify future learning needs, and potentially this has an impact upon the progress that children make. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are developing well socially and emotionally. They are happy, settled and secure and relationships are good. Their independence is promoted effectively as they are able to easily select resources and address their own personal hygiene needs. Children play cooperatively and they are learning to share and take turns. Older children like to help to care for babies and involve younger children in their

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and outcomes for children

role play situations. The childminder promotes children's self-esteem by ensuring that they are praised for their achievements, for using good manners and for being helpful. Children gain an awareness of their similarities and differences, for example, they play with good resources that reflect diversity, learn about how different people celebrate festivals and sample different foods.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder promotes several areas of learning within planned activities, for example, baking. The children learn that information can be gained from print as they look at recipe books; they talk about where the ingredients, including the eggs, come from; they measure the ingredients and learn to recognise numerals as they use scales, and they explore change as they mix the ingredients. Children learn the importance of good hygiene practices, healthy eating and the benefits of fresh air and exercise. At home they play on a trampoline, slide, swing and sit-and- ride toys, and they gain confidence and skills with use of large equipment at the park and soft-play centre. Children know that they may only use the trampoline when supervised and they are aware of road safety when out walking. The childminder promotes very young children's physical development well as they have plenty of space to move around and they play with toys that promote the

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and outcomes for children

development of manipulative skills and hand-eye coordination. Babies pat, pull and squeeze toys that promote their senses because they are colourful, make different sounds and are made of different textures. Older children develop skills as they thread beads and cotton reels onto strings, use a range of writing materials and paint or glue brushes, play with jigsaw puzzles and mould with dough.

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and outcomes for children

Children count as part of daily routines and the childminder promotes 'one on one' counting, for example, as they climb the stairs together. When building with bricks and blocks, children compare their height to the tower they have made and say how many blocks tall they are. Games encourage children to match colours and songs promote early calculation, for example, 'five current buns' because the number reduces by one on each verse. Older children make bead necklaces and they compare colours and the amount of beads they have used. All children enjoy looking at books and listening to stories and the childminder promotes their language development well. They have access to mark-making materials and art and craft activities. Their creativity is promoted as they play with a range of domestic play and small world resources and move imaginatively to music. The childminder takes children to a music class each week and they sing, use musical

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and outcomes for children

instruments, move to music, count and learn colours, for example, as they select coloured scarves and pretend that they are leaves falling from the trees. The childminder repeats these activities at home for the benefit of the part-time children. 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 3 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 3 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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