Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY255895 Inspection date 16/11/2009 Inspector Lisa Patterson

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and three children aged 13, 11 and three-years-old, close to Garstang. Minded children have access to the whole of the ground floor, inclusive of a dining room and lounge. There is a ground floor toilet and an enclosed outdoor area to the front of the premises. Family pets include love birds and guinea pigs, to which the children have access.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding two children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years, dropping off and collecting children at local schools. The childminder is registered by 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 is a member of the Rural Wyre Childminder Network and maintains membership of the National Childminding Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

A sufficiently well developed knowledge of the needs of individual children makes sure children are supported in their welfare and learning. As a result, children make adequate progress in their learning and development. Children are safe and secure and feel confident to learn, however, risk assessments lack required detail. Partnerships are generally effective, with required information being requested from parents, however, developmental records, which are in their infancy, are not effectively shared with parents or other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage to children. The childminder is committed to continuous improvement and has made developments, however, robust systems for monitoring the effectiveness of the setting are not in place.

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further?

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

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further?

 make sure the record of risk assessment clearly states when it was carried out, the date of review and any action taken following a review or incident and includes systems in place to protect children from harm, for example, in the outdoor area. (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) 20/11/2009

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  further develop systems to undertake sensitive observational assessment in order to plan to meet children's individual needs, and use this information to provide experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development as they progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning  work more effectively with other settings providing the EYFS and share developmental records with parents  recognise the value of quality improvement through, for example, using the Ofsted self-evaluation form and quality improvement processes as the basis of ongoing review, assessing the childminding against robust and challenging quality criteria.

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the early years provision

Children are adequately safeguarded because the childminder has sufficient understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedure to follow should she have a concern about a child. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place for every outing and for specific children, and a risk assessment of the premises has been carried out when she joined the childminding network. The risk assessments are not dated, there is no target date for review, and systems for protecting children regarding the low level fencing in the outdoor area have not been sufficiently highlighted. All required documentation is in place, very well organised and easily accessible. The childminder's work is supported by a set of written policies, which are shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to improvement. All recommendations highlighted during the last inspection have been addressed and the childminder has identified some areas for development that will bring about improved outcomes for children. However, there is no systematic process in place for identifying targets and monitoring progress.

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the early years provision

Parents enjoy close relationships with the childminder who keeps them informed through daily diary entries and chats, both at the beginning and end of the day. Parents comment on how much they value the information and support they are given during children's developmental stages, such as potty training or feeding. Information about children's achievements is not fully shared with parents because systems for monitoring children's progress are in their infancy. Liaisons with other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage are not consistent across all children and necessary information is not shared effectively to provide a holistic view of the child.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy in the setting and they enjoy sharing time with each other and the childminder. Interactions from the childminder are effective in engaging the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children with the activities on offer and she knows when to change the activity to maintain interest. Resources are easily accessible in organised storage containers from which the children self-select. This increases their independence.

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and outcomes for children

Children are generally well behaved and the childminder uses a range of effective strategies to manage inappropriate behaviour. They respond well to her requests and know the clear boundaries. They learn to share and take turns through reminders from the childminder. They sit attentively sharing in stories, using puppets to make the tale come to life and ask for the book again. They have some opportunities for making marks and developing the early skills of writing. They play number and shape games and lotto, although everyday activities are not always used to develop such skills as counting and calculation. There is an extremely wide range of toys reflecting diversity and children thoroughly enjoy dressing up in a range of costumes. They use the computer and other programmable toys to find out about the world and learn not to be wasteful when running taps or helping to sort out the recycling. They are involved in a wide range of physical activities both

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and outcomes for children

in and out of doors and let their imaginations run wild as they pretend to be racing drivers and motorcyclists, using cushions for the steering wheel or handle bars.

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and outcomes for children

Systems for monitoring children's progress are in their infancy. Each child has an individual file showing photographs of their activities. Starting points and next steps have not been fully identified, although some of the entries are annotated. There is limited tracking of development across all areas of learning to monitor children's progress to assist in the identification of specific needs, however, the childminder shows an adequate understanding of the needs of the children in her care.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel confident, knowing that the childminder is there if they need her. They learn about safety through reminders by the childminder about running or climbing on the furniture. Snacks and meals are currently provided by parents and these are healthy and nutritious. Children talk about their favourite fruits. This provides the basis for a healthy lifestyle. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 3

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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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 have in place all required written policies, such as missing child and failure to collect a child, and ensure the written complaints procedure contains the correct contact details for Ofsted (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 20/11/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified above (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children) 20/11/2009

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