Bullock, Wendy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 320695 Inspection date 16/11/2009 Inspector Alison Margaret Walker

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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 2000. She lives with her husband and two children aged 12 and seven years in Horsforth, a residential suburb of Leeds. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder provides care for children between the hours of 8am to 6pm. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, and is currently caring for six children of which three are in the early years age group. Older children also attend the setting. The childminder walks to the local school to take and collect children. She attends local toddler and childminding groups.

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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 has excellent partnerships with parents. She is committed to keeping them fully informed of their children's care and development. She also has very good links with the local school that the children attend and this ensures consistency in the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Children are safe and secure and enjoy learning about their local area and the world around them. The childminder is very enthusiastic about her work with the children and she ensures that they all have equal opportunity to learn and develop. She has embraced the Early Years framework with enthusiasm and uses this as a basis for planning activities for children in the early years age group. The childminder shows a high level of commitment to improvement and she is constantly evaluating her practice to identify her strengths and areas she would like to improve.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

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the early years provision

The childminder has concise written safeguarding procedures and she makes parents fully aware of her responsibility to report any concerns about a child in her care. She demonstrates a good understanding of the action she needs to take and has all the relevant contact numbers close to hand. She also keeps her child protection training up to date. Records, such as those of accidents, fire drills and attendance are kept up to date and signed by parents where appropriate. Thorough written risk assessments are done on all areas used by the children and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 for each individual outing. These are all reviewed on a regular basis ensuring the children's safety at all times. The childminder has done an in depth written self- evaluation to identify her strengths and areas she would like to develop. She will use this as a working document to ensure her practice remains of a high standard.

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the early years provision

One area she would like develop further is her knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

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the early years provision

The childminder gives parents verbal and written feedback on a daily basis. This keeps the parents fully informed of their children's care and learning. Parents are full of praise for the childminder. They particularly like the profiles she does for each child as they give a clear picture of how their child is progressing and helps them become involved in their children's learning. They are able to take these home and share with other members of the family. They feel fortunate to have her as their childminder, she spends quality time with the children and knows them all well. For example, she can immediately tell if a child is unwell. Parents describe the childminder as a good role model and they look to her for advice and support.

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the early years provision

Very good links are maintained with the local school that some of the children attend. Teachers from the reception class have visited the childminder and they have shared information and the children's profiles. This has been very beneficial in helping children settle in at school and in maintaining consistency in the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder gathers information on the children's starting points from parents and school. She uses her effective observation and assessment skills and this helps her plan the next steps in the children's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a strong commitment to supporting equality and diversity and has a good range of resources to promote positive images. These include multi- cultural dressing up clothes and books about different cultures and beliefs. These help raise children's awareness of the wider world. They enjoy looking at a map of the world and talking about where they are going on holiday. The childminder always ensures each child in her care feels valued, included and they have equal access to the resources that are available. They are all warmly welcomed into the home and receive individual love, care and attention. Consequently, children are very happy and settle well.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's very caring approach raises the children's self-esteem and this has a positive impact on their behaviour. Her relevant use of praise and encouragement and genuine attention to children's needs, means that they learn to play cooperatively together. This creates a pleasant environment where children are motivated to explore freely, select their own resources and enjoy their developing skills. Children learn to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They have daily opportunities for fresh air in the garden and local walks. They also visit a soft play centre on a regular basis where they are able to develop their physical skills, such as climbing and jumping and take risks in a safe environment. Children are confidently learning how to manage their own personal hygiene. The childminder This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 follows good hygiene practices, such as regularly washing her hands and cleaning

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and outcomes for children

surfaces with anti-bacterial cleaner. This prevents the risk of cross-infection.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder develops the children's conversation in a variety of imaginative ways, for example, by talking to the children about the different coloured bricks and using repetition to develop their language. Children enjoy mark making and writing for a purpose. They have recently written their own postcards, putting their address on and posting them to their own home. They were delighted the receive their own postcards and parents think this is a lovely activity. Older children are keen to personalise their work by writing their name on it.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn about their local environment, they enjoy collecting a variety of leaves and making a colourful collage. The childminder does a wide range of activities to develop the children's creativity. They particularly enjoy making musical instruments and listening to the different sounds they make. They regularly do baking and love to ice biscuits which helps develop their fine motor skills. Children show an interest in numbers and they count during everyday play, for example, when stacking different sized buckets. They count and use size language, such as higher, taller and big. The childminder works carefully with parents to make sure that children benefit from a very healthy diet and they have free access to drinks throughout the day. Children eat together at the dining table which is a sociable occasion where they chat together and enjoy healthy meals. 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 1 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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