Childminder in Cheshire East

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY257896 Inspection date 05/01/2010 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and two children aged six and ten years. The family live in the Wistaston area of Crewe. The whole of the ground floor and one upstairs bedroom are used for childminding purposes. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play. Family pets include one cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, three of whom may be in the early years age range. She operates all year round. There are currently ten children on roll aged from 20 months to 11 years. Of these, three are within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The care for children aged over five years is registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has completed required basic childminding training and is undertaking an early years foundation degree.

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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 is skilled, knowledgeable and highly committed, aiming high to meet the unique needs of each child and family. She supports each one to make excellent overall progress in their learning and development and ensures that their enjoyment and achievements are outstanding. Overall, children's health is good and they are well safeguarded because the childminder teaches children how to be safe as they play and is confident about child protection procedures. Partnerships with parents and in the wider context are outstanding. The childminder uses professional training and advice; acts on recommendations from inspections; and undertakes highly effective formal self-evaluation to identify and make significant improvements to the childminding service.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that risk assessments highlight the areas needing to be checked regularly and note the action taken to minimise risks arising  further develop healthy eating, drinking and hand washing procedures  develop and use summative assessments, both at the beginning of placements and at periodic intervals, so that children's progress and next steps for the six areas of learning are easier to see and share with parents and other involved carers  ensure that children attending school reception class receive the EYFS This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 curriculum in the setting in a way that complements, and is consistent with, the school provider.

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the early years provision

The childminder safeguards children well because she is vigilant and uses procedures which support safety both in day-to-day and emergency situations. She maintains accurate attendance registers, parental consents and medicine, incident, and accident records. All adults in the household are Criminal Records Bureau checked through Ofsted. The home and garden are kept tidy and safe. Daily visual checks are made of the home, but risk assessments do not identify the areas that need regular checking and note is not taken of actions taken to minimise identified risks. Nevertheless, risk assessments specific to all outings have been prepared and are reviewed each time the trip is undertaken. Children practise monthly how to evacuate in an emergency and confidently adopt safe practices like using the step to reach the toilet sink. The childminder has been on recent health and food safety, first aid and safeguarding training and is confident about reporting any

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the early years provision

concerns that a child may be being abused. She works extremely cooperatively with social services, Children's centre and specialist advisors where appropriate to ensure that families and children are well supported. All the childminder's policies are annually reviewed and parents sign up to, and have copies of, them all.

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the early years provision

The childminder's abilities to reflect on her practice and make continuous improvements are outstanding. She is undertaking the early years degree and chooses relevant ongoing training and websites which she uses to make continuing improvements to her practice which benefit children. For example, she is displaying more visual cues around the house, made with the children's input, to help them remember what is happening, how to behave, and to enhance their sense of belonging. She acts upon recommendations made at previous inspections and uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form, parent feedback questionnaires and suggestion box to good effect. For example, she has instigated more regular fire evacuation practises to ensure that all the children on roll are familiar with what to do and has variously adapted her records of children's progress under the six areas of learning. The childminder works very effectively with previous providers,

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the early years provision

therapists, teachers and key workers to ensure that each child receives complementary and consistent care when they move between settings and/or have specialist help, for example, with behaviour therapy or family support. She has an excellent grasp of the EYFS and the principles of individualised learning, correctly identifying each child's interests and play styles. However, she has not continued to observe, assess and provide the six areas of learning for children in the first year at full time school. Nevertheless, complementary and consistent care and teaching has been achieved between the childminder, the reception teacher and family, to ensure that children concerned are making excellent progress.

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the early years provision

The childminder has made excellent progress in developing genuinely supportive bonds with parents which focus completely on the children. Her verbal feedback celebrates each child's progress and achievements, as do her written observations and photos. This enthusiasm is also sensitive and insightful, inspiring parents' This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 confidence in both the childminder and their own parenting ability. E mails, text messages and written planning are also shared appropriately. Posters and display books are made by all the children to show what they have been learning and doing and each child has an individual progress file. Parents and the childminder together complete a settling in questionnaire to facilitate good transition into the setting. However, clear initial plans and summative assessments showing subsequent progress are not presently being made, except where children have a

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the early years provision

shared plan prepared by specialists, for example, relating to behaviour management. This makes it slightly more difficult to see how children are doing overall and to target input accordingly. Nevertheless, the childminder knows each child's stage of development very well and can explain to parents what her priorities are for each one's progress. Parents have regular access to their child's progress records.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's support to each child's learning and development is outstanding. She applies her training, experience and skill with confidence and understanding both of the child as an individual, and their family context. She provides very high quality planned activities, outings, and daily experiences which are used to the full, so that children's enjoyment and achievements are excellent. There is a balance of themed activities, through which the six areas of learning are woven. For example, during the Autumn theme, children read about and look for animals which hibernate. They role play animals that are preparing for their winter sleep. Children enjoy related baking, planting, music, messy, creative, construction, and physical activities. Each of the areas of learning is woven into active and challenging activities, such as pond dipping, baking bread, creating small world castle constructions or playing parachute games. Children are enabled to do as much for

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and outcomes for children

themselves as possible, finding out how things work in the home and outside, as they weigh ingredients, examine the contents of their fishing nets, play with bubble wrap or find small pebbles to drain the water from their planters.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides excellent challenge for children's speech and problem solving skills to improve because she talks, questions and praises them all the time. Children are delighted by their successes and relish the positive attention of the childminder as they make great progress, practising their counting, colour and shape recognition skills or saying new words and more complex sentences. Each child's individual needs and play styles are known and capitalised upon, for example, one child's preference for size and fit play, using puzzles and shape sorters. Equally, less comfortable areas are successfully overcome, for example a reluctance to undertake messy play, using ideas from Children's centre staff. Babies and toddlers' senses are stimulated with treasure baskets of household objects and different materials to explore and feel. Their active desire to climb and play with gadgets is safely fostered at soft play centres, and with close supervision

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and outcomes for children

Children are able to choose their favourite toys and activities, using the visual aid of a poster in the conservatory showing the toy boxes which are stored in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 garage. On the day of inspection children choose construction toys and favourite stories from the box in the lounge. The childminder plays on the floor with them, singing rhymes, reading, playing rough and tumble and giving cuddles, encouragement and conversation. Children are confident to ask for the toilet or snacks and are competent to eat, drink, wash hands and use good manners. They enjoy a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and nutritious meals, although they are drinking juice rather than water and are not routinely encouraged to wash their hands before snacks or after nappy change. When older children are present after school, they pursue different activities, such as preparing a display about road

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and outcomes for children

safety and decorating their suggestions box to put by the front door.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and are learning how to manage their emotions and frustrations safely because the childminder is consistent, warm and caring, using techniques appropriate to each individual child's needs and carrying out agreed strategies and plans alongside parents, especially where there are recognised, significant difficulties. Keys, remote controls and dangers are put out of reach of toddlers. They are taught about the danger of climbing on the low window ledge and distracted away from it. Behaviour tantrums are averted by providing consistent warning about what is happening and visual cues and preparations for what is coming. Throughout the year, children experience regular activities and trips and gain a good sense of belonging from looking at photos of themselves in action and remembering enjoyable times. Close bonds are made between minded children of all ages and their families, so that care is consistent and children feel

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and outcomes for children

very secure. The childminder is considering ways to extend children's sense of being special and their understanding of one another's differences through project work about their families and lifestyles. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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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