Childminder in Sheffield

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY394197 Inspection date 08/01/2010 Inspector Tracey Jane Outram

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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 2009. She lives with her partner and one child aged three years in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Areas of the home used for the children include the kitchen, dining area, hallway and lounge on the ground floor of the home, and the bathroom and designated bedroom on the first floor. The garden is used for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. At the time of the inspection, she has six children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder takes children to and from the local school as required and attends local community groups appropriate to the ages and interests of the children present. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register.

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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 ensures that children’s good health and safety is prioritised. She is a conscientious practitioner who demonstrates a good attitude towards the development of her service through the process of self-evaluation and further training. Overall, the childminder has a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She competently uses observations of the children to help her plan activities and early years experiences that successfully address their unique learning and development needs.

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further?

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

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further?

 include parents in planning for the next steps in children's development and learning  take steps to ensure that behaviour management strategies are managed effectively for all children.

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the early years provision

The setting is extremely well managed because comprehensive health and safety policies and procedures are used effectively. For example, the childminder has a secure understanding of her child protection responsibilities and a robust knowledge of the local safeguarding procedures. Similarly, meticulous attention is given to the implementation and frequent review of risk assessments, which ensure that environmental dangers are consistently minimised or removed. Consequently, the children remain safe on outings, and are able to move around This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the premises independently as they freely select toys from the broad and stimulating range of resources on offer.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes positive steps to ensure that parents are provided with good information about the setting. She keeps daily diaries for individual children and gathers information to ensure that the setting is inclusive and children's personal care needs and routines are effectively addressed. The childminder seeks the views of parents and values their expertise and knowledge of their children. This helps the childminder to plan familiar experiences, which aid transitions and can be used as the starting point for planning appealing and motivating activities. However, there are currently no consistent systems in place to include parents in planning for the next steps in their child’s learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the need to work in partnership with other providers and has established links with staff at the local nursery. This ensures that the services are complementary, and supports a consistent approach to children’s care, learning and development. Overall, the childminder has a strong commitment to the children and the future development of the service. She has taken steps to critically evaluate her service through the process of self-evaluation, which has led to the identification of some areas for improvement, along with an accurate recognition of what is being done well.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely happy and settled; they develop close relationships and enjoy playing together as a group. The childminder is a good role model and through the use of sensitive observational assessments, the children are provided with activities that meet their interests and personal developmental needs. They are consistently challenged and helped to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Most children have detailed learning journeys, which show their progress and illustrate their involvement in the activities provided.

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and outcomes for children

The children have a very positive disposition to learning, they demonstrate high levels of concentration and are keen to show what they know and can do. The range of activities and resources are extremely well used to support children’s pleasure and achievement. They have daily opportunities to engage in dressing-up and role play using good quality equipment, along with resources, such as dried rice and pasta to heighten the experience and add another dimension to their play. This supports their imaginative play and encourages creative thinking. In addition, the children show a keen interest in mark-making with different materials, such as water and chalk. They understand that print carries meaning and sustain attentive listening skills as they enjoy sharing books with the childminder and each other. The children are all confident to communicate and they express themselves well as they negotiate the use of equipment and share their ideas and feelings. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder interacts with children purposefully to encourage them to acquire skills for the future, such as an interest in numbers, designing and construction. They explore toys, such as wooden shape sorters, clocks, number puzzles and contemporary remote controlled equipment. In addition, they creatively use safety This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 mirrors to make ramps for cars as they test how the gradient of the ramp affects the speed of the cars. This supports the growth of a rich vocabulary and encourages the children to ask questions about why things happen.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn about the environment and healthy lifestyles through the provision of outdoor play in the garden and park, which helps them to build their physical skills and strength. In addition, they discuss the benefits of personal hygiene and eating a balanced diet. The children verbalise clear preferences for fruit at snack times, which they subsequently discuss in terms of shape, texture, colour and aroma. Any individual dietary needs are taken into account when planning the food and drinks, and children are beginning to know about the lifestyles and choices of others. The children are incredibly settled and show a very strong sense of security and belonging which supports their emotional well-being. They learn about personal safety through ongoing discussions and their inclusion in stories, role play and every day activities that are intended to teach independence skills along with an increasing knowledge of safe practices. The

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and outcomes for children

children’s behaviour is good and they are beginning to show self-discipline, however, methods of handling children’s behaviour lack some consistency. Overall, the children benefit from the provision of child and adult-led activities which focus and reinforce their learning across the breadth of the early years framework. 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 1 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 1 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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