Childminder in Liverpool

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY376561 Inspection date 08/12/2009 Inspector Jean Evelyn Thomas

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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 registered in 2008. She lives with her husband and child aged one year in the city of Liverpool, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. It is a non smoking environment.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years old at any one time, no more than two of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five to 11 years old. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register, and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder takes children to local parks, libraries and other places of interest on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association, and receives support from the Local Authority.

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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 provides a welcoming, inclusive environment to suitably support children’s learning and development. She has a positive understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) welfare, learning and development requirements. The childminder has developed effective systems to work in partnership with parents. They are consulted and are kept well informed of their children’s progress, daily routines and planed activities. The childminder shows positive commitment to the continuous development of her service and uses self-evaluation to reflect on her practice, outlining its strengths and some areas for future development.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure sleeping arrangements are suitable for ages of the children and that the organisation of the environment and activities does not limit the movement of younger children to explore and invetigate  ensure the children's initial planning clearly identifies their next steps across the six areas of learning to provide the base line for the ongoing observation, assessment and planning process. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear policy regarding safeguarding, which is shared with parents and demonstrates her understanding of the procedures to follow to keep children safe. She has undertaken safeguarding training and has up to date information regarding child protection procedures.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment. Play resources are set out at a low level to allow children to freely access and gain confidence to make their own choices in play. The children's art work and photographs are displayed, which further enhances their sense of belonging and self-esteem seeing themselves and their work valued in this way. All required records are kept up to date and in good order, including comprehensive risk assessments for the setting and outings. In addition to this daily checks are carried out to ensure all areas of the setting are safe for use. However, the arrangement for the younger children's sleeping has not been risk assessed, or checked that it is in line with manufactures guidance. Children are well supervised which has a significant impact on their safety. However, at times the childminders' organisation of the of activities for the older children and wearing socks when walking on a wooden floor limits the

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the early years provision

freedom of movement of the younger children.

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the early years provision

The childminder is a committed to providing quality service. She has systems in place to evaluate her provision including parents questionnaires, use of Ofsted's self-evaluation form and networking with other childminders. The childminder has identified areas for improvement to further improve outcomes for children. She fully appreciates children's uniqueness and nurtures their self-confidence through respecting their individualism. This is reflected in her Equal Opportunities policy which is put into practice. The childminder has developed her knowledge of the EYFS through attending training, familiarising herself with the framework and reading reference materials. She has developed systems to support the implementation of the EYFS, for example, a process to observe and assess children to plan appropriate activities for their next steps in learning and development. The childminder closely links the next steps in children's learning and development to

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the early years provision

the expectations of the EYFS to support their progress towards the Early Learning Goals. However, the initial planning for new children does not clearly show that the next steps have been identified across the six areas of learning as the base line for the future assessment process.

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed systems to work in partnership with parents. She encourages two way communication both verbally and in writing. Parents are given good initial written information about the service and her policies and procedures. She obtains all appropriate details about children and consents from parents to ensure that there is consistency of care and to support their learning. Children's achievements are shared with parents. The children's individual progress is recorded in their learning journal which includes observations, photographs and assessments. Parents are invited to contribute to the observation, assessment and planning process. Parents' written comments indicate that they are satisfied with the quality of care and the progress that their child is making. At the present time This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the minded children are not receiving the delivery of the EYFS at other settings.

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the early years provision

The childminder has systems in place to effectively initiate working with others to support children's progress and continuity in their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children play happily within the setting and show developing levels of concentration from an early age. They confidently approach the childminder and include her in their play. The accessibility of the resources ensures all ages of children are included, as they independently select their play materials requiring little assistance from the childminder. The childminder uses support documents and knowledge gained from training to help her to implement the principles of the EYFS, such as, following children's interests, offering outdoor play opportunities and developing personalised planning. The childminder's positive interaction during play, provides individual support to meet the children’s needs including children who are learning English as an additional language. Consequently the children fully participate in play opportunities and activities.The childminder plans her activities around broad themes and children's interests. Children develop their numeracy and

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and outcomes for children

problem solving skills, as they construct the rail track and count the number of pieces in place and through trails and error fit the pieces together correctly. Interactive toys are enjoyed in their play. The children push buttons and turn knobs in the role play kitchen where they operate everyday technology resources in their play, such as, the kettle and cooker as they make connections with their own experiences. The younger children show enjoy exploring toys which require pressing and twisting buttons and lifting flaps to make noises. Resources such as these and the planned activities and the childminders interaction with the children promotes their skills in numeracy, communicating and literacy and information technology which positively impacts on their future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

There is a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities. The childminder supports their learning by playing alongside them and teaching them new skills. For example, as the children enthusiastically pursue the planed activity and make Christmas cards the childminder shows them how to apply the glue to make the decorations stick. The children's own work is respected by the childminder. They have opportunities to be creative using a variety of resources and materials. The younger children the childminder ensures toys are readily available to meet their developmental needs. She successfully balances her time between the children to ensure they are all included and valued. Children enjoy a full range of sensory and exploratory experiences, such as, playing in shaving foam, exploring textures, such as, cooked pastas and sand and cooking activities which help to build their knowledge of different materials. Children's creativity is fostered through many

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to express themselves artistically and through making models. They name colours as they play with the cars and count as they construct the rail track.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children understand the world around them providing them with positive images within the play materials, through planned activities including outings in the community. Children begin to develop an understanding of sustainability of the earth's resources, as they use recycled items in play and to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 handle play materials with care so that they last longer. The childminder promotes positive behaviour and she offers children praise and encouragement. She presents herself as a positive role model and shows respect and interest in what children do and say. Children follow good hygiene routines as they wash their hands before eating and make healthy choices at snack times. Good standards of hygiene and an awareness of appropriate food safety ensure children are protected from infection. Children's awareness of safety is raised through talking about simple

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and outcomes for children

safety messages, such as, tidying away toys so they do not trip over and the ongoing practice of following road safety procedures. 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 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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