Wallington, Deborah

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY330515 Inspection date 11/02/2010 Inspector Angela Cole

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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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged eight months and five years in the residential area of Downend, South Gloucestershire. The whole house is registered for childminding, except for the main bedroom, and children play on the ground floor and in the enclosed, rear garden. They use upstairs bathroom facilities. The family has two cats as pets and keeps chickens in the garden.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to offer childcare before, during and after school and in school holidays. She is registered to care for four children at any one time and is currently minding four children in the early years age group on a part- time basis. The childminder also cares for older children and some over eight years of age. The childminder currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the childminding

The house is within easy walking distance of shops, park, toddler group and library and the childminder takes and collects children to and from a playgroup and a primary school. The childminder holds a Level 3 qualification in home-based childcare. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and of a local childminder support group.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder offers an inclusive environment where all children settle to be secure and happy. Children make excellent progress in their learning and development as they are keen to be with the childminder and she observes them closely to be well aware of, and to extend their individual needs and interests. The home is very well organised to enable children to choose from a wealth of attractive resources and to be fully engaged in interesting play activities. The childminder works in very close partnership with families, other agencies and providers so that children's learning and welfare needs are most effectively met. All required records are highly maintained and most documents updated as necessary. The childminder's in-depth reflection ensures that plans are well focused to bring about further improvement to her provision and outcomes for children.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 continue fulfilling the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements including ensuring all procedural documentation is updated. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Safeguarding is outstanding because comprehensive policies, procedures and documentation are in place to ensure children’s welfare is promoted. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and meticulously revised to ensure risks are minimised. The childminder safeguards and promotes children’s welfare very well, because she has an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures in the event of any concern about a child. All adults in the household are vetted and there are excellent systems for emergency cover. Children benefit from close supervision during play in and out of doors. The outdoor area is well adapted for children of different ages and the childminder is vigilant about keeping fences maintained so that children are safe and secure. There are robust procedures in place for families to follow when children are collected.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. Families receive very detailed explanations about the Early Years Foundation Stage. Information about the children is frequently shared in conversations, two-way daily diaries and detailed feedback on the children’s achievement and progress. Parents are highly encouraged to become involved and support their child’s learning. They extend activities the children have enjoyed and regularly contribute to their children’s learning journey. Parents commend the friendly, caring childminder for her support and flexibility. They appreciate the environment that is bright and positive with attractive, stimulating resources and being kept well informed of special events, such as outings. The childminder has excellent links with the other providers caring for children. She shares information very effectively with them, especially concerning children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder is well qualified and very organised so that her provision is expertly managed. She makes excellent use of her time and resources to fully meet children's needs. As their key person, the childminder actively promotes equality and diversity. She monitors activities and assessment rigorously so children are fully integrated and achieve very well. The childminder makes excellent use of ongoing reflection that leads to in-depth self-evaluation. She is well aware of her strengths and fully considers the spoken and written views of parents and children to help identify areas for improvement. These include further training on behaviour management and support children with additional needs. The childminder's record keeping about the children is meticulous. Her main area for development is to continue to fulfil early years requirements and keep procedures in date, including her format to record any concern about the

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the early years provision

childminding. The childminder demonstrates an excellent capacity for continued improvement in the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive in a stimulating, inclusive environment. They make excellent progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities that are fully shared by This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their parents. The childminder's teaching is rooted in excellent knowledge of the early learning goals and of how young children learn and achieve. Rich, varied and imaginative experiences fully meet the needs of all children. High quality observation informs rigorous assessment and planning that is tailored to each child’s needs and abilities, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Rigorous monitoring systems ensure that children continue to make maximum progress in each area of learning. Young children enjoy learning through interesting play and practical activities as the childminder continually responds to their early communications about what they doing. She effectively supports and

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and outcomes for children

challenges them by asking, for example, 'What is this? What vegetables are green? What do you have on your plate?' Children are active learners, interested in the variety of toys and concentrating for a long time at each activity. Their learning is skilfully supported by using associated resources, such as toy food, tills and coins; younger ones are fully encouraged to persevere by the childminder's questions, i.e. 'Can I be the customer?'. From an early age, children are highly motivated to be creative and to think critically. They are excited to explore using all their senses, for example, when stroking the cats' fur, feeding the chickens or collecting their eggs. They play very imaginatively with small scale toys, such as trains on tracks they have designed. Their interest in sounds and music is highly fostered at a children's group and they continue to sing and use different instruments with the

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and outcomes for children

The children gain an excellent understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They learn the importance of adopting good hygiene practices and are fascinated by equipment that displays areas of their hands not washed thoroughly. Children are active and effectively learn about the benefits of physical activity. They are extended by warming-up exercises and gain confidence on a variety of challenging play equipment. Babies have safe access to the decked area of the garden, while older ones use the wealth of resources, including space to hone their throwing and hitting skills and areas for growing flowers and vegetables. Children help to gather and prepare vegetables, such as potatoes and beans, to include in their meals. They make healthy choices about what they eat and drink and talk about their picture of 'good food and bad food'. Children enjoy cookery sessions and are keen to try different tastes in meals that they have prepared and named, such as filled

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and outcomes for children

Young children are very settled and quickly become absorbed in their play. They feel safe with the childminder and gain an excellent understanding of safety issues. They behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others, confidently moving around the house, negotiating stairs safely and following positive house rules. They talk about how to keep safe outdoors and are given appropriate responsibilities when crossing roads. Children enjoy their learning immensely and show a strong desire to participate and make choices. The childminder is highly skilled and sensitive in her management of children and their behaviour. As a result, young ones behave very well, interacting and learning to respect, cooperate and share resources. The childminder is an excellent role model so children develop high levels of self-esteem through her warm praise; they respond to become kind, polite and considerate. Younger children often meet others at a

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and outcomes for children

toddler group where they extend their social skills. Celebration of festivals, such as the Chinese New Year, provides children with valuable opportunities to learn about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 other people's lives and customs. The children have excellent support to be more responsible for the earth's resources as they recycle household materials and use the resultant compost for growing activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop excellent skills that will support them in the future. These include early language to communicate with others and to initiate and solve problems as these arise in their play. They learn new words, such as 'aubergine', become absorbed in rhymes and delight in sharing books and stories, such as 'Hungry caterpillar'. Children's awareness of numeracy and spatial learning are heightened as they are challenged to count high numbers of objects and compare sizes of toys. They are familiar with technology, for example, learning about using a camera and operating technology toys. From a young age, children are effectively enabled to work independently and to develop confident, self-care skills so they are ready to move on to the next stage. 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 1 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 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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