Bluecoat Primary Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 145145 Inspection date 06/04/2010 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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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 lives with her five children aged from two years to 18 years in a three bedroom house in Ludgershall, Wiltshire. The whole of the downstairs is registered for childminding. Toilet facilities and a bedroom where older children can play are situated upstairs. There is a garden for outside play. The childminder is able to walk and drive to local schools and pre-schools. Frequent outings are organised. The family have two dogs, three cats, rabbits and guinea-pigs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years of age at any one time; of these, two may be in the early years age group. At present, she is caring for one school-age child in the early years age group, four children aged between five and eight years and four children aged over eight years. Children attend for different sessions on a part-time basis. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

A welcoming home environment is offered where children are happy and settled. Emphasis is given to ensuring children's safety and developing effective partnerships with parents and others, in order to promote positive outcomes for children. The childminder is extremely keen to develop the quality of her provision and has high expectations for herself, although she is yet to develop effective practice in all areas to enable her to achieve these expectations. She has attended several training opportunities to help develop her skills and is developing her understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Overall, children make sound progress in the learning and development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop children's awareness of the importance of healthy eating and provide suitable equipment so they can sit comfortably for their meals  develop systems for tracking children's progress against the expectations of the early learning goals and ensure their next steps for learning are incorporated into activities offered  use resources more effectively to engage children's interest and ensure activities are organised to support the needs of children in the early years age group.  complete planned safety measures in the rear garden in order to increase opportunities for outdoor play. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is safeguarded. The childminder has a good understanding of child protection issues and knows what to do if she has concerns about a child in her care. She has conducted effective risk assessments and regularly reviews them. For example, when checking the climbing apparatus she realised it was faulty and removed it. There is a clear evacuation plan that has been practised with the children and fire safety equipment is fitted throughout the home. The childminder is vigilant in helping children's awareness of keeping themselves safe. She explains why they need to keep the safety gates closed and why older children need to put the 'Hama beads' out of younger children's reach. All of the required documentation is well organised and in place.

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the early years provision

The childminder is extremely enthusiastic and keen to develop her provision. She has addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection and improved outcomes for children in these areas. For example, she has made improvements to her nappy changing procedures in order to reduce the risk of cross infection and updated her safeguarding procedures in line with current regulations. The childminder has attended training to update her skills and has plans to complete an early years qualification. The childminder's written self-evaluation document demonstrates a clear understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and identifies priorities for further improvement. However, in some areas the evaluation does not reflect the childminder's practice or fulfil the aims she has set herself, such as, promoting good eating habits and healthy foods.

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the early years provision

The childminder has given careful consideration to ensuring her premises and resources are accessible to all children, so that they can participate fully in the activities she offers. She has attended makaton training and considered how she can improve communications with parents and children, for example, when English is an additional language. The childminder knows the children well, however, she does not always make best use of her knowledge or her extensive range of resources to ensure children are supported and challenged in all areas of their development. The childminder also cares for older children and aims to provide a variety of experiences for everyone, which sometimes means activities for younger children are not sufficiently focussed. The childminder has organised her home so that children play in an extremely well resourced playroom and lounge. Informative posters decorate the doors of cupboards where an extensive range of toys, games

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the early years provision

and equipment are easily accessible and effectively stored.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is good. They are well informed about the service provided and the care their children receive through the comprehensive range of policies and procedures, information displayed on the notice boards and children's records. Parent's views are sought informally through discussion and formally through questionnaires. Parents are extremely happy with the care their children receive and the wide range of activities and experiences in which their children are involved. The childminder has a clear understanding of the importance of developing partnerships with other settings children attend and agencies who are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 involved in supporting their welfare. Regular communication means they work together to ensure continuity in children's care.

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and outcomes for children

Children are comfortable and settled in the childminder's care. They enjoy a good range of outings and experiences, which promote their awareness of the world around them and their local environment. They visit various parks to explore the play equipment and investigate the natural world. They have visited the fire station and Oceanarium, where they weighed the turtles. They examine Victorian artefacts and have a Spanish day. Exciting outings engage children's interest and are organised to suit all ages.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to develop positive relationships with others and to behave well. The childminder liaises with parents and others so that she can provide consistent support in order to help children understand what is expected. She praises them when they do well, particularly when disagreements are resolved. The childminder values children's home experiences and encourages them to talk about their trip to the safari park, when they proudly show off the animal mask they have made. The environment is extremely welcoming to children. Photos of their activities and outings decorate the walls alongside posters of dinosaurs, maps, numbers and flags. The front garden has a pet's corner, where children can feed the rabbits and have space to grow flowers and vegetables. The rear garden has fenced areas for different activities and a separate area for the childminder's dogs; there are also several playhouses for children to explore.

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and outcomes for children

However, to ensure children's safety the childminder is not currently using the garden because she has not completed all of her planned renovations. When the garden is available, children will benefit from the extra space to play.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder carefully maintains children's progress records. These include examples of what children can do, photos of activities and a periodic overview of their general abilities in each area of learning. From each observation, the childminder identifies their next step for learning. However, she does not have a clear system for ensuring these are followed up in the activities offered or achievements matched against the expectations of the early learning goals. As a result, opportunities are missed to support progression, when children are not always consistently challenged. For example, when children are enthusiastically dressing-up props or other resources are not introduced to develop their ideas or imaginations; or when younger children show an interest in measuring themselves against the height chart, number recognition and size comparisons are not effectively promoted. The childminder recognises the importance of encouraging

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and outcomes for children

concentration and pencil skills and when painting is offered children are keen on the idea. However, the childminder is repeatedly distracted by the older children and fails to set it up for some time. As a result, children lack focus, wander and do not settle. There is an extensive range of resources available, however, they are not used effectively to engage or sustain children's interest.

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and outcomes for children

Children receive consistent support to help them develop good hygiene habits. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, the childminder makes sure they wash their hands thoroughly at appropriate times. However, the importance of healthy foods and good eating habits are not effectively encouraged; children have crisps and chocolate for their snack and they sit on the floor to eat their bowl of pasta rather than at a table or on a mat if pretending to have a picnic. The childminder is vigilant in promoting safety with the children and helping them to keep themselves safe. They are reminded about putting scissors out of reach of the youngest children and road safety rules when they are out. When reading a story they talk about travelling in the car and children explain they have to wear a seat belt to keep safe. Children benefit when the childminder is involved in their activities. They make sound

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and outcomes for children

progress in their learning and development. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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