Crozier, Donna

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY321115 Inspection date 10/02/2010 Inspector Diane Lynn Turner

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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 February 2006. She lives with her husband and son aged four years, in a semi-detached house in the Moortown area of Leeds. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder’s home and the bathroom and two bedrooms on the first floor are used for childminding purposes. There is an enclosed garden to the rear of the premises for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of five children under eight years of age at any one time, two of whom may be in the early years age group. There are currently three children on roll, two of whom are within the early years age group. They all attend on a part-time basis.

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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

Children are cared for in a warm and caring environment. They benefit greatly from the strong bonds they develop with the childminder who clearly recognises their uniqueness and meets their individual needs well. Partnerships with parents are very strong and make a significant contribution to children's achievements and well-being, however, there are no links with other providers who are also involved in the children's care and learning. The childminder has a very positive attitude towards self-evaluation and is committed to ensuring her service continually improves. All of the required documentation is in place, however, this occasionally lacks the necessary detail.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure attendance records are kept up to date at all times  develop links with providers of other settings the children also attend to ensure a shared approach to their care and learning  develop the assessment system to show when children's planned next steps are met, to help make informed decisions about their progress.

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the early years provision

The childminder gives high regard to safeguarding children. She carries out daily assessments of her home to ensure all potential risks are minimised, and records in detail the action she takes to keep children safe on any visits and outings. She has clear procedures she would follow in an emergency, such as a child being lost, and from an early age she ensures the children become familiar with the sound of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the smoke detector and that they regularly practise the emergency evacuation procedures. The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities in regards to child protection issues. She confidently discusses the possible indicators of abuse and knows who to refer any concerns to. Her home is well-organised and provides a bright and welcoming environment, which is very conducive to children’s learning. This is particularly evident in the main play room, which has a

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the early years provision

good range of easily accessible toys and resources, displays of the children's work, and a very inviting cosy corner which is used for reading books together.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a very positive approach to her role and it is very evident that she gains a lot of pleasure from helping the children to learn and develop. She promotes equality of opportunity very well, ensuring her service is open to all children and their families, and is committed to improving the outcomes for children. She attends ongoing training, regularly discusses elements of good practice with other childminders and accurately targets areas for development. For example, she has recently made the rear garden secure and this is now registered for the children's use, thereby enhancing the opportunities for outdoor play. Clear policies and procedures are in place, and these alongside supporting information, successfully underpin the efficient management of the service. Documentation is well-organised and stored with confidentiality in mind; however, children's attendance records are not always completed promptly.

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the early years provision

The childminder gives very good attention to promoting positive relationships with the parents. She encourages them to attend a number of settling in visits before the placement begins so they can get to know one another and discuss how all aspects of the children's care and learning can be met, which helps to minimise any separation anxiety. They receive copies of all the policies and procedures, signing to acknowledge they agree to these and they are kept well-informed on an ongoing basis through chats and daily diaries. The childminder shares their child's learning journey with them regularly and asks them to contribute to these, thoughtfully suggesting questions and areas they may like to consider. She has strong links with various groups in the community but has not considered the importance of developing links with providers of other settings the children also attend, to ensure continuity in their care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

All children are confident and comfortable in the childminder's care. They explore their surroundings with interest and curiosity, and are offered a good range of activities both in the home and outdoor environment. For example, they enjoy observing the animals and butterflies at ‘Tropical world’, visit various parks, and take part in pond dipping and kite making activities led by the ranger at the nearby nature reserve. The childminder gives high priority to supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. She takes the younger ones to a toddler group each week which provides valuable opportunities for them to socialise with others and to work co-operatively as a group, and she makes very effective use of role play activities to help them develop valuable life skills. For example, she encourages them to pretend to go shopping, when they learn to put This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

their money in a purse, to carefully choose the items they need and to pay for these as they use the till. They also learn about making meals and drinks, and how to wash up afterwards as they use the play food, cooker and sink. The childminder acknowledges their achievements with lots of praise and reward stickers, and takes photographs of special moments to share with their parents. All of which promotes the children's confidence and self-esteem very well. Consequently they behave very well, spontaneously saying sorry if they accidentally hurt someone, and demonstrate good social skills at mealtimes.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures all children are fully involved in the activities. For example, babies show great delight as they too listen to stories and take part in singing activities, with props from the 'song bag'. They attempt to join in even though they do not yet have the language, squealing with enjoyment at the mention of the crocodile as the others sing 'row, row your boat'. The childminder skilfully uses questioning as she engages with the children to encourage them to think, and uses everyday routines very effectively to promote their learning. For example, she encourages them to count how many pieces of toast they have on their plate at snack time, and how many bricks they have used as they help to tidy these away. Systems are in place to record children's progress, which include the childminder's observations of the children's responses to the activities and photographic evidence. The childminder uses the information to identify the next

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and outcomes for children

steps in their learning, however, she does not record when these are met.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being is promoted effectively by the childminder. They are cared for in a very clean and well-maintained home and she follows very effective hygiene procedures when attending to their personal care, such as nappy changing. She encourages the children to learn about the importance of cleaning their hands before mealtimes from an early age and about eating healthily. For example, she explains that drinking up their milk will help their bones to grow strong and they regularly visit the greengrocers to choose items of fruit they would like for lunch. The childminder also promotes their understanding of safety well. For example, she encourages them to help tidy away the toys after use to prevent trips and falls, and to learn about road safety when out in the community. 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 3 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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