Sumner, Michelle Louise

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY286761 Inspection date 11/03/2010 Inspector Helene Anne Terry

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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 two children aged eight and four, in a terraced property in Accrington, Lancashire. Areas used for the children include the whole of the downstairs of the home, and the bathroom and two bedrooms on the first floor. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of five children under the age of eight, of whom two may be in the early years age group. The childminder also cares for children over the age of five years. The children attend for various sessions throughout the week. The childminder currently has three children on roll under five years. The family pets include a dog, hamsters and a rabbit.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder regularly attends toddlers groups and is a member of the National Childminder Association.

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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 children are provided with a friendly and relaxed environment, where they are cared for by a committed childminder. They benefit from the inclusive, flexible service she provides where all children are valued and respected as individuals. They make good progress in their learning and development as they freely explore their surroundings, and initiate their own play following their individual interests. The childminder works well with parents to make sure that the children's individual needs are very well supported. Effective policies and procedures are in place and underpin the service provided. The childminder is developing suitable systems for her self-evaluation process and is committed to maintaining continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop the use of self-evaluation processes as the basis for ongoing internal review, clearly assessing what the setting offers against robust and challenging quality criteria  develop systems to match observations of the children to the expectations of the early learning goals across all six areas, and use these observations to identify learning priorities  maintain a record of when fire drills are carried out and record any problems encountered. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The children's safety is promoted very well. The childminder has a secure knowledge of child protection issues owing to the training she has attended. She has the correct procedures to follow should she have a concern about a child in her care and this is in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Effective daily risk assessments of the home mean that children are able to explore and play freely in the home and garden under good levels of supervision. Outings are also assessed to ensure that any potential hazards or dangers are minimised or removed. Adults in the home have been vetted to ensure their suitability to care for children. All the required documents are maintained, including accident, medication and attendance records. A fire evacuation procedure is in place and is practised with the children regularly; however, a record of fire drills is not maintained.

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the early years provision

A warm, welcoming, family home is provided that promotes the children's sense of belonging. The children's art work is displayed on the walls, which gives them a sense of security and self-worth. The childminder makes very good use of her home to allow the children to play safely and freely, moving from room to room as they engage in their play. There is good floor space to allow the children to spread themselves out and become involved in their different activities. There is good organisation of resources and play provision. Child-height furniture is used and the children have access to an interesting range of activities that they choose themselves to encourage active learning. The childminder decorates the walls with posters and notices, which help the children to learn about the wider world and diversity, such as a welcome sign in many different languages. There are also resources that depict positive images of people's differences and similarities, and

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the early years provision

they celebrate a range of cultural festivals from around the world to raise their awareness of diversity in the world in which they live.

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the early years provision

The childminder has established good partnerships with parents; she provides them with policies and procedures on admission to support them in making an informed choice. Parents provide details of their children's needs and routines, and agreements are signed to promote consistency. Parents are kept closely informed through daily discussion and displays within the play room. In addition, personal record sheets detail their child's daily care routines, activities and well-being. Although children in the early years are not cared for by anyone else, the childminder is aware of the importance of establishing links with other settings should this change. The childminder is also aware of the need to work with other agencies to support the children's well-being, and she has regular access to other professionals at the local children's centre.

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the early years provision

The childminder has started to implement systems to help her review her own practice. However, this process is not fully formalised to ensure all areas for improvement are identified. The childminder is proactive in seeking advice and support from her childminding colleagues and early years development workers, and seeks training opportunities to enable her to improve her own skills to better meet the children's needs. The childminder has obtained a level 3 qualification in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 early years. The childminder regularly implements new ideas and makes changes which she feels will improve outcomes for children. She has completed all recommendations raised at the previous inspection, and as a result has improved the safety of the children.

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and outcomes for children

The children are happy and settled in the childminder's care, cuddling up affectionately when they need comfort. They explore freely and with curiosity, and enjoy the many different learning experiences offered. The children communicate with confidence to express their needs and feelings. They enjoy books, which they choose for the childminder to read, and contribute through pointing and chattering about the pictures. The childminder extends their learning well through effective questioning, to enable the children to think and respond in their own words. For example, when reading books she asks questions, such as 'Why is the man crying?', 'How does he feel?' Thus, enabling the children to learn about different emotions.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder generally monitors the children's progress and plans for their development. She uses photographs, children's work and written observations to enable her to identify what children can do. However, observations are not always linked to the six areas of learning. Furthermore, the next steps in development are not always recorded. This potentially affects the childminder's ability to ensure that gaps in the children's learning and development do not arise. However, the children do experience a very good range of opportunities to learn through play over a period of time. They delight in making and painting clay pots for their mum's for Mother's Day. The children scream with excitement as they use the tinned 'squirty' foam to make creations outdoors on the builder's tray. Young children enjoy the feel and texture of the foam and pour glitter over it to change its appearance. The children learn about lifecycles as they plant and grow carrots

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and outcomes for children

and potatoes in tubs, and say that they are going to feed the carrots to the rabbit because he likes them. The children have lots of opportunities to learn about numeracy, and technology, and to problem solve, through their play. While sitting together they compare the size of their hands, using terms, such as biggest, smallest and smaller. They measure using the scales during baking activities and play imaginatively with small world, role play and constructional activities, and listen to music. The children have lots of opportunities to make choices during their day, thus promoting their independence and self-esteem. For example, they decide whether they want wraps or sandwiches for tea, and how many they want; they are then given the opportunity to make their own, with younger children being offered support.

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and outcomes for children

The children begin to understand boundaries and expectations due to the childminder's consistent approach. They are encouraged to take turns and share as they play with the toys and receive lots of praise and encouragement for working well together. This positive approach helps them to be supportive of each other. Three-year-olds enjoy helping one another, as demonstrated when they help each other get the paper towels after washing their hands. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The children start to learn about safety as they take part in practising the emergency evacuation procedures; thus developing skills for life. They also learn to cross roads safely and use the equipment in the home and in playgrounds. The children are learning positive routines to promote their own health. They independently wash their hands as they leave the toilet, understanding the

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and outcomes for children

importance of this in supporting their own health. They enjoy healthy meals and snacks, which meet their individual dietary needs. The childminder teaches children about the benefits of having healthy foods and regular drinks throughout the day to keep them fit and make them strong. 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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