Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 308081 Inspection date 30/03/2010 Inspector Lisa Patterson

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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 has been registered for twenty years. She lives with her husband and adult son in Fulwood. The whole ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register for a maximum of six children. There is currently one child in the early years age range on roll and the childminder also cares for two grandchildren in this age range. She is also registered with Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder attends local children's groups and receives support and guidance from the local authority.

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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

The childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child and supports their welfare appropriately, because she has sufficient knowledge of their individual needs. As a result children make acceptable progress towards the early learning goals. General information is shared with parents on a daily basis, however information about progress is not adequately shared with parents or other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means consistency is not always maintained. The childminder has worked hard since her last inspection to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and this is now much more intrinsic to her practice. All actions raised during the last inspection have been adequately addressed.

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further?

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

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further?

 update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings, make sure hygiene standards are maintained when washing hands and ensure the first aid box holds appropriate contents to meet the needs of the children  provide further opportunities for independent mark making and developing an understanding that print carries meaning through providing a wider range of resources and develop the use of learning opportunities in the indoor and outdoor environments  extend current systems for tracking children's development to link more fully to the stages of development outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage and provide continuity in learning through sharing developmental information with other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage and parents. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded through a good understanding of safeguarding issues. There is a comprehensive set of policy documents outlining the procedure to follow and relevant telephone numbers are easily accessible in the folder. Robust and regularly updated risk assessments of the home and garden are in place and well implemented. This does not include, however, risk assessments for each and every outing though the childminder shows a good understanding of the risks involved. All required documentation is in place, well organised and easily accessible.

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the early years provision

The childminder has worked very hard since the last inspection to fully embrace the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. She has made a good start on implementing the learning and development principles and now has in place learning journeys for the children. Recent training was cancelled, though she intends to access further training as it becomes available. This shows a commitment to further development.

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the early years provision

Resources are sufficient and well organised to allow ease of access. Labelled storage units in the dining room are accessed independently by the children and they talk about their favourite toys. Examples of children's creative work is displayed on the wall alongside commercial posters to maintain interest and a sense of belonging.

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the early years provision

Parents receive a wealth of information at the commencement of their child's placement and daily information is shared both verbally and in writing. Their views are sought and they are happy with the care their child receives. Information about progress and development is not fully shared with parents and continuity between other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage has not been fully established. This means that time at the childminder's home is not fully complemented by time in nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and secure with the childminder. They look to her for reassurance when visitors come and with her support, soon overcome their shyness. They independently access the resources from low level storage and explain that they like the play animals or dolls. The childminder enhances these activities with directed tasks, such as, making Easter cards using collage materials.

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and outcomes for children

Socially they are developing well and standards of behaviour are high. This is partly due to the atmosphere of mutual respect between adults and children. Rather than giving instructions, discussions take place about the safety of some activities, such as, a slip hazard caused by the blanket in the doorway on the wooden flooring. Childminder and children decide together the best course of action and the children move their game to a different space. They thoroughly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enjoy creative activities and show delight in the box of musical instruments. They perform their favourite songs and include instruments where the desire takes them. They love to snuggle up for a story and select their favourite books from the drawer. They have sufficient opportunities for making marks, however many of these opportunities demand an end result and there are few opportunities and

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and outcomes for children

resources for free mark making. The childminder, for example, teaches through the use of dot to dot words and this does not give the children the freedom to explore shape and form. Children confidently count, though opportunities during the day are not always taken to solve problems, calculate and share items. For example at snack time the childminder shares out plates, cups and snacks with little involvement from children. There is a range of resources and books which reflect the diversity of society and the children regularly attend toddler groups to increase their social awareness. The have some opportunities to use programmable toys and resources however, this is not intrinsic to play and learning. They enjoy regular exercise and fresh air through going to the park and indoor activity centres, though the garden is not fully used during the winter months for extending learning across all areas of learning

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has made good progress in the development of individual learning journeys and has attempted to identify starting points for the children. She recognises their individual needs and uses these to plan her activities. Learning journeys contain photographs and examples of children's writing, but do not always reflect the stage that they are working at or the next steps required in order to progress because there is limited reference to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks, these are prepared by the childminder, taking full account of their individual dietary needs. However, the routine does not always minimise the risk of infection. Children share towels when hand washing and tidy the table after they have washed their hands for snacks. The first aid box contains some items that are out of date and dressings that are not sterile. This presents a risk to children 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 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 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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