Childminder in Sheffield

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY390393 Inspection date 12/01/2010 Inspector Tracey Jane Outram

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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 08456 404040, 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: 08456 404040 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 since 2009. She lives with her adult son in a well-established residential area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The registered premises are situated close to local shops, schools and play areas. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and there is a secure rear garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding one child aged four years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 childminder works efficiently to understand and appreciate the individuality of each child; consequently, their care and learning needs are successfully addressed. The children are highly valued and motivated to learn, make independent decisions about their play and demonstrate a very strong sense of belonging. The childminder builds secure partnerships with parents and makes good use of local resources. She is beginning to build an accurate understanding of her strengths and what she wants to develop through the process of self-evaluation. This helps to ensure that the provision improves and that outcomes for children are continually enhanced.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase opportunities for the children to safely access outdoor learning opportunities  improve partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

Children’s safety is prioritised by the childminder, who takes positive steps to ensure that risk assessments for the premises and outings are consistently implemented and reviewed. She has a secure knowledge of safeguarding issues and demonstrates an effective understanding of how to apply the necessary policies and procedures.

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the early years provision

The thoughtful organisation of the daily routine ensures that children have This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 opportunities to play and learn in a variety of different environments. They benefit from outings to local places of interest, including the park, library and shops, which increases their understanding of the wider community. Of equal importance, the childminder’s good practice supports children's free movement inside the registered premises as they explore and direct their own play, using a good array of toys and recycled household resources that add another dimension to their enjoyment and learning. The provision is inclusive and the childminder takes positive steps to accommodate the personal interests and needs of the children. Resources and activities which allow them to have an understanding of their diverse world are available and books are accessed through frequent visits to the

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the early years provision

The newly-registered childminder is reflective in her work with children and she is beginning to use self-evaluation to plan improvements to her service. She carefully observes children and talks to their parents to enable her to plan for their unique care and developmental needs. This includes providing opportunities for parents to actively contribute towards planning for children’s continuous learning and development. The childminder has a good understanding of the benefits of effective partnerships with other childcare professionals and providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, but there are currently no robust methods of communication in place.

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and outcomes for children

The outcomes for children are good. This is because the attentive childminder spends time watching, talking and listening, in order to provide appropriate learning opportunities activities that are based on the children’s interests. Written and photographic observational assessments are sensitively completed and frequently reviewed. This supports the childminder to gain an understanding of the children’s development and the progress they are making towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

The children enjoy and achieve through the provision of activities that are age- appropriate and encourage first-hand learning opportunities. For example, they thoroughly enjoy manipulating play-dough to make ‘pretend chocolates’, which are subsequently wrapped in coloured cellophane and used during imaginative play. The children demonstrate high levels of concentration and excellent dexterity and mark-making skills as they duplicate the intricate patterns that decorate the 'chocolates', as illustrated on the empty, recycled packaging. As the children play, the childminder finds a good balance between offering guidance and allowing the children to develop and explore their own ideas. The children have extremely good communication skills, and express themselves clearly and with confidence. They explore the meanings of new words, and delight in making up their own stories and sing-songs to describe their actions and experiences. In addition, the children

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and outcomes for children

have many opportunities to develop skills for the future; they participate in memory games, count, sort, work with shapes, and use mathematical language to describe position and size. This is all made extremely interesting for the children, as the childminder skilfully provides equipment and activities that make use of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children’s personal interests, for example, in fairies.

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and outcomes for children

The children are extremely settled and confident. They have developed secure relationships with the childminder and feel safe to ask for help when required, for example, with personal care. Children’s behaviour is managed effectively, with the childminder employing good strategies which help children to conform with the consistent behaviour boundaries. The children experience activities that help them to understand how to maintain their own health and safety along with that of others. For example, they learn how to use equipment safely, evacuate the premises in the case of an emergency and cross roads with care. In addition, the children learn about different types of food and healthy eating through their inclusion in baking activities, after which they take great pride in hygienically washing the cooking utensils. Outdoor play is accessed daily and children learn to use large apparatus with skill and care through visiting parks and other local play

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and outcomes for children

areas. However, as the rear garden has previously been excluded from the registration, the children have had fewer opportunities to build links and enjoy free movement between indoors and outdoors. 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 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 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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