Gillian Chorlton

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY393498 Inspection date 01/03/2010 Inspector Carole, Jean Craven

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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

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 was registered in 2009. She lives with her husband and four children, aged six, eight, 16 and 17 years in the Whitworth area of Rochdale. All areas of her house are registered for childminding purposes.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four 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 four children in this age group, all of whom attend part time. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder collects children from the local school and nursery on a regular basis. She has a relevant childcare qualification.

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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 confident, happy and settled in the childminder's care and have developed secure relationships with her. They are making good progress towards the early learning goals and their welfare is successfully promoted. Systems to evaluate practice are extremely effective and provide a basis to build on what has already been achieved. The childminder recognises her areas for development, as well as her strengths, and has agreed to build on her knowledge of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and to review how she records concerns. Children thrive in an inclusive setting where they are respected and valued as individuals.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that any safeguarding concerns are recorded and stored confidentially continue to build on knowledge and understanding of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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the early years provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children’s welfare and well-being are good and ensure that all required duties are met. The childminder has up-to-date knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. She understands her responsibilities under the Children Act to safeguard children's welfare. However, some concerns are not fully recorded. All information stored on her computer is password protected and deleted when of no further use. Clear and detailed risk assessments are in place for all aspects of the provision and safety equipment ensures that This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 hazards are minimised and accidents prevented. Fire drills are practised and recorded regularly.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear sense of vision about what she wishes to achieve and how she wants to improve her service. This includes her own professional development and continuous assessment. She regularly attends training courses and keeps up to date by researching information and current thinking on the internet and in books. Her self-evaluation system is extremely thorough and covers all aspects of her work. She takes into account parents' and children's views and implements them. For instance, when planning to celebrate Halloween, parents of younger children thought they might be scared so the childminder limited their activities to playing with orange and black play dough and cutting and sticking pumpkin pictures. Parents receive good information about their child's care and education in the form of newsletters, daily diaries, play plans and access to policies.

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the early years provision

All required documentation, policies and procedures are in place. They are well kept, regularly reviewed and readily available for inspection. The childminder is aware of the need to work in partnership with other providers and professionals, supporting the children in her care. She maintains good relationships with parents, and nursery and school staff. She exchanges newsletters with the nursery and regularly provides them with photographs to put in the children's files, and to stimulate discussion with the children. She works hard at meeting the individual needs of parents and children. There are consistent and inclusive systems of communication in place, including a good exchange of information on entry, which focuses on the child's interests and needs. She is not currently caring for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, but has agreed to continue to build on her knowledge of caring for these children to be prepared,

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the early years provision

should the need arise. She has a good range of equipment in place to support children who are left handed and recognises the difficulties they may experience. Children's artwork is displayed in the playroom, giving the children and families a sense of belonging and value.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. The attractive environment of the dedicated playroom is set out in clearly defined areas, allowing children freedom to move about and make choices in their play. The childminder has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and understands the differing needs of the children she cares for. She recognises that two of the children who are very close in age learn differently and have different personalities, likes and dislikes. She uses this knowledge to plan a range of activities and experiences, to promote their learning and development, related to their individual needs. The individual support they are given results in children who are confident and eager to learn. Children are happy, settled and involved in their play. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. For example, the childminder planned an activity making daffodils to celebrate Saint

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and outcomes for children

David's Day and the children enjoyed painting, cutting and sticking. Later in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 session a child-initiated activity developed, by children having the flexibility to set up water-play, pull a chair up to the sink and begin playing with ducks, sea creatures and scoops in the washing up bowl. This developed into an activity with the water tray, which turned into a spontaneous paddling session where the children took off their shoes and socks, rolled up their trousers and splashed in the shallow tray, giggling and laughing. The children are given good, individual support, which results in them being confident and eager to learn. They are well equipped to develop skills they need in order to secure future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and involved in their play. The childminder effectively promotes opportunities for them to improve their communication, language and technology skills. She talks to them all the time, as a group and individually, asking open questions and challenging their thinking by reminding them of what they have seen. For example, she talks to children about a walk they went on and asks what they saw on the Church. The children immediately respond with a shout of 'gargoyles'. The childminder has a good selection of books and the playroom is attractively decorated with posters, letter-and-number charts, calendars and clear labelling. The children take pleasure in books and stories and ask questions as the childminder reads to them, 'Is that a swamp?' asks a child during a story about dinosaurs. Children are beginning to learn about their own environment and the wider world through resources; celebrating festivals and outings in the community,

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and outcomes for children

to improve social interaction with others. They have recently celebrated Chinese New Year, Saint Valentines Day and have been learning about the Winter Olympics.

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and outcomes for children

Planning is comprehensive and it includes adaptations for different age groups, extension of ideas and new words introduced. Activities are based on observations of the children which identify their interests and level of understanding. Plans are displayed for parents. Children's records of achievement contain good, evaluative observations, artwork and photographs, which clearly demonstrate progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to understand about hygiene practices and self-help skills. They recognise their individual facecloths from the pictures on them and know that they wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet. The childminder has a range of effective practices in place to prevent the spread of infection; such as separate nappy changing mats, individual facecloths and towels, and good hygiene routines which include cleaning toys with anti-bacterial sprays as they are put away. Children demonstrate a strong sense of security and understand how to keep themselves safe. They understand the need to hold the childminder's hand or wear a wrist strap when outdoors and say 'If we don't hold hands we might fall'. They are confident and self-assured. They benefit from a healthy diet, as they are provided with a well-balanced and nutritious selection of snacks and meals as required. Meals and snacks comply with dietary requirements and preferences, to

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and outcomes for children

promote healthy growth and development. Menus are displayed for parents and all are given a copy of the week's menu. The childminder encourages children to try new foods and extend their diet. Children are well-behaved and are encouraged to share and be kind to each other. 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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