Bower, Laura Ann

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY403077 Inspection date 13/04/2010 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 has been registered since 2009. She lives with her partner and one-year-old child in a semi-detached property in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Areas of the home used for the children include the kitchen, lounge, and bathroom and one bedroom on the first floor. The garden is not currently available for outdoor play; however, children are taken out daily.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. An exception to exceed this total in the early years age group has been agreed for one other child. At present, the childminder has three children on roll between one and two years, who attend different sessions throughout the week. She is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The family pets include fish.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder regularly attends toddler groups. She has a level 3 qualification in early years and she is a member of the National Childminding 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 childminder recognises and celebrates each child’s individuality and effectively promotes most areas of inclusive practice so that all children feel secure and valued. She has good working relationships with parents and this ensures children's needs are well met. Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder deploys her resources well and provides a broad range of stimulating learning opportunities. The childminder has developed systems for self-evaluation, identifying her key strengths and areas for further development. She is committed to providing a safe and happy environment for the children she cares for and has a good capacity to continuously improve.

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further?

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

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further?

 further extend information gathered from parents about children's starting points when they begin attending the setting  continue to develop resources that provide positive images which challenge children's thinking and help them embrace diversity in society, in particular around disability. 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 protected very well. The childminder has a good awareness of signs and symptoms that would cause concern and of the procedure to safeguard children. She has documentation in place to record incidents and has the details for the Local Safeguarding Children Board. All documentation is maintained to a high standard for the safe and efficient management of the service, including accident records, medication records and register of attendance. Comprehensive risk assessment is completed for the home and for outings to ensure safety, with all hazards identified and minimised. The childminder ensures all equipment and resources are safe and suitable as she has systems in place to check them on a regular basis. Emergency evacuation procedures are in place and these are practised with the children regularly.

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the early years provision

The setting is well organised as resources are stored at child height in clearly labelled boxes to enable children to initiate their own choice of play. Children's creative work is displayed alongside interesting photographs of children taking part in the good range of activities. This enables children to feel welcome and secure. The childminder has a good understanding of equality and diversity and provides positive images of people through resources such as books, posters, dolls and jigsaws. Children learn about other cultures and celebrations as they, for example, celebrate Chinese New Year by tasting a variety of foods. However, positive images representing disability within the provision are limited.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a wealth of written information and policies outlining work practice, which supports children and ensures parents are fully informed of operational practice. Partnerships with parents are very good, with systems in place to effectively share information on a daily basis through discussions and daily diaries. As a result, this promotes continuity of care. Good information is collated prior to children starting to ensure individual needs are suitably catered for; however, currently limited information is gathered about what children know and can do to ensure they have sufficient challenge for their learning and development as soon as they start at the setting. The childminder ensures that parents have access to their child's development records and discusses progress regularly. This includes information on how they can extend learning at home. The planning of the activities is also displayed so that parents can see what is happening through

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the early years provision

the week. Discussions reveal that the childminder is aware of the importance of working with other key persons and professionals to support children’s care and development; for example, if they attend other providers or if they have additional requirements.

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the early years provision

Processes for self-evaluation and monitoring of the setting are good. The childminder has partly completed her self-evaluation form to evaluate ongoing practice for success and improvement and has identified areas for development. For example, she is in the process of renovating the garden to make it suitable for children. She also receives support from the local authority development worker. Although the childminder has only recently registered, she has made good progress in setting up a quality service. The childminder clearly enjoys her role and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 is keen to evolve and develop her practice. She liaises with other colleagues and draws on her early years qualification to provide a quality childcare service to support children and families.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy playing in a well-organised environment in which they are active participants and happily explore their play. The childminder spends her time engaging with the children and ensuring their needs are effectively met, which has a positive impact on relationships and helps children feel safe and secure in the setting. Children access a good range of resources and experiences to promote a balanced curriculum, including activities that are child initiated and those that are adult led. All activities ensure that children have sufficient challenge and activities are adapted so that all can participate. The childminder makes regular observations and identifies children’s progress, linking her findings to the areas of learning. The next steps, to enhance children's development, are recorded and these are used to inform the planning of the activities taking into consideration children's interests. Children's individual needs are fully considered and those

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and outcomes for children

children requiring extra support are given time and space to promote their understanding and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning to become independent within the setting. They freely explore their surroundings, including the resources, and they enjoy helping the childminder tidy toys away and sweep up the sand. Children make choices very well about the fruit they like to eat and what they play with. As a result, they build confidence. Children delight in taking part in lots of sensory experiences and creative activities. For example, they play with sand, water, soil, bubbles and gloop. They also discover treasure baskets and story sacks as part of heuristic play. They learn about mathematical concepts as they play and begin to use words such as full and empty as they fill containers in the sand. Children also draw circles in the sand as they begin the look at differences in shapes. Numbers are used as part of everyday activities as children count when they climb the stairs or count spoonfuls of flour during baking. Children enjoy learning about the environment

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and outcomes for children

and the world around them when they observe the seasons and life cycles of plants. They plant and grow carrots and courgettes and prepare and eat their produce. They investigate playing with ice, observing the changes as it melts. They also mix paints to create colours, which encourages them be inquisitive learners. Children benefit from the positive interaction they receive from the childminder; she gets actively involved in their play, promoting lots of conversation to foster their language and communication skills. Children enjoy looking at books together and take part in singing and action songs happily. They have lots of opportunity to play outdoors. Although the garden is currently being developed, children are taken outdoors daily to parks and playing fields or for walks to benefit from the fresh air and exercise. Children are developing good friendships and are learning to share and take turns. The childminder uses lots of praise and encouragement to

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and outcomes for children

reward good behaviour, such as helping one another and considering others' needs. She emphasises the importance of listening to directions by asking the children to listen carefully with their 'listening ears'. House rules are conveyed This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 positively to boost self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and safety are promoted well. They learn about road safety when on outings and they take part in the regular fire drills within the home. As a result, they are becoming aware of what to do in an emergency. They learn about safety within the home, for example, using equipment correctly, such as scissors. Children are supported in developing healthy lifestyles. They learn the importance of hygiene, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth to get rid of germs. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks and learn about the importance of a healthy diet through activities and discussions. They enjoy lots of fresh fruit and vegetables within their diet and have good access to drinks throughout the day. 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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