Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 308653 Inspection date 10/06/2010 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

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 1996 and lives with her husband and three children, two of whom are adults. They live in a detached property in Blackburn, Lancashire, close to local amenities. The whole of the property is used for the children apart from the main bedroom. The garden is used for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. At present, she has nine children on roll aged between one and eleven years, who attend for various sessions throughout the week. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder takes children out to various groups, the library and parks. She organises a toddler group and helps at the local pre-school three afternoons each week.

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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 benefit as the childminder has a good understanding of their individual needs and takes positive steps to ensure they are all included in activities. Children's welfare is promoted very well and the provision of interesting and fun play opportunities helps children make good progress in their learning and development. Effective partnerships with parents and others builds positive relationships and means the needs of children are supported well. The childminder has a good attitude to the ongoing development of her childcare provision to enhance outcomes for children and the capacity for her to continue to improve is good.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that the planning of activities focuses on the next steps identified for individual children's learning and their individual interests  develop further the self-evaluation process to include priorities for development that will improve the quality of the provision for children.

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the early years provision

The children's safety is promoted well. The childminder has a secure knowledge of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures, enabling her to take the correct course of action should she have any concerns about children in her care. Daily This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 risk assessments are carried out to ensure that all areas of the home and garden are safe for use. Potential hazards when on outings are also assessed to ensure that the childminder is able to minimise these and keep the children safe. The childminder provides a safe environment for children to freely play and explore, under good levels of supervision.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises areas within her home effectively to support children's learning, with regular use of the outdoor play space to extend children's play experiences. The childminder takes children to a number of toddler and playgroups throughout the week, one which she works at and another that she organises. In the home children have access to clean, well maintained toys and resources, which are age appropriate and available in the playroom. To ensure that children have access to the full range of the provision these are rotated on a regular basis. Children receive sensitive support from the childminder as she ensures each child's individual needs are met. She supports parents in working with other agencies to enhance the well-being and development of children. The childminder helps children to develop a positive attitude towards each other by setting a good example of how to show consideration for others. Children learn about diversity in

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the early years provision

society through outings to various places of interest and through activities and resources that represent positive images of others. As a result, they learn to respect one another and value people's differences and similarities.

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the early years provision

The childminder is very well organised. She has all the necessary written records, documentation and a range of policies and procedures to support her in meeting the individual needs of each child and their parents well. Parents have access to the childminder's policies; this helps them to make informed decisions about the service they receive and level of care they can expect. Good systems are in place for communicating and sharing information between the two parties. For example, parents have access to children's development records and a daily diary system is used for the younger children. This promotes continuity of care. Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child and the childminder uses this information when providing activities and identifying next steps for learning. The childminder also regularly shares information with other settings that children attend who provide the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is with parent's

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the early years provision

The childminder is clear about the level of service she wants to provide and has worked hard to develop her systems. She is aware of the benefits of training and updates her skills regularly through attending training provided by the local authority. She is due to start a level 3 qualification in early years this September. Self-evaluation is being developed. The childminder overviews the strengths of her setting but is unclear about challenges to set herself to improve her service. She does receive support from the childminder coordinator within the local authority and regularly meets with other childminders as part of the network. This helps her keep up-to-date with changes. She has completed the recommendation identified at her last inspection and as a result has improved the outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the welcoming and caring environment provided. The environment enables children to independently access a good selection of play opportunities that support their good progress in their learning and development. The childminder is skilful in extending children’s learning by providing opportunities to explore the resources and environment. She talks to toddlers constantly, acknowledging their utterances and their attempts at phrases. This helps them link actions to words, encouraging their language and communication skills. The childminder knows the children well and she uses her secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework to observe and assess children's progress through their learning journals. These successfully show what children can do and highlights activities to enable them to progress onto the next steps in their development. This information is then used, to a certain extent, to plan further

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and outcomes for children

activities. Although the childminder does her planning within the childminding network group, this is not fully focused on the interests and abilities of each of her minded children.

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and outcomes for children

Toddlers explore the boxes of toys and enjoy pressing buttons on the different activity toys to see what happens, developing their skills in information and communication technology. They enjoy taking part in role play activities as they pretend to make tea and toast and talk to their mummy on the telephone. They learn about the world around them when they visit places of interest. They take part in lots of creative activities, such as, mark making, painting, and gluing activities. The childminder is aware of children's different styles of learning and encourages artwork outdoors, for example, using large paint brushes to paint with water on the paving and fencing. The childminder encourages children to socialise with other children, as they attend the local toddler and playgroups. The children display a strong sense of belonging. The good interaction between the childminder and the children helps to promote their self-esteem and confidence. She has good

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and outcomes for children

strategies in place to manage children's behaviour according to their ages and stages of development. Children are well-behaved. They are praised and encouraged for achievements to enhance self-worth. Children are encouraged to be kind to each other and are learning to share and take turns. Toddlers show affection and are encouraged to empathise when others are hurt. Their individual needs are foremost and as a result, this promotes feelings of security, demonstrated by children returning to the childminder for cuddles.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to learn about healthy lifestyles. They are developing good personal hygiene, through the daily routine. They enjoy regular outdoor exercise and outings, through taking walks, playing in the garden or visiting the local park. They enjoy good, healthy snacks and are encouraged to keep themselves hydrated by drinking regularly. Parents provide meals for their children, which the childminder prepares. There is an effective sick children policy in place, which is shared with the parents. Children are learning to keep themselves safe, as the childminder teaches them about being safe on the road and evacuating the premises safely in the event of a fire. They also learn how to use equipment safely This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to prevent accidents. The childminder ensures children are well supervised, ensuring their safety is maintained at all times.

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and outcomes for 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 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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