Blagrave Nursery School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 109749 Inspection date 16/06/2010 Inspector Dinah Round

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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 was registered to care for children in 1992. She lives with her husband and two teenage children approximately four miles from the centre of Poole, Dorset. Children have access to the lounge and conservatory for play, and two first floor bedrooms for sleeping facilities. Toilet facilities are on the first floor. Access to the fully enclosed rear garden is via the conservatory at the back of the house. The family have a two pet guinea pigs. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children in the early years age group, and currently has four children in the early years age group and two older children on roll. She is not currently caring for children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language. The childminder holds an NVQ Level 3 childcare qualification and is part of the Dorset

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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 happy, settled and content in the welcoming environment provided. The childminder has a clear understanding of children's individual needs through working closely with parents and ensures all children are included and valued. Children have access to a broad range of interesting play activities and experiences which helps them progress in their learning and development. The childminder attends training to update her knowledge and continues to reflect on her practice to help improve outcomes for children.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 keep a daily record of all the children looked after, showing their hours of attendance (Documentation) 23/06/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 make sure that the security measures are consistently maintained to protect children  develop the play provision further to provide children with greater access to creative play opportunities and experiences. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder is well organised with most aspects of documentation in place to support children's health and welfare. However, the daily register does not show the actual hours of attendance for all of the children which is a legal requirement. Comprehensive risk assessments are completed for all areas children use and for any outings, these are regularly reviewed to help minimise risks to children. Safety measures are put in place so that children can move around freely and safely in their play. This provides younger children with space to crawl around and pull themselves as they explore their environment. However, the front door is not always sufficiently secured to prevent children from opening it themselves. The childminder has attended training to keep up-to-date with child protection issues and is clear of her responsibility to protect children. She has a good awareness of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and procedures to follow to safeguard

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the early years provision

Children benefit from regular use of the outdoor environment which increases available play space and maximises children's enjoyment. The wide range of clean, good quality play equipment and resources are well positioned to allow children to make choices about their play. Children learn about each other's differences and similarities through discussion, and access to resources that reflect diversity. The childminder continues to attend training courses to update her knowledge and develop her childcare practice, such as challenging behaviour and special educational needs. The childminder has a positive attitude towards continuous development to improve the outcomes for children in her care. A self-evaluation form has been completed to help the childminder monitor the childcare provision.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the effective relationships established between the childminder and parents and carers. Clear systems are in place to obtain information about each child's individual needs when they first start, which helps the childminder support children's transition from home to her setting. The childminder works closely with parents to support children's development, such as helping children learn to use a cup and supporting them when toilet training. Information about children's care and well-being is shared informally with parents at the beginning and end of the day, with daily dairies used to record younger children's routines. Children's learning journals are regularly shared with parents to encourage them to get actively involved in their child's learning and development. The childminder links with any other early years setting that children attend to help promote continuity of care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and secure in the child-orientated environment provided. They are confident to ask for help from the childminder as they can be assured of a warm and caring response. The childminder has a good understanding of children's individual needs, balancing her attention well so all This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children feel included. For example, children enjoy listening to the 'Fireman Sam' story and they are all encouraged to join in the discussion about the pictures. The childminder has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and carries out regular observational assessments to monitor children's progress and development. These are used effectively to plan future learning opportunities to help children move on to the next steps in their learning. The childminder considers the individual needs of children when organising activities and play

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and outcomes for children

experiences, ensuring they are accessible to everyone. Children behave well, they show consideration for each other and are learning to share and take turns. Their individual achievements are recognised, and the childminder's regular praise and encouragement helps boost their confidence and self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Children show good independence as they select resources from the boxes and choose books from the easily accessible shelves. They are introduced to number, counting and simple problem-solving as they learn to correspond the number shapes in the puzzle, and the childminder offers support to help them count the number of legs on the animals. Children's language is successfully promoted through ongoing conversation and joining in rhymes and songs. Children's physical development is promoted well, they show care and control as they climb and balance on the slide and have great fun throwing and catching the ball to develop their skills. Children learn about nature as they plant, water and care for the flowers and are fascinated as they smell the different herbs in the garden. Weekly trips to parent and toddler groups provide children with access to a varying range of creative play experiences, however, opportunities to provide children with

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and outcomes for children

access to creative play activities within the childminder's home to extend their learning are not maximised.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and safety is well supported. They learn about keeping themselves safe in their play through the gentle reminders from the childminder, for example, to sit down when coming down the slide and not to kick the ball too hard as it might hurt another child. On outings, children are taught about 'stranger danger' and how to cross the road safely, which helps them learn to keep safe. Children have regular opportunities to be active through daily outdoor activities where they use a variety of large play equipment. They benefit from the provision of healthy foods, with children's individual dietary needs followed to ensure that they remain healthy. 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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