Trethewey, Samantha Jane, Mrs

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY275800 Inspection date 06/12/2010 Inspector Sarah Wignall

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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 assesses 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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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 in 2003. She lives with her husband and three school aged children in the village of Helland in Bodmin, Cornwall. Children use most areas of the childminder's home. Bathroom facilities are located on the first floor. The setting is open each weekday from 8.00am until 6.00pm all year round. A maximum of six children aged from birth to eight years may attend the setting at any one time, of these, not more than three may be in the early years age group.

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Description of the childminding

There are currently five children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. They live locally and some also attend other early years settings. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is eligible to provide nursery education and is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA). She is also a member of the Bodmin Childminding Group, and the Cornwall Home based Childcarer's Network.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive in this stimulating, warm and caring environment. The childminder has an excellent understanding of children's individual needs and provides a wide range of activities and experiences that challenge and engage them. Children are kept safe and secure. Partnerships with parents and others are very well established and used effectively to support children in the setting. The childminder constantly strives to improve her practice and identifies areas for development on a regular basis. Currently she is focusing on development of the outdoor area.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 develop further use of the outdoor environment to provide more opporunities for children to be physically active and exuberant across all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder places a very high emphasis on safety and security. Annual risk assessments are used to identify hazards in the home and visual checks ensure the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 environment is safe and suitable for children on a daily basis. The childminder provides high levels of supervision to children and is particularly vigilant when unvetted adults are present. She has a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding and undertakes regular training to ensure her knowledge and skills are current. Children learn about safety through innovative, well planned activities and real life situations. For instance during a planned road safety week children who live in rural areas visit large towns to see lollipop ladies escort people safely across the road and learn about zebra crossings. Children learn how to play safely when visiting the forest and climbing trees.

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the early years provision

The childminder is highly organised and sessions offer a very good balance between structured activities and free play. Children particularly enjoy playing together with their friends using a range of resources to represent other items, for instance, they play cafes using pegs and bowls to represent food. The childminder skillfully supports their play joining in and encouraging them while allowing them to dictate the pace and flow of the game. Excellent use is made of the outdoor environment to support learning and development. Children particularly benefit from visiting areas of the farm such as the animals and fields that surround it. The childminder has recently attended Forest School training and is keen to put into practice some of the ideas obtained at the training in order to make the outdoor environment more challenging and enjoyable for children. Children have easy access to a wide range of resources in the home and readily help themselves, for

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the early years provision

instance they collect dolls to put in the buggy or cars to go in the sand. Regular attendance at local community groups such as soft play and toddler sessions provide children with lots of opportunities to mix and socialise with others. They learn about different faiths and cultures as they visit the local church to light candles at Christmas or make cards to celebrate Hanukah.

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the early years provision

The childminder is an experienced and knowledgeable practitioner who is constantly looking to improve her practice. She attends regular training courses and uses this knowledge to develop her provision. For instance following a course on Making Marks she has introduced blackboards, chalk and post it notes as a way to encourage children to develop pre writing skills. Strong links with other local childminder's and membership of the local network ensure she receives regular advice and support in all areas of her practice.

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the early years provision

The childminder recognises the importance of strong, effective links with parents and others involved in children's care and learning. Parents receive high quality information on a regular basis, such as newsletters that outline forthcoming activities, notices, daily diaries and discussions with the childminder. Learning journeys are regularly updated and shared with parents. They are encouraged to contribute to them, ensuring that development at home and the setting are complimentary. Strong links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that the childminder is aware of themes and individual development at local Pre-school?s so that she can plan her activities with this in mind. Excellent liaison is in place with other professionals involved where children have learning difficulties. Individual learning plans are used which fully address children?s individual needs and stages of development.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children make very good progress in their learning and development. They are confident, able, enthusiastic learners who clearly enjoy their time with the childminder. Children have developed strong relationships with both the childminder and each other. They thoroughly enjoy playing together becoming engrossed as they position dinosaurs in the sand or collect items for their game. Children use their imagination very well as they draw pictures and then describe it to the childminder. They demonstrate excellent communication skills as they talk in detail about their picture describing who is in it and what they are doing.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to write as they use chalks and crayons to draw and scribe. Some children are able to write their own name on their pictures and show an increasing awareness of other letters and sounds. For instance they learn about the letter H as they play a Silly Soup game, selecting and identifying different items that begin with the letter H. Children learn to recognise other familiar words as they self register in the morning and select the correct word to describe the weather and day of the week. They enjoy looking at books and are fascinated as they learn about Hanukah through stories and pictures. The childminder follows this theme and children enjoy being creative as they stick candles on cards in celebration of Hanukah. The childminder skillfully introduces new areas of understanding as they count the number of candles or talk about the different shapes they make.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has an excellent understanding of how young children learn and she plans a varied and interesting curriculum that covers all areas of learning in detail. Each child has an individual plan based on their age and stage of development. Regular observations and assessments demonstrate the progress children make and are used to identify clear and meaningful next steps.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and they adopt good personal hygiene routines for instance by readily washing their hands before eating. They are provided with a wide range of healthy home cooked meals and snacks that increase their awareness of a healthy diet. The childminder is keen to develop their understanding of food and plans to develop an area of the garden for them to grow fruit and vegetables. Children have access to very good amounts of outdoor play space and enjoy using the range of large equipment to develop physical skills. Regular walks in the woods teach them about nature and the changing seasons as they collect leaves to make crowns, or build snowmen in the snow. They develop co-ordination and control as they enthusiastically participate in musical statues. They jump, hop and stand on one leg in line with the music.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a strong sense of security. They have excellent relationships with the childminder and members of her family and thoroughly enjoy playing with older children, for instance as they run cars in the sand and listen as older children read to them. They respond very well to requests such as helping to tidy away and sit up for snack. They play an active role in their learning choosing whether to join in with group activities or stay and finish their game. The childminder is kind and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 caring and creates a positive atmosphere in the home. As a result children become confident inquisitive learners. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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