Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY412894 Inspection date 03/02/2011 Inspector Sandra Williams

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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 July 2010 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and their two children aged nine and 10 years in Tarlton, Lancashire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding. There is currently no suitable garden area for outside play, but children are taken on daily outings. The childminder lives close to the local school, shops and post office. The family has a pet dog.

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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. She is currently minding two children in this age range. She also offers care to children aged over five years. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. There are currently no children attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children who have English as an additional language.

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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's needs are well met as their unique qualities are recognised and respected. They enjoy a wide range of activities and are making good progress in most areas of their learning and development. Children are safeguarded due to the good safety procedures in place. Partnerships with parents are strong. Partnerships with other providers are being developed to ensure a consistent approach to the children's care and learning. The self-evaluation and monitoring systems are being developed so that the childminder can identify her strengths and areas for development.

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further?

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

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further?

 build upon continuous quality improvement by developing the self-evaluation process as the basis of ongoing internal review to assess the provision's strengths and areas for development  increase children's opportunities to enjoy outdoor play as part of the continuous provision and increase opportunities for them to learn about information and communication technology.

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the early years provision

The children are safeguarded because the childminder has a clear understanding of the correct procedures to follow should she have concerns about any of the children. She has undertaken training and has a safeguarding children policy in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 place. The childminder has undertaken written risk assessments covering potential hazards in the house and on outings. This ensures that children are kept safe and secure while in the childminder's care. The required documentation is well organised and thorough. It includes written policies and daily records to ensure the smooth running of the setting. The deployment of resources is good because the childminder organises the play equipment well so that children can easily access them and independently select their chosen toys and books.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity well by creating an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcome. This is also reflected in her written policies. Posters and a multi-faith calendar as well as toys and books provide children with many opportunities to learn about the wider world. The childminder enjoys very positive relationships with the children's parents and there are good systems in place to ensure a daily, two-way flow of information, such as diaries as well as regular discussions. The childminder creates a relaxed environment where parents can share information and receive progress reports about their children's welfare and development throughout the day. The childminder is establishing positive links with other providers offering the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as the local school and nurseries. However, none of the current children attend other settings.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to professional development and in maintaining continuous improvements as she completed the required training courses. She has also begun to identify her strengths and areas for further development by starting to complete the self-evaluation process.

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and outcomes for children

The children are content and very settled in this homely and nurturing environment. They enjoy a good range of activities and there is a good balance between child-initiated play and adult-led activities. The garden area is currently not in use which means that the opportunities for children to play outside are restricted. The childminder does, however, ensure that the children are taken on outings daily. The childminder undertakes regular observations of the children's activities and achievements. Records show good examples of the children's progress through written observations, photographs and examples of their work. The information gathered from the observations is used by the childminder to plan for the children's next steps in their development. The children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn social skills as they socialise with other children when they visit the play group. They develop their communication and language skills as the childminder talks to the children and they repeat the words back to her. They choose from a wide range of age-appropriate books and enjoy reading them with the childminder. There are plenty of letters and labels in the play room which help the children to recognise letters and link them to sounds. Children are able to recognise the letters in their names and they use their phonic knowledge to read simple words. Children enjoy lots of opportunities to make marks with pens and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 pencils that are stored in labelled boxes. They develop numeracy and problem solving skills as they play with resources such as jigsaw puzzles and shape sorters. Children are able to count to 10 and are starting to recognise the numerals as they

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and outcomes for children

look at them on the wall. They recognise different shapes, such as, circles, squares, hexagons and ovals. The children have some opportunities to learn about everyday technology, however, the resources to help them in this area of their learning are currently limited. The children learn about the world around them by studying the weather. They experiment with magnets and learn that the magnet sticks to metal but not wood. Children are learning about diversity by playing with the many resources that are available, such as celebrating Chinese New Year by playing with the role play equipment including chop sticks, rice bowls and woks.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and they show strong attachments to the childminder. They learn about staying safe. For example, when on outings they learn about road safety. The children have good opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles as they enjoy nutritious snacks, home-made meals and water. There are opportunities for fresh air and exercise as the children go for walks in the countryside and play on the large apparatus in the park. They develop their physical coordination and balance as they climb on the climbing frame in the park and play on the slide and roundabout. Good hygiene practices are followed, such as washing hands before eating meals and after using the toilet. The children are well-behaved and there are clear boundaries in place, which the children understand and respect. The childminder works very closely with parents to make sure their behaviour management methods are consistent so as not to confuse the children. They learn

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and outcomes for children

about not being wasteful by using recycled items, which helps them to understand about sustainability. Overall, children benefit a great deal from attending this setting. 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 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 3 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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