Childminder in Manchester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 500495 Inspection date 08/02/2011 Inspector Julie Firth

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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 1999. She lives with her husband and two children aged 14 and 16 years in Chorlton an area of Manchester. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding which includes, lounge, kitchen/dining area and the playroom. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family have two dogs and a rabbit.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time and there are currently five children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. Of these, five are in the early years age range. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register, and also the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to allow the childminder to care for older children.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has established links with other early years settings that the children attend and which also provide the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children and attends local carer and toddler groups. She is a member of the Childminder Network and the childminder support link in the area. She holds a National Vocational Qualification in Childcare and a certifcate of Quality Assurance from the National Childminding Association of which she is a member.

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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

The childminder promotes children's welfare and learning in an inspiring and challenging way. She displays a wealth of knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage which underpins the extremely positive outcomes children experience in their learning and development. Exemplary systems are in place in relation to planning and assessment. Consequently, children are happy, secure and make excellent progress in the inclusive, welcoming environment. The childminder has a highly successful partnership with parents, they are consulted and kept very well informed of their children's daily routine, care and learning. Positive links with others promote excellent quality and continuity of education and care and good systems are in place for self-evaluation to enable her to monitor her practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 continuing to use self-evaluation to reflect on the outcomes for children as they make progress in their learning. 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 has an excellent understanding of safeguarding issues and keeps up to date with training. She is extremely confident in her role and responsibility to protect children in her care. The childminder's home is very stimulating and well organised. This enables children to actively participate in a wide range of opportunities and experiences which foster their initiative, independence and confidence. Children know where to find resources to extend their play ideas and follow their own interests around the whole of the ground floor. Defined areas, such as writing, investigation and construction, in the large playroom and the rear garden enable children to consolidate their learning exceptionally well. A plentiful range of high quality toys and equipment is well maintained. Furthermore, the childminder takes the children to the toy library to enable them to access a further choice of resources.

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the early years provision

Children enjoy a very good balance of child-initiated learning which is superbly supported by the childminder. The daily routine promotes children's welfare and meets their individual needs extremely well. All documentation is in place and there are exceptional written policies and procedures that positively promote children's health, safety, achievement, enjoyment and ability to make a positive contribution. The childminder is very committed and enthusiastic and continually strives to improve the excellent service since her last outstanding inspection. She is skilled in ensuring that she provides a fully inclusive environment that makes parents and children feel very secure and welcome. She adapts her activities extremely well to integrate children with special educational needs, disabilities and where English is not their first language.

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the early years provision

Parents value the consistent, exemplary care and standards of the childminder. She has exceptional working relationships with them and a strong shared understanding from an early stage. She maintains daily diaries, a very informative noticeboard and detailed questionnaires. Parents are very well informed of the Early Years Foundation Stage with exceptional involvement in their children's learning and development. Furthermore, they are able to view and comment on their children's assessments.

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the early years provision

The childminder has very good systems in place to work with other agencies to complement the Early Years Foundation provided. For example, she works very well with Sure Start, she is a member of the childminding network and she provides excellent support sharing good practice with other childminders in the area in her childminding support role. Furthermore, the local school receive detailed reports from the childminder on transition. The childminder implements a self-evaluation process which involves parents to help her monitor the service she provides. However, she could develop this further by reflecting on the impact of the outcomes for children. She attends a wealth of training to further develop her childcare practices and enhance her great knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. A wealth of workshops she attends reflects extremely well in the planning of activities to really enhance children's learning. Furthermore, she holds

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the early years provision

the Quality Assurance certificate awarded from the National Childmnding This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Association. She is always seeking improvement in her provison and future targets involve the enhancement of opportunities for children in the garden area.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has an exceptional understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and she clearly links planning to all areas of the curriculum in rigorous detail. The childminder establishes very detailed children's starting points and interests with parents. She talks constantly to them and encourages their written comments in the unique individual children's files. She skilfully observes children during play and uses this to meticulously plan for individual progress and identify suitable next steps in learning. Furthermore, the childminder challenges and stretches them in all areas of their learning which results in happy, motivated learners. Children take part in a questionnaire which helps the childminder to obtain their likes and dislikes and evaluate the activities they are participating in. Robust assessment systems clearly indicate children are making excellent progress from attending the setting

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and outcomes for children

from very young to when they attend school.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps the children to settle very well. There is a very strong emphasis on independence and children are encouraged to access their own drinks, help out at snack times and learn to dress themselves. They are encouraged to make friends and play exceptionally well alongside their peers. Children learn how to pull levers and use programme toys from a very early age. They explore cause and effect as they realise that they can push a button or turn a knob and lights flash or music plays. They thoroughly enjoy using a magnet to attract various objects. A wealth of celebrations gives the children an extreme awareness of diversity. They show great delight when using chopsticks and eating foods from different countries. The childminder ensures children enjoy lots of good first-hand experiences when they take a nature walk, visit the park and local groups and when out in the community. Children have the opportunity to choose

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and outcomes for children

and weigh their own vegetables in the supermarket, recognising the colours of fruits. Furthermore, the childminder explains the process of recycling to them.

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent opportunities to see examples of everyday print and to learn that print has meaning throughout the setting. All toys are labelled and enable children to freely choose what they want to play with. A wealth of story sacks enables children to read and learn in a fun way, challenging them to contribute to the story. Furthermore, children take the sacks home and parents add further resources to enhance the story. Children have extremely good opportunites to listen to sounds and recognise letters during planned activites. There are supurb opportunities for making marks and learning how to hold a pencil correctly. Children learn to count very well, calculate and problem solve throughout their daily routine and during musical rhymes sessions. A wealth of games and puzzles helps them to recognise shapes. They have excellant opportunities to access a wide range of media and lots of photographic evidence demonstrates

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and outcomes for children

children pouring and sinking objects in water, emptying buckets in the sand and feeling different textures such as shaving foam, glitter and pasta. They have free use of paint, collage and they sit with the childminder creating there own board This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 games. Children are engrossed in dressing up, and participate in role play such as the home corner and plenty of small world.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical skills and coordination are developed extremely well as the childminder encourages and promotes outdoor play and exercise. Children have very good opportunities to climb and balance using large equipment and wooden blocks in the rear garden. Health is extremely well promoted. The premises are clean and excellent discussions take place about the importance of washing hands after touching the childminder's pets. This helps to develop children's awareness of the concepts of effective routines. A wealth of activities around health is offered to the children and the children speak about what foods are good for them. Children enjoy exceptionally good home-made healthy meals and snacks and mealtimes are promoted as a time to share news and listen to others. They have access to drinks at all time both indoors and outdoors when engrossed in play.

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and outcomes for children

From an early age children learn the importance of sharing and taking turns. Excellent behaviour is displayed and the frequent use of praise helps children feel good about them. The childminder is an exceptionally good role model to the children and speaks quietly to them. The premises are extremely safe and secure and both inside and outside are subject to rigorous risk assessments. Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe. They are constantly reminded to be careful when playing outside and a wealth of activities around road safety and house dangers reminds children of safety issues whilst having fun. A detailed fire policy is displayed and children regularly practise the fire drill and the event is recorded in detail. This gives them a very good awareness in the event of an emergency. 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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