Childminder in Bury

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY345242 Inspection date 07/02/2011 Inspector Diane Turner

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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 has been registered since 2006. She lives with her two children aged seven and three in a semi-detached house in the Radcliffe area of Bury in Lancashire. The whole of the ground floor and the upstairs bathroom of the childminder's home are used for childminding purposes. There is an enclosed garden to rear of the premises for outdoor play and the family keep two hamsters as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for four children under eight years at any one time, two of whom may be within the early years age group. The childminder is also registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 10 children on roll, two of whom are within the early years age group. They all attend on a part-time basis.

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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 cared for in a very welcoming and homely environment where equally good attention is paid to promoting their welfare and their learning. They enjoy a good range of interesting activities both in the home and outdoor environment which are very effective in supporting and extending their learning. Parents are valued highly as the children's primary carers and good communication is promoted with them at all times. All the required documentation is in place. However, this occasionally lacks the necessary detail. Systems are in place for self- evaluation which are used to accurately gauge how successful the setting is in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and where future improvements can be made.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure written parental permission for the seeking of medical advice or treatment in an emergency is in place for all children (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 14/02/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the record of children's attendance includes all the necessary detail. 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 gives good attention to safeguarding children. Her knowledge of child protection issues is good and parents are given a copy of her safeguarding policy to ensure they are fully aware of her responsibilities in this area. The childminder ensures the children have a safe environment in which to play, rest and learn. For example, action is taken to minimise any potential hazards and the emergency evacuation procedures for the home are practised with the children every two months. All the necessary documentation is kept readily to hand and is maintained well overall. However, the records of the children's attendance do not include their full names. In addition written parental permission for the seeking of medical advice or treatment in an emergency has not been obtained for all children. This is a breach of the welfare requirements.

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the early years provision

The childminder strives to provide high quality care for all children and is very successful in her quest. She is driven to continually improving the outcomes for children. For example, since her last inspection she has achieved a level 3 qualification in childcare, has made many improvements to the garden to enhance children's outdoor play and has vastly improved the accessibility of the toys and resources. Through her self-evaluation she has identified areas for future improvements, such as installing an area of decking in the garden so this can be used in all weathers and undertaking a qualification at degree level to enhance her understanding of child development.

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the early years provision

The childminder's commitment to promoting equality and diversity shows she values the uniqueness of each child. When the placement begins she discusses the children's routines with their parents and carefully carries out an individual risk assessment of each one's needs to ascertain, for example, whether they need to use a high chair for meals or whether they are confident in using the stairs and metal cutlery. The children are able to freely choose what they would like to play with from the good range of toys and resources, and they have valuable opportunities to learn about the wider world and their own traditions. For example, they celebrate festivals such as the Chinese New Year with craft activities and food tasting.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good links with the staff at the local school nursery which some of the children also attend, enabling her to discuss how she promotes the children's learning in her setting and the progress the children are making. This, alongside the good partnership she fosters with all parents, ensures a successful shared approach to the children's care and learning. Parents are provided with copies of all the childminder's well thought out policies and procedures for their reference, ensuring they are fully informed of all aspects of the service. Daily chats are used effectively to share information on an ongoing basis and to gauge parents' continuing satisfaction of the service. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides good support to foster and extend children's learning. She enjoys interacting with them as they play and skilfully initiates conversation and questioning to make them think. For example, as they play with the magnetic fishing game she encourages them to discuss what type of fish they have caught and, by providing resources such as jigsaws, she helps them to develop their understanding of problem solving and mathematical concepts, for example, showing them how to find the pieces for each corner and to turn other pieces round to fit. The childminder has effective assessment systems in place to monitor the children's progress, which includes written observations and photographic evidence of their achievements.

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and outcomes for children

The children clearly feel safe in the childminder's care. They know what is expected of them within the home and they enjoy their learning and behave very well. Consequently the atmosphere is calm and very conducive to learning. For example, the children become fully immersed as they use crayons to draw pictures, with the younger ones showing they are developing good language skills and a wide range of vocabulary as they confidently discuss how they have drawn a rocket that is going into space. The children thoroughly enjoy dressing up as their favourite characters or as a Princess and they clearly value one another. They share very well and if, for example, during role play, one is a little unsure of a mask the other is wearing, they remove this without hesitation. The children receive constant praise from the childminder showing their achievements are valued highly.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder makes good use of the learning opportunities available in the local community. For example, the children join in with activities at the local childminder group each week where they develop friendships and take part in messy activities. Photographs show them laughing with delight as they explore the properties and texture of shaving foam. They regularly visit the toy library and decide what items they would like to borrow and they have valuable opportunities to feed and observe various animals at a children's farm. Photographs also show them visiting a nearby pond and learning about the lifecycle of a frog.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures the children enjoy a very healthy lifestyle. They take part in many physical activities outdoors, benefiting from fresh air at the same time. For example, the good sized garden enables the children to run about and to access climbing equipment. Visits to the park and the local woods to build dens compliment these activities very well. The children are supported well in becoming independent in their self care. As a result, they readily access their drink when they feel thirsty and independently help themselves to a tissue when they need to blow their nose. They choose what items of fruit they would like for their snack when they go shopping and grow their own seasonal vegetables, such a cucumbers, in the garden. They learn to follow practices that will keep themselves and others safe. For example, they know to hold onto the banister as they use the stairs and during role play they put on their hard hat and safety goggles before

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and outcomes for children

using the play drill. 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 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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