Watters, Susan

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 500635 Inspection date 02/02/2011 Inspector Frank William Kelly

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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 2001. She lives with her husband and two children, one adult aged and the other who is 11, in the Prescot area of Merseyside. The whole of the ground floor and a bathroom on the upper floor are used for childminding purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family have a rabbit.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of six children under eight at any one time. Of these, three may be in the early years age range. There are currently three children on roll in the early years age range and two who are aged between five and seven. The childminder is also registered to care for children aged eight to 11 years on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. She currently has two children on roll within this age range.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder receives support from the Local Authority. She takes the children out regularly to toddler groups, parks and other places of interest.

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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

The home is attractively presented and the childminder ensures that children's safety and well-being are promoted very well. Extremely good adult attention and excellent planning and assessment systems ensure that each child is provided with the best possible support to promote their learning. The informative policies and the sound documentation engage parents effectively so that the children's unique needs are known and met well. Self-evaluation is still in the early stages, but the childminder communicates ambition and drive to secure and maintain future improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the self-evaluation process to identify and monitor targets for continuous improvement.  develop further the ways parents can contribute to their child's learning and development records.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates an informed knowledge and understanding of the signs and indicators of possible child abuse. She communicates with confidence the steps she would take to ensure that children are protected. Her policies and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 procedures are reflective of the Local Children Safeguarding Boards requirements. Within her daily practise she is committed to promoting safety. For example, she checks her home for potential risks before the children arrive and organises the toys and other resources to provide good space for children and ensuring trip hazards are minimised.

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the early years provision

She has good policies and procedures for the protection and care of children, including those for outings and lost children. Her home is very clean and good hygiene procedures are followed, for instance, each child has a separate hand towel and their own changing mat. Procedures for hand washing, and cleaning of surfaces with anti bacterial cleaning agents contributes to further reducing the risk of cross infection. Safety equipment, such as, safety gates are in place and monthly drills for the emergency evacuation of the home are undertaken with the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder is attentive to the children's individual needs and routines, ensuring they can rest and play as they wish. She spends a lot of time playing and talking with the children and ensures that the resources available to the children are suitable for their developmental stage. This simple organisation for the very young children continues to facilitate plenty of choice and the children thoroughly enjoy exploring the resources available. The weekly programme is thoughtfully organised so children have a range of experiences outside of the home, including visiting toddler groups, the park and library. Posters of differing scripts and languages; books and other resources provide a visual representation of the diversity within today's society and help children gain an awareness of their wider world. The childminder has a range of information about different cultural and religious celebrations and introduces simple, fun activities, such as, making

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the early years provision

lanterns and dragons for Chinese New Year. Thus providing children with opportunities to talk about and explore the experiences of their own and other people's cultures.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to making improvements and developing her understanding of childcare issues. Since her last inspection she has taken steps to ensure that all recommendations have been fully addressed. She has explored the statutory framework and guidance documents for the Early Years Foundation Stage, adapting and modifying her practice to ensure that she is complying with the legal requirements. She plans and organises her home to provide children with an enabling and stimulating environment that meets their specific needs. Formal self-evaluation systems are still in the early stages and the childminder is aware of the benefits of using such systems as a way to chart her progression and maintain improvements.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very positive attitude to building strong relationships with parents. She provides them with a wealth of information about her service and weekly activity plans and other information are displayed within the home. Information about children's unique needs, routines and preferences is sought before they start and used by the childminder to help plan activities for the child. Daily verbal updates are shared and the children's learning journeys, photographs and written observations are made available to parents. The learning journeys also include regular summative assessments; however, the childminder has not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 considered how these could be extended further, to include the parental comments and views. The childminder has a good understanding of the steps to take regarding partnership working should any child have a special educational need or

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the early years provision

receive shared care with other providers such as schools.

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and outcomes for children

The Every Child Matters outcomes are met very well for the children within this home. Very young children demonstrate a strong sense of being secure and confident within this home. They have forged excellent relationships with the childminder who is warm and caring during all aspects of the children's care and daily routines. For example, nappy changing is a time for lots of animated communication and praise. Children benefit greatly from the childminder understanding about the importance of communication. They enjoy two-way conversations where the childminder responds to their squeals and babbles, providing the children with time to make responses to her acknowledgement. They enjoy sitting on her knee and joining in the actions to 'wind my bobbin up' and the childminder introduces lots of new vocabulary as they share a book.

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and outcomes for children

At present, the childminder primarily looks after very young children. Her planning is extremely well organised and securely centred on these children's individual needs, whilst being linked to seasonal events and planned themes. She has indexed all her resources, categorised them within the six areas of learning and uses this matrix as a reference when planning weekly activities. Each day of the week activities that cover each area of learning are chosen and based from observations made of each child. Each area of learning has an activity identified to help children take the next steps in their learning and development. The children's learning diaries retain well kept records, photographs and children's work. She regularly collates a simple summary of where the child is at within each area of learning to help her refocus on the child's needs. This planning is made effective by the childminder's enthusiasm and support as children play. Hence the children

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and outcomes for children

in her care are making excellent progress towards the early learning goals. She recognises when to join the child's play and when to leave them to explore. For example, she introduces simple counting of one to three as they look at the fruit and vegetables in the book. She talks about what they see, and makes suggestions, such as, 'the duckling, being a toy for the bath'. Thus introducing children to the rhythm of counting and helping the children make connections in their world. However, when the children ignore the play dough but become fascinated with the cutters and plunger tool, she allows them to experiment and investigate the different ways the toys can be used. The children are excited about the sounds they make when tapping them together; they develop their coordination as they attempt to fit the pieces together and learn through practical experience that the pieces will only fit in one particular way.

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and outcomes for children

The children are curious and enjoy music as they bob and dance along to a range of musical genres. They delight in the noises they make on the battery operated guitar and show curiosity and perseverance when completing shape sorters and other problem solving resources. The childminder provides the children with simple This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 but consistent boundaries and is a polite and positive role model for the children. She ensures that their early citizenship is fostered and that they learn respect for each other and other living things. She grows vegetables, such as pumpkins with them, where they learn about cycles of life and needing to have water and care. They use tools to make lanterns out of the pumpkins and enjoy cooking activities. They have good access to mark making materials and learn about print carrying meaning and road safety whilst on outings. Consequently children are enthusiastic

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and outcomes for children

and well stimulated. They are exploring their surroundings with great interest and becoming active and inquisitive learners. These are considered the key skills which underpin children's skills for the future. 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 1 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 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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