Childminder in Manchester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY265627 Inspection date 10/02/2011 Inspector Patricia Webb

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and two children aged nine and six years in the Newall Green area of Manchester. The childminder' husband works with her as an assistant. The whole of the property is used for childminding purposes. Children have access to a fully enclosed rear garden and the side drive of the property for outdoor play. The family has a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. When working with her assistant, they may care for a maximum of four children in the early years age range at any one time. There are currently seven children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age group. The childminder 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 a member of the National Childminding Association and the local childminder network. She holds a relevant early years qualification at Level 4. She also holds a Level 3 certificate in Childminding Practice and is working towards a Foundation degree in Early Years Practice.

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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

This exceptional childminder and her assistant, work cohesively to offer a very high quality provision for all children and their families. Children thrive in the stimulating and well-planned environment where their individual needs are identified and fully addressed. There is an extremely strong capacity for continuous improvement, as the childminder strives to forge effective partnerships with parents, other providers and professional agencies. She is also very committed to extending her professional knowledge and skills in order to promote outcomes for every child.

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further?

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

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further?

 exploring ways of enhancing the use of outdoor provision on the premises.

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the early years provision

Robust safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and are practised effectively ensuring that children are very well-protected. The childminder and her This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assistant demonstrate an extremely good understanding of their child protection responsibilities in acting in the best interests of the child at all times. The environment is extremely safe and secure and detailed risk assessments are diligently conducted to cover all areas and activities that children access both on and off the premises. The environment is totally child-orientated and they benefit from an extensive range of resources which is provided with much thought to promoting children's learning and enjoyment. For example, the childminder is working to promote a child's awareness of colours and number recognition. Flash cards have been made and simple games provided to enable the child to

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the early years provision

participate in such targeted activities freely. Inclusive practice is exceptionally well- implemented. Each child is highly valued and their family and cultural backgrounds are respected and celebrated with a strong emphasis on maintaining their home languages and traditions. This supports children in growing up with a strong sense of self-identity.

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the early years provision

The childminder relishes her role and is a dedicated and very enthusiastic provider. Through her academic study, the childminder has adopted a highly reflective approach to assessing the impact her practice has on enabling children to achieve and enjoy their time in her care. Training courses are carefully considered to assess their relevance, ensuring that they are beneficial in enabling the childminder to continue to improve and extend her skills. The childminder has recently reviewed the format and process for recording the observations and assessments she carries out on each young child. She has also identified a key area for improvement with regard to getting the best use out of her garden for children's outdoor play and is keen to review and extend this aspect of the provision. The childminder and her assistant are highly organised and they manage children's daily routines with the utmost care and attention to discovering the

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the early years provision

intrinsic character of each child. This level of commitment ensures that each child is supported in reaching their full potential, given their individual ages, stages of development and approaches to learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder works exceptionally well in partnership with parents, developing a consistent approach to fostering the strong sense of children's achievement. She has developed a most effective system when meeting prospective new placements, by offering to visit the families in their own homes. This gives her the opportunity to make parents feel more at ease when discussing children's specific needs and routines and the children are more settled and secure in their home environment. Parents' views and opinions are sought regularly in order to bring about further improvement. Parents express their deep satisfaction with the childminder and her assistant. Comments include '(childminder) supports my ideas and suggestions so that we can work together'. Further views are sought from other providers and professionals involved in children's early care and education, promoting a consistent and coherent approach to the various transitions in a young child's early

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the early years provision

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

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit immensely from the organised and flexible planning that is developed trough the interests and play preferences of children. This ensures they receive a very good balance of child-led and adult-initiated activities. The childminder uses extremely pertinent observation and assessment processes to enable her to plan and extend activities to ensure children's progress in all areas of their learning is paced to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children make excellent progress in their development and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children build very positive relationships with the childminder and are obviously very happy, settled and secure. A strong sense of belonging is fostered as they each have their own small seating pad, which they sit on when reading their favourite books. One young child calls for a toddler to come and sit beside her in order to share a book. The childminder is skilled in using everyday routines and experiences to promote children's learning. Their day is filled with laughter and giggles as the children eagerly seek out the childminder and her assistant to join in with their activities. As they become aware of their community they visit local amenities such as the library. One child shares her delight at having been able to stamp her own book when she selected it from the library. Visits and walks to a nearby farm and park extend children's understanding of life cycles and caring for their environment, as well as ensuring they get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy travelling on the bus as they sit at the front on the top deck and are amazed at the sights. Such activities also promote their awareness of the use of money as they pay for the childminder's ticket and help with simple shopping.

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication, language and literacy skills are promoted positively. The use of children's home languages is highly respected and actively encouraged within the childminding setting. All children experience the different languages, including the childminder's own family, gaining skills for life. For example, a compact disc of rhymes and songs sung in both English and another language is used to promote the rhythm of words and sounds and encourage repetition. Pictorial prompts are also used by the childminder to further effective communication for children where language skills may be delayed or emerging. Inclusive practice is inherent in the childminder's provision. She values each child very highly and seeks to work with the families to extend her own knowledge and understanding. For example, she is planning to visit some places of worship with a family to gain an insight into their religious and cultural beliefs.

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and outcomes for children

Knowing each child's individual needs is a key element of the provision. Their sleep and meal routines are so well understood that the childminder is extremely responsive when they are becoming tired, or in need of a bottle feed or snack. This reduces the risk of child becoming over-tired or fractious. Healthy and nutritious meals and snacks are prepared by the childminder who adheres to any specific dietary needs or preferences. Their overall heath is very well promoted as they follow stringent personal hygiene routines. Babies and young toddlers learn from an early age to connect toileting routines with hand washing in order to reduce the risk of the spread of germs. They also learn to consider their own This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safety as they are encouraged to tidy away, participate in regular evacuation drills and learn to cross roads with care. They also have use of high-visibility jackets,

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and outcomes for children

provided by the childminder to further ensure their safety when walking in the local area.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave extremely well and respond to the childminder's expectations of behaviour. This encourages them to show kindness to each other and share toys and activities. The childminder's gentle and sensitive approach to encouraging positive behaviour is demonstrated in her awareness of children's developmental stages and levels of understanding. Younger children are distracted to reduce the risk of frustration. For older, more mature children, the childminder uses suitable explanations to show them how some behaviour is hurtful to others. Through the dedicated and committed practice offered by this exceptional childminder, children have excellent levels of achievement. They play a dynamic role in their learning and development because the childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child. Their differences are recognised and celebrated with utter conviction, enabling each child to reach their full potential.

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and outcomes for children

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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