Woodlands Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 104990 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Jacqueline Nation

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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 1998. The childminder lives with her husband, who occasionally works as her assistant, and two adult children in the Stopsley area of Luton. The whole of the ground floor of the premises is used for childminding, and includes access to bathroom facilities. A first floor bedroom is used for sleep purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The house is within walking distance of local amenities such as schools, library, parks and shops. The family has two tortoises and a hamster.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time. Currently there are seven children on roll, five of whom are within the early years age range.

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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 benefit from being cared for by an experienced and dedicated childminder. The childminder plans and provides many good opportunities for children to learn and develop with the Early Years Foundation Stage. All children are welcomed and supported by the childminder who appreciates their uniqueness. Effective partnerships with parents ensure children's needs are met and their protection assured. The childminder demonstrates a good capacity to maintain ongoing continuous improvement by reflecting on her practice and being proactive in extending her knowledge and skills.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the observation and assessment systems to ensure the information gained from observations, is used to plan children's individual targets in their future learning  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risk for all outings  develop further self-evaluation procedures to include the views of all service users, including children.

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the early years provision

Safeguarding is given good attention as the childminder is fully aware of her duty to protect children in her care. She has a good understanding of the signs and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 symptoms of abuse. The childminder has developed detailed procedures that cover reporting procedures and allegations, and she shares this information with parents. Children play safely within the welcoming environment because the childminder is vigilant and ensures all adults in the household undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks to confirm their suitability. Effective risk assessment covers all aspects of the premises, and garden. A range of safety equipment is used in the home to minimise potential risks to children, for example, safety gates are in place and finger guards are fitted on doors. Whilst the childminder keeps children safe on outings, she has yet to update her risk assessment to include all the places she

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the early years provision

visits with the children. Documentation for the safe and efficient management of the provision is in place and maintained accurately. The childminder has a comprehensive portfolio of policies and procedures which underpin her good practice and are shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a positive attitude to inclusion. Children are provided with experiences and support which help them to develop a positive sense of themselves and others. They are helped to embrace diversity by exploring the local environment, using resources that reflect positive images of culture, gender and disability and talk about different festivals and celebrations. The childminder creates a homely and relaxing environment; she is well organised and makes good use of the available space in her home. She has a good range of play resources which are well organised to enable children to initiate their own play. The childminder recognises the importance of working with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage and other agencies to ensure children are supported effectively. As a result children's continuity of care and learning is fostered well. The childminder values linguistic diversity and supports children well who speak

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the early years provision

Children benefit from good partnerships with parents and carers. The childminder talks to parents before the start of the placement and gathers detailed information about children's individual needs, and valuable information about their learning and developmental stage. Daily discussions and written feedback help to keep parents well informed about their child's day, care routines and achievements. Parents are provided with policy booklets and an information pack which explains how the provision operates. The childminder welcomes parents' views about the settings and positive feedback from parents indicates that they are very satisfied with all aspects of the childminding service. For example, they comment that their children are very happy and the childminder is very welcoming.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to improving her practice and has addressed the recommendation set at her previous inspection. She has increased the range of resources reflecting positive images of diversity and this helps develop children's understanding of a wider world. The childminder is very committed to improving her provision. The childminder is clear about her plans for the future and embraces training opportunities, advice and guidance to enhance her practice. She regularly meets with other childminders for 'Practice and play' sessions. The childminder has started to use the Ofsted self-evaluation form to identify her strengths and areas for development, although she has yet to include the views of children and their parents in this process. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage because the childminder has fully embraced the framework and developed her knowledge accordingly. The childminder plans a stimulating, learning programme for all children that include visits to the local library for rhyme time. Children's progress is clearly recorded in personalised development folders. The childminder observes children as they participate in activities and records their achievements. However, the information gained from observations is not always used effectively to plan for the next steps in children's learning. Children benefit as the childminder has a good understanding of how children learn through play. She is interested in what children say and do and readily gets down to their level to interact with them, asking questions which encourage them to develop their thinking and consolidate their learning. Children are given time and space to develop their own interests

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication skills are fostered effectively and a good range of books are available. Children have regular opportunities to listen to stories and practise their mark- making skills. They are supported in developing their understanding of problem solving, reasoning and numeracy in a broad range of contexts. While completing a puzzle together the childminder encourages children to look at the size of the puzzle pieces, and decide if they are 'big' or 'small'. Children like singing number songs where they count on and back, they count the number of bricks as they build, and the childminder introduces simple calculation as they play with the abacus. Children's creativity is supported with a variety of resources for art and craft activities and role play. Children enjoy manipulating playdough, painting and exploring foam. Children's physical development is given good attention and they have opportunities to play in the garden. Resources include bikes, cars, a play

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and outcomes for children

house, tunnel, sand and water play. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is fostered effectively. They visit a farm where they can feed the animals, and plant seeds to grow sunflowers, cress and poppies. A wide range of electronic toys and resources are available to support children's understanding of technology. Overall, children have good opportunities to develop skills to support their future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is promoted as the childminder has clear systems in place for recording accidents and medication. The childminder is proactive in ensuring her first aid training is up-to-date and is able to respond appropriately in the event of an accident. All children show an exceptional understanding of the importance of following good personal hygiene routines. They show an excellent understanding of healthy eating and make healthy choices at snack times.

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and outcomes for children

All children show a strong sense of security and feel safe within the setting. All children are valued and the childminder helps build their confidence and self- esteem through praise and encouragement. She fosters their sense of well-being and gives them time to express themselves, and share any concerns. They show an excellent understanding of what standards of behaviour are expected and apply This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 these in order to keep themselves and others safe. Their understanding of safety issues and how they demonstrate this is exceptional. Fire safety is very well considered and children practise the emergency evacuation procedures. The childminder uses a number of pictorial prompts to support children's understanding of safety, for example, about safety in the sun, safety at the park and road safety. 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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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