Calvert, Julie

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 320307 Inspection date 24/02/2011 Inspector Liz Grocott

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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 and works with an assistant. She lives with her husband and two sons aged 23 and 19 in the Tingley area of Leeds. The premises are within easy reach of public transport, shops, parks, schools and community resources. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, along with the bathroom on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area to the rear of the property. Contingency plans are in place to call on another registered childminder in the event of an emergency or sickness.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time or 10 children when working with an assistant. There are currently 14 children attending on a full and part time basis, of whom 10 are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are taken to and collected from local schools and preschools. The childminder has a level 3 qualification in childminding practice and is supported by the local authority early years team. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 happy and are cared for in a warm, welcoming family home, where they are well supervised by the childminder. The wide range of experiences and activities offered ensure children have ample opportunities to make good progress in each of the areas of learning. Effective liaison with parents and carers ensures that the childminder knows each child well and helps her to support their individual needs. As yet, self-evaluation has not been sufficiently developed to be effective in identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the safeguarding policy includes the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against the childminder or a family member (Safeguarding and Welfare). 24/02/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 work together with other practitioners and parents to support transitions, both between settings and between setting and school  develop reflective practice and self-evaluation to continually look for ways to improve the quality of the learning, development and care offered for all This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children.

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the early years provision

The childminder ensures that parents are aware of her clear safeguarding procedure and she is fully aware of her responsibilities to children. She is confident in her ability to recognise the possible indicators of abuse or neglect and what she must do if she has a concern about a child. However, the childminder is less confident about the procedure to follow should an allegation be made about herself or a family member. This is a breach of the welfare requirements. Children are well practised at evacuating the property and are well prepared should a real emergency arise. They learn about how to behave when out with the childminder in respect of road safety and the danger strangers may present. A robust risk assessment ensures outings and all areas of both the home and garden are free from hazards. This protects children's welfare and effectively reduces the chance of accidental injury.

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the early years provision

The provision is well organised so that children can develop their independence. The childminder ensures children can readily access the resources she provides as low storage allows self selection. Children are helped to learn about others in the local community as well as the wider world. This is done through the celebration of special festivals, role play and food tasting as well as craft. The childminder has positively addressed the recommendation made at the previous inspection, and updated her documentation with regard to safeguarding. The childminder strives to continually improve by continuing her professional development. She has completed an 'extending childminding practice' course and attended short courses in self-evaluation, risk assessment and Early Years Foundation Stage. All of this knowledge helps to improve outcome for children. As her self-evaluation is only partially completed, it does not serve to effectively identify areas for development.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well with parents and has effective systems in place to obtain and share information with them. Comments made by parents demonstrate they value the care their children receive and the learning opportunities that are provided. They describe the childminder as 'kind, caring and generous' and particularly comment on her 'happy, positive attitude'. The childminder keeps parents and carers well informed of their child's progress and daily activities using discussion and the observation and assessment documents in children's profile books. These are beautifully presented. The childminder has tried to engage two local nurseries in working with her to promote the Early Years Foundation Stage with children who attend. Unfortunately at this time this has not been reciprocated.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good understanding of Early Years Foundation Stage and the welfare requirements. She records observations while children are playing and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assesses these, linking them to the different learning areas. From here she is able to plan the next steps children need to take to reach the next stage in their learning. The childminder gathers good information from parents when a child first joins her setting. This enables her to plan individualised play and learning, helping to narrow the achievement gap.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a great interest in creativity and thoroughly enjoy sewing hand puppets. They perform a puppet show from under the table for younger children to watch. They explore cooking and enjoying baking and making cakes and buns, as well as their own pizzas for lunch. Children are encouraged in taking responsibility for roles in the childminder's home, such as clearing the table in preparation for lunch. Others tidy away the toys on the floor so 'we don't hurt ourselves or cut ourselves if we fall'. Children learn to become self-sufficient, as they put on their own coats, shoes and learn to feed themselves. Communication is encouraged when children join in with familiar songs and rhymes. They enjoy favourite stories, for example, 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. This is followed up with making paw prints, counting them and following them. The childminder uses the story to encourage children to recall events by discussing it again the following day.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to problem solve and reason when they make maps of local streets, and bake different shaped biscuits. Younger children are encouraged to solve problems when they attempt inset puzzles and shape sorters. The childminder encourages children's knowledge and understanding of the world when they go to a local farm to pet animals, such as iguanas, and ride horses. They marvel at frogs living in the childminder's garden and grow various fruit and vegetables on their own little plot including potatoes, beans, tomatoes and strawberries. The childminder has two allotments and children occasionally go to help harvest vegetables, learning about lifecycles in a meaningful way.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures children learn about healthy lifestyles by encouraging plenty of fresh air and exercise. She has an abundance of resources for the garden which help develop large muscle groups and skills like balancing, catching and throwing. They also visit local woods and collect things for collage making. Children eat healthily, enjoying pasta and meatballs and fresh fruit for their lunch. They keep well hydrated as they continually help themselves to drinks when thirsty. Children are encouraged to behave kindly to one another and play cooperatively. Gentle reminders from the adult ensures that they learn right from wrong and to respect the feelings of others as well as respecting the equipment they play with. 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 3 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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