The Brooksbank School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 149531 Inspection date 02/03/2011 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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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 1996. She lives with her two children aged 15 and 11 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a first floor bedroom for children requiring undisturbed rest. Children have access to the fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a rabbit. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term-time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of three children in the early years age range and is currently minding three children in this age group, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years and this provision is registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently no children on roll in this age group.

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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

The childminder is experienced and maintains a professional approach to all areas of her work, enabling parents to feel confident in her. Excellent communication with parents supports the exchange of information about children and promotes the provision of consistent care and support. The childminder has a confident knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and takes great care to make sure that she fully understands each child. This ensures that their needs are consistently met and they are offered a wealth of activities that successfully promote their learning and development. The childminder conscientiously reviews her work, enabling her to build a comprehensive picture of this and prioritise improvements, thereby maintaining a service which is highly responsive to children's needs.

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further?

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

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further?

 improving further the systems for organisation of the setting by continuing to develop the use of self-evaluation to support ongoing improvements.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is prioritised and is exceptionally well promoted because the childminder has a comprehensive understanding of her responsibilities relating to safeguarding children. This is supported by thorough written procedures and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 additional information, enabling her to identify children at risk and take immediate action. The childminder ensures that all suitability checks have been completed for household members, further promoting children's welfare. Her excellent organisation of her work and thorough risk assessments ensure that children's safety is promoted at all times. Good daily practice and specific activities support children in gaining an excellent understanding of safety issues. For example, they practise the emergency evacuation procedure and this is followed up with discussions, a visit to the fire station, associated role play and the inclusion of

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the early years provision

The childminder makes good use of her experience of working with children and sets high standards for the quality of care she offers. She demonstrates a very genuine enjoyment of her work and is highly motivated to further develop her practice and thereby improve the outcomes for children. She actively seeks feedback from parents and children and attends additional training in order to continuously improve her practice. The childminder is committed to providing a stimulating home environment which is continuously evolving to meet children's needs. Her honest approach to the ongoing evaluation of her work supports her in identifying changes and prioritising improvements. Although the childminder has a clear vision for the future, the self-evaluation process is not yet used to the utmost to inform the overall review of practice. The childminder utilises all resources exceptionally well. For example, she uses a wide variety of community resources,

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the early years provision

such as the library, a toddler group, local parks and a children's centre.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an excellent awareness of issues relating to anti- discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is respected and treated as an individual. Her comprehensive procedures for gathering information about children mean that she has a thorough understanding of each child's background and needs. This supports her in planning relevant activities and ensuring that children are always offered appropriate support. Children feel valued and their self-esteem is promoted because their views are respected and they are encouraged to understand and respect each other. The childminder's highly positive relationships with parents and carers support the exchange of information and mean that parents are fully informed of their children's progress and activities. For example, they receive detailed daily updates and regularly review the information from their children's assessment records. Consistency of care is further promoted as the

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the early years provision

childminder has established purposeful working relationships with others providing care for the children. For example, she exchanges information with the pre-school and nursery so that they can work together to ensure that children are offered consistent support and their development is promoted.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive and make excellent progress because the childminder has a comprehensive knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provides a highly stimulating environment. She observes children as they play, carefully assessing this information and using it to inform activity planning, ensuring that this is well targeted to promote children's individual development. Children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 confidence is promoted and they play an active part in all aspects of this vibrant childminding setting. They are encouraged to express themselves and their opinions are genuinely valued. For example, even very young children state their preferences with regard to activities. The childminder's excellent awareness of children's interests and needs mean that these are included in the planning, ensuring that their development is promoted, their interest is captured and they

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and outcomes for children

are offered a rich variety of experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Children show a strong sense of security and their behaviour demonstrates that they feel safe. They show high levels of independence as they choose their toys and resources and organise their play. The childminder's vigilance and her excellent interaction with the children mean that she is able to make full use of all incidental learning opportunities to help develop children's knowledge and understanding. For example, when children discover a ladybird and show an interest in it the childminder introduces opportunities to look for insects in the garden and on a nature walk, including a visit to a nearby brook to look for waterborne insects, with children later going on to play a ladybird domino game, find related books in the library and make their own insects using craft materials.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's thoughtful planning means that children are offered a wealth of activities and play opportunities. For example, they learn to recognise differences and their self-image is positively promoted as they participate in an activity where they look at their images in mirrors and identify their features, drawing these and going on to talk about different feelings. The excellent planning also means that children have many opportunities to learn about living things. For example, they help plant and tend vegetables in the garden and enjoy woodland walks where they collect leaves and twigs, examining the texture of these and using them to make collages. The meticulous attention to detail in planning also means that children's individual needs are always considered and all planning is appropriately adapted to meet these and promote individual development. For example, the childminder helps all children to learn basic sign language, with the older ones

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and outcomes for children

taking a trip to the library to find books covering this subject.

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and outcomes for children

Children's emotional development is promoted and they gain skills for the future as they develop secure, trusting relationships with the childminder and their peers. Their behaviour is exemplary and they show care and concern for each other and an excellent understanding of the expected standards of behaviour as they organise their play and readily share the resources. All children are highly valued as individuals and engage in a wide range of activities that help them to value diversity and understand the cultures and lifestyles of others. For example, they celebrate relevant festivals and participate in activities where they learn to recognise their own characteristics and those of others. The childminder's excellent procedures for working with parents mean that she is able to offer appropriate support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. This area is further supported

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and outcomes for children

as the childminder helps children to learn alternative forms of communication, such as basic sign language.

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and outcomes for children

Children's enjoyment is enhanced and their development further promoted as the childminder utilises their individual interests to help promote their development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 For example, children showing an interest in cars are encouraged to name the different vehicles, count and sort these according to colours and read associated books. Children show an excellent understanding of the relevance of following good health practices. For example, before exercising and dancing, they stretch and warm up, discussing the importance of this and later going on to look at the effects of exercise on their bodies. 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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