Devlin, Gillian

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 404541 Inspection date 28/02/2011 Inspector Diane Turner

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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 2001. She lives with her husband and adult son in a terraced house in the Sale Moor area of Manchester. All of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding purposes, with toilet facilities situated on this level. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play to the rear of the premises. A cockatiel and two chipmunks are kept as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a childcare qualification at Level 4. She is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for six children under eight years at any one time, three of whom may be within the early years age group. The childminder is also accredited to provide funded nursery education and is registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. There are currently five children on roll, of whom two are within the early years age group. They all currently attend on a part-time basis.

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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

Children receive an exceptionally high standard of care in an extremely bright and welcoming environment. The uniqueness of each child is valued highly and carefully nurtured to ensure they reach their full potential. Excellent partnerships are established and maintained with all parents, ensuring highly effective channels of communication are promoted and that the care the children receive is an extension of their home life. The numerous systems used for self-evaluation are rigorous and accurately target any priorities for development that need to be addressed, ensuring continuous improvement of an extremely high standard in all areas. Parents and children are fully involved in the process promoting an inclusive approach and resulting in a service that is highly responsive to the needs of all its users.

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further?

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

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further?

 developing further the system for monitoring and assessing children's progress in their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder's arrangements for safeguarding children are excellent. She has a comprehensive understanding of her responsibilities in terms of child protection This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 issues and ensures parents are fully informed of this. Rigorous systems are in place to ensure children are only collected by those authorised to do so and the childminder is fully informed of who has parental responsibility for the children. Any photographs of the children are stored on a computer that is only used for childminding purposes which has no access to the internet and is password enabled. Once the photographs are used to evidence the children's progress record they are deleted from the computer. The childminder has an extensive range of policies and procedures and all the required day to day documentation is maintained meticulously and stored in a secure manner. This results in a very

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the early years provision

professional service that is managed with great efficiency. The childminder gives the highest priority to ensuring children's safety is promoted. She carries out numerous in-depth assessments on her home, taking highly effective action to minimise any potential hazards. These are backed up by routine daily checks prior to the children arriving.

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the early years provision

The childminder offers the children an excellent range of easily accessible toys and resources, which they delight in playing with. The play room has exciting interest tables and excellent use is made of labelling to show print has meaning. This alongside a wealth of posters and displays of the children's work ensures their learning is fostered in a stimulating and highly supportive environment. The childminder's drive to provide high quality childcare and her commitment to promoting continuous improvement is exceptional. For example, she uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form alongside a local authority endorsed evaluation system to rigorously identify her strengths and areas for development. The childminder's commitment to improving her knowledge and practice through training is excellent. Since her last inspection she has attended numerous short courses and has achieved a Level 4 childcare qualification. Her home has been extended to provide

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the early years provision

a designated playroom and the play opportunities in the garden have vastly improved. Parents and children were fully consulted at the planning stage and their suggestions taken on board as to what they would like to see included. The childminder's plans for future development are clearly defined, such as completeing an additional qualification at degree level.

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the early years provision

Promoting equality and diversity is at the heart of the childminder's practice. Every child and their family is welcomed wholeheartedly and a very effective shared approach is fostered to meeting their individual needs. The childminder is a member of the local authority inclusion scheme and she actively encourages the children to embrace the diverse society in which they live and to respect the cultures and beliefs of others. The childminder has excellent links with other settings and childcare groups in the area. For example, she provides placements arranged through the local children's centre and she is a very active member of the local childminding group. The childminder's commitment to working in partnership with all parents is exceptional. They are provided with a wealth of very good quality information including copies of all the policies and procedures, which are available in various forms, such as audio. Discussions are carried out on a daily

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the early years provision

basis as to the children's care and additional meetings are offered to discuss their development, as are home visits. Questionnaires are sent out regularly to gauge the parents continuing satisfaction of the service. These alongside a wealth of thank you cards all show the parents' undoubted satisfaction of the service. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn and develop. She offers them a very wide range of exciting learning opportunities that are tailored to their individual needs and are highly effective in supporting all areas of their learning and development. For example, the children are very keen to share their observations of a tank of frog spawn they are monitoring, excitedly discussing how this is developing into tadpoles that will eventually become frogs. The childminder is very enthusiastic in her approach and this inspires the children to take part in the activities. For example, she excitedly draws their attention to the progress the worms are making through the layers of sand and soil in the wormery. The childminder has very good systems in place to monitor the children's learning and development, keeping detailed written accounts of their responses to the activities. She uses this

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and outcomes for children

information to show what areas of learning are being covered and to identify the next steps in the children's learning. However, she does not always use the information effectively to inform future planning.

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and outcomes for children

The children clearly feel very safe and secure in the childminder's care and as a result, they become highly independent and motivated learners. For example, they very confidently initiate their own imaginative play dramatically acting out their favourite story of going on a bear hunt. They pretend they are walking through long grass and help to pull each other through the mud before reaching the safety of their home as the bear approaches. The children demonstrate that they are developing very valuable skills for the future. For example, they competently operate equipment, such as a digital camera and touch screen computer, showing they have a very good understanding of technology. They develop important life skills as they take care of the dolls and use real packets and tins of food as they pretend to make meals. The childminder is highly effective in helping the children to learn what acceptable behaviour is. As a result, they know what is expected of

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and outcomes for children

them within the home. For example, they sit very well at the table to eat their snack and they show a very caring approach to each other. The childminder acknowledges their achievements with an abundance of praise and as a result, they develop very high levels of self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

The children have excellent opportunities to take part in activities that are highly effective in promoting their understanding of what contributes to a healthy life style, such as physical exercise and the importance of following effective hygiene routines. Consequently, they relish being outdoors in the fresh air, keenly putting on their coats and boots ready to go out into the garden where they gain great pleasure from running around, using the play house and digging in the sand. They know to wash their hands before eating their snack, making sure they use soap and spontaneously sing their hand washing song as they do so. The children grow a wealth of seasonal vegetables in the garden which very effectively promotes their understanding of healthy eating and food sourcing. The childminder is highly successful in helping the children to follow safe and responsible practices as they play and when out in the community, which means they learn to successfully

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 manage risks. This is very evident as they carefully negotiate the ladder when accessing the upper floor of the play house and as they very confidently discuss how they cross the road safely. 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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