Hodge, Tracy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY272472 Inspection date 03/03/2011 Inspector Margaret Davie

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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 registered in 2003. She lives with her husband and 13 year old child in Devizes, Wiltshire. The whole of her house, except one upstairs bedroom, is used for childminding purposes. Toilet and sleeping facilities are upstairs. A secure garden is available for outdoor play.

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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. She may care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom three may be in the early years age group. She currently minds three children in the early years age group for a variety of sessions. She also cares for three older children part time, before and/or after school. 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 cared for in a welcoming and child-friendly environment. The childminder knows them well and works closely with their parents to meet their needs. Overall, they make good progress in their learning and development and mostly effective arrangements are implemented to promote their welfare. The childminder's self-evaluation is broadly accurate and she undertakes regular training in order to promote further development. She demonstrates a good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 broaden children's independent access to resources in order to maximise opportunities for developing their creativity and critical thinking  develop the assessment procedures further so that observations are linked to the areas of learning and use this information to check that children are making good progress in all areas of learning  update the record of the risk assessment associated with outings so that they are subject to a regular review, especially where new risks are identified and include this in the records.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibility in relation to safeguarding the children in her care. She updates her child protection training regularly and demonstrates a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 abuse and what to do should she have a concern about a child. A range of policies are in place and shared with parents. All adults have been checked and the childminder supervises children closely at all times. The childminder has conducted a risk assessment of her home and carries out a daily check to make sure the environment is suitable. She also assesses the risks associated with any outings with the children, however, she does not maintain a record of when this was done. Her home is generally well organised, allowing children to move around freely and go about their routines safely.

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the early years provision

The childminder works in close partnership with parents to find out about children's individual requirements, this impacts well on their care. Learning and development files are freely accessible to parents and they receive daily feedback about their child's day. Correspondence and discussion with parents indicates they are very pleased with the care the childminder provides. The childminder also maintains a website where they can gain general information about her provision. She communicates effectively with other early years providers, such as the key person at a child's nursery, to encourage continuity in care and learning. The childminder promotes equality and diversity well ,giving each child the support they need to make good progress in their learning. She provides a range of resources and activities that help children gain an understanding of the wider world such as books and toys; however, these are not always available for children

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the early years provision

to include in their play. Recommendations made at the time of her last inspection have been fully addressed in order to improve outcomes for children; for example, she now has an up to date first aid qualification in order to provide appropriate care to children in the event of an accident. She checks on the quality of her provision and has identified a number of areas for development, which will further improve outcomes for children; for example, she intends to provide a visual resources board that will give children greater opportunity to make choices about the toys they play with.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled. They are keen to engage in activities and enjoy the experiences which are provided for them. They make good overall progress in their learning and development and as a result are well prepared for their future education. The childminder interacts well with the children, providing support as they play; for example, she encourages them to think about shape as they empty play food from a shopping basket and to name colours as they remove items from their bag. Their knowledge of a variety of foods is supported as they identify and discuss the toy sweet corn and red peppers. They learn about how vegetables grow as they watch a short film about carrots.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy singing nursery songs and actively take part by doing the hand movements. They are delighted when the childminder sways back and forth with them as they all sing 'Row, row, row your boat'. Children develop good communication skills as the childminder spends time chatting to them, reinforcing their language as she encourages them to repeat words as they talk. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enjoy many outings that help them learn about their locality and give them good opportunities to socialise with others; for example, they go on regular trips to the park to feed the ducks, visit the library and toddler groups. They have also been to see the police helicopter and the fire engine in town.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder knows children well because she engages effectively with parents to find out about their individual needs, backgrounds and starting points. She observes them regularly, assessing how well they are making progress and uses this information to inform planning of future activities. Although her assessment records are very detailed and show she is familiar with children's needs overall, she does not link her observations to the areas of learning. As a result she is not able to easily check they are making good progress in all areas and that there are no gaps in their development which need to be addressed.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel comfortable in the childminder's care, happily sitting on her lap to watch the television together. They develop a good understanding of how to keep safe. They learn about road safety, stranger danger and regularly practise the evacuation procedures. The childminder provides both wipes and hand gel which she encourages children to use to promote their understanding of how to minimise the spread of germs. She ensures children's noses are wiped and talks to them about how this gets rid of the germs. Healthy snacks of fresh or dried fruit are provided and children have access to their drinks at all times. Children sleep in a travel cot in an upstairs bedroom and are regularly checked to promote their safety. Children respond well to the clear boundaries set for them and willingly take on some responsibility, such as helping to tidy away toys before lunch time. They are well supported to learn about the importance of sharing and taking turns.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrates a good deal of patience as she explains to them why it is important to say sorry if they have inadvertently upset one of the other children. Good emphasis is placed on helping them to learn to be well mannered. Children are given some opportunities to make choices about the activities they wish to engage in. However, the childminder does not organise her resources so that children are able to access toys that cover all areas of learning independently. This limits their ability to maximise independent opportunities to develop their creativity and critical thinking; for example, books are set out for a quiet reading time every day, rather than being accessible at all times for independent exploration. 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 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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