St Nicholas CofE Primary

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 134238 Inspection date 04/03/2011 Inspector Margaret Davie

p.1

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.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder registered in 1992. She lives with her husband and adult son in Chinnor, Oxfordshire. The ground floor of the premises is used for childminding and there is a secure garden for outdoor play.

p.4

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 this age group for a variety of sessions. Four older children also attend her setting for a variety of sessions before and/or after school. The childminder is prepared to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a welcoming environment. Their individual needs are well known and they have lots of fun as they learn. They make good progress in their learning and development and arrangements to promote their welfare are effective overall. The childminder shows a mostly accurate understanding of her strengths and areas for development and demonstrates a good capacity for continuous improvement.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 keep a record of the risk assessment clearly stating when it was carried out, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident. (Documentation) 31/03/2011

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 extend self-evaluation in order to identify where systems can be improved and developed and encourage parents to share their views about the quality of care provided.

p.4

the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted by an extensive range of policies and procedures. The childminder has a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and is clear about what to do if she ever has a concern about a child in her care. All adults in her household have been checked to ensure their suitability and children are closely supervised at all times to make sure anyone who has not been vetted does not have unsupervised contact with them. She checks her home carefully and uses a range of measures such as stair gates and cupboard locks to make her home as safe as possible. While she is very vigilant about children's safety, the risk assessment for her premises is not dated to show when it was done or reviewed. This is a breach of regulations.

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder provides a wide variety of interesting and challenging resources which promote children's learning well. For example, play computers encourage their understanding of information and communication technology. She provides safe and suitable areas for play, eating and resting. Toys and resources are easily accessible, and as a result children are able to follow their own interests. She has a good understanding of her important role in promoting equality and diversity. For example, she checks that children are making the expected progress and takes effective action to ensure their individual needs are being addressed. A range of toys, resources and activities is provided to help children gain an understanding of the world in which they live. Partnerships with other settings they attend are well established and promote continuity in their care and learning.

p.5

the early years provision

Letters received from parents indicate they are very happy with the care provided for their children. They praise the childminder's kindness and fairness and are complimentary about the wide range of activities she offers including painting, cooking and hill walking. Parents are provided with detailed information about her setting as well as regular verbal and written feedback about how well their children are progressing. The good relationships she forms with parents contribute greatly to children's wellbeing. She has taken effective action to address the recommendation made at the time of her last inspection, and as a result, parents are now aware of the procedure to follow if they ever wish to make a complaint about her service. This further promotes children's welfare. She has commenced an assessment of her setting, demonstrating a largely accurate evaluation of her provision, although specific feedback from parents is not yet used to inform the

p.5

the early years provision

process. She has successfully implemented most of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and demonstrates a good capacity to improve her provision further.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are settled and happy in the childminder's home. They engage actively in the variety of activities offered and show they really enjoy the time they spend with her. She develops good relationships with them, listening to them carefully and providing effective support for their development. They enjoy a variety of outings which help them become familiar with their local environment and gain an understanding of the wider world. For example, they visit the library and parks and attend toddler sessions where they also have good opportunities to socialise with others. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children develop good problem solving and numeracy skills as the childminder plays a variety of games with them. For example, she provides very good support for their learning as she asks them what number they start at when they play a board game and encourages them to count as they move spaces. They enjoy

p.5

and outcomes for children

being creative as they make model clowns and happily play the small musical instruments to accompany the childminder as she sings nursery songs. They enjoy reading books, comfortably cuddled up on her lap and develop their language skills as they discuss the story with her. They use small tools such as glue sticks to develop their hand-eye coordination as they model and their writing skills as they use markers to trace around shapes. Children access books, puzzles and a range of activities which help them learn about diversity. For example, they helped prepare a meal to celebrate the recent Chinese New Year.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The childminder confidently supports children's learning by chatting to them as they play and providing additional resources to make activities more interesting and challenging. She observes them regularly, assessing their progress in all areas of learning, and uses this information effectively to identify and plan for their next steps. As a result they are well prepared for their future education. Although her records are detailed, assessment information for each child is kept in various files rather than all together, and it is therefore not as easy as it could be, to get an overview of their progress.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children show they feel secure with the childminder. They are beginning to gain an understanding of expected boundaries of behaviour and respond positively to her calm manner. They learn about road safety and stranger danger in order to keep themselves safe on outings and practise the evacuation procedures, so they know what to do in an emergency. They learn about healthy lifestyles, including good hygiene procedures, such as washing their hands before they eat and covering their mouths when they cough. They make choices about the toys they wish to play with and what they would like to have for their snack. They receive lots of positive praise and encouragement and as a result develop their confidence and self-esteem. Their understanding of sustainability is supported as they re-use resources for junk modelling. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

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

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8