Childminder in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY230769 Inspection date 03/03/2011 Inspector Michele Villiers

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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 2002. She lives with her husband and children aged two, 10 and 12 years in Chester, Cheshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding, together with an upstairs bedroom. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take children to and collect them from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. There are currently three children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder 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

The children play in a welcoming, inclusive environment and make good progress in their learning and development. The safeguarding of children is a key strength, with robust risk assessments and stringent health and safety measures. The childminder has introduced good systems to monitor the children's progress, and some means of identifying their initial profiles. She is committed to maintaining continuous development and has started to effectively use self-evaluation to establish areas for improvement. The close partnership working with parents, carers and others helps to ensure the needs of all children are met.

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further?

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

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further?

 build on the systems used for obtaining initial information about the children's abilities when they first start through regular two-way flow of information with parents, and link to the areas of learning  use self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement and as the basis of ongoing review, and involve parents and children in the process.

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the early years provision

Comprehensive and robust safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented and the safety of children is paramount. The childminder regularly updates her training on child protection, and systematic risk assessments in the home minimise any potential hazards. Excellent standards of overseeing food storage, monitoring fridge temperatures and of hygiene within the home help to prevent the spread of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 infection. The children develop a strong sense of belonging and feel secure because of the excellent support and good organisation of routine.

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the early years provision

The childminder ensures that all children are well integrated and the home is utilised fully. Good consideration is given to the deployment of toys and resources in order for children to make free choices. Parents are kept well informed about their child's routine through discussion and written progress reports. They speak highly of the provision with comments in questionnaires such as 'an excellent and very happy home'.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to continued improvement and frequently attends training workshops to develop her skills and benefit children. The recommendation from her last inspection has been successfully met and paper towels are now used to dry children's hands to optimise personal hygiene. The childminder evaluates her provision through observation and has started to document her findings. However, this is not always used fully as a basis of ongoing review with meaningful involvement of the parents, in order to further identify possible areas for improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn through play and provides challenging and interesting activities. She uses every opportunity as a learning experience, continually fostering their language, literacy and mathematical skills. The children have regular visits to places of interest, such as the park, library and local play groups. Their individual needs are met well and they develop good skills for the future. The childminder uses observation to monitor the children's progress and records her findings in individual learning profiles. She includes photographs of the children playing and written captions about their achievements, next steps and future activities. The children's initial starting points are ascertained through discussion with parents, although this information is not clearly documented in order to fully identify their abilities when they first start.

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and outcomes for children

The children develop a strong sense of belonging and their independence is strongly encouraged. They dress themselves for outdoor play, wash their hands and help to prepare the table at meal times. The childminder becomes fully involved in their play and introduces interesting supporting materials to reinforce their learning. For example, when she introduces the story of the gingerbread man, children colour in printed pictures relating to the story and then tuck into gingerbread men biscuits at snack time.

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and outcomes for children

The children enjoy a variety of art and craft activities and make hand print paintings and collage pictures. They use their imagination well, re-enacting stories using finger puppets. The childminder constantly talks and listens to the children to promote their communication and language development. She introduces new words, such as 'skewer' when making fruit kebabs. Children make marks and practise their emerging writing skills, making chalk drawings outside and writing their name on artwork. Storage boxes are labelled with pictures and written words This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to further promote the children's literacy skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children count during play, using their fingers to represent numbers and competently counting to ten and beyond. They sing number songs and begin to recognise written numerals displayed on posters, puzzles and board games. Outside, children learn about the seasons, growth and small insects. They hunt for bugs and excitedly talk about the ladybirds living in the garden. Children become aware of the world in which they live. They celebrate different cultural festivals and play with toys reflecting positive images of race, culture, gender and disability.

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and outcomes for children

The children adopt healthy lifestyles through exercise, nutritional food and good personal hygiene. Outdoor play is part of the daily routine and children enjoy playing with sand or on wheeled toys, fostering their balance and coordination. They have healthy meals and take part in interesting activities, such as making fruit kebabs and smoothies, exploring different tastes and textures. They know to wash their hands at appropriate times and are encouraged to clean their teeth after meals. Learning about safety is paramount. During role play, children pretend to make pizzas and discuss not touching ovens because if they are hot they will burn. On outings children learn about road safety, and posters are displayed about how to safely cross the road, which reinforces their understanding. Children demonstrate a strong sense of security and consequently they feel safe with good supervision from the childminder.

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and outcomes for children

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 1 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 1 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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