Smith, Mary Josephine

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 160094 Inspection date 17/03/2011 Inspector Carolyn Hasler

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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 adult children on the Willow Road estate, an area within the London Borough of Enfield, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. She has several pet cats.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding two children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects children from the local pre schools, schools and goes to several toddler groups regularly. She is a member of an approved childminding network.

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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

This childminder offers a welcoming and friendly service. There are successful measures in place to acknowledge children's individuality. Overall the childminder has effectively introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage into her practice. Welfare and learning and development requirements are met. However, there are some areas to consider improvement. She shows enthusiasm to continue her improvements over time through a self evaluation process to underpin and secure this.

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further?

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

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further?

 further develop observational skills by increasing opportunities for parents to contribute towards children?s initial assessments. Consistently identifying next steps and review the effectiveness of activities  increase opportunities for children to experience and use programmable toys and information, communication and technology to encourage children to acquire basic skills in their operation

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the early years provision

The childminder is meeting regulations and duties to safeguard children and demonstrates a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures. For example, she is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 able to confidently talk about the different areas of abuse, their signs and symptoms and the action she takes to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The childminder understands her responsibility to ensure that children's safety and welfare is promoted and ensures this through effective procedures to underpin her service.

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the early years provision

The childminder has worked hard since her last inspection to improve the standard of care she offers children. She has maintained a programme of training on childcare issues which include counselling, every child's a talker, celebrating inclusion and diversity and child protection. She continues to maintain her paediatric first aid. The childminder is aware of her weaknesses and acknowledges these by seeking support. Evidence clearly shows progression in the childminders knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements as she continues to strive to develop her skills. The childminder has effectively met recommendations set out at the last inspection. These include steps taken to ensure the premises is safe, developing resources, and improvements in hygiene routines. Improvements have had a positive impact on children's care and experiences. The childminder recognises the value of self-evaluation and is beginning to develop

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the early years provision

an effective system. This has meant she is able to establish improvements to a good level.

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the early years provision

The environment has been organised to ensure that play and learning spaces are maximised to include both inside and outside spaces. Children are able to move around safely from one area to another, accessing toys and equipment easily. The learning environment is rich and gives children the confidence to explore and learn in a secure yet challenging way. The available resources are well used. The childminder understands what children can do and plans a variety of exciting activities to support their learning and development. She is recording her observations which are clearly linked into the early learning goals. However, initial assessments do not take account of parent's knowledge about what children can do before their start date and observations are not yet identifying next steps or an evaluation on how children have benefited from the experiences provided. Despite this, the childminder is able to talk about these issues with growing confidence.

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the early years provision

Future plans to extend learning are generally thought through. Children make good progress as a result of the environment they are in.

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the early years provision

The childminder appropriately and actively promotes equality and diversity. She understands the needs of individual children well and helps them feel included by providing them with a range of resources specific to their needs. These promote their awareness of differences in gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability and special educational needs. Children's religious and cultural differences are celebrated. They are also learning about the wider world through a range of activities and experiences. For example, children enjoy tasting foods, dress up and take part in creative activities to celebrate special events from around the world.

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the early years provision

The childminder has highly positive relationships with parents and carers and relationships are well-established ensuring that each child's needs are met. Parents views are sought to evaluate the delivery of the service. They are actively involved and consulted about all areas of children's development. Parents are invited to use This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 a range of communication systems, which include phone calls, text and e-mails. Parents receive lots of information in written form to help them feel confident in the service they receive. The childminder has good relationships with other local settings. She fosters these relationships through passing on letters and messages and making herself accessible to discussions on children's development. She talks to children about their day and uses this information to extend children's experiences and develop their understanding on project work. She understands the

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the early years provision

importance of working consistently through the sharing of information.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and enjoy their time while at this setting. They are enthusiastic and motivated to learn and are engaged in a variety of activities. Resources are used well to support their learning and development. As a result children are making good progress in relation to their capacities and starting points.

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and outcomes for children

Children separate well from their parents and appear happy and settled. They feel safe at this setting and build a strong sense of self and a shared sense of their community. They are building secure and strong attachments to the childminder. The childminder reports that children have strong social skills and are forming friendships through visits to community activities. They are able to play and learn independently or jointly sharing experiences with others. Behaviour is good, children are aware and comply to boundaries that keep themselves and others safe. Policies and procedures and documentation which underpin safety are used effectively to support the settings good practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children are building an awareness of the importance of having a healthy lifestyle. They are active and exuberant in their play, moving around the environment with ease. They have a small range of play resources which support their awareness of their bodies and help develop control and balance. However, they make good use of local facilities such as the play ground in the park, soft play centre and toddler groups to extend their experiences. All children are independent learners and are able to complete personal hygiene tasks for themselves. They take part and are familiar with daily routines that help them learn about hand washing and other tasks which keep them healthy. They make use of a range of posters to help them learn the sequence of these tasks. They have good role models in the childminder; this encourages children's own awareness. Children are learning the importance of healthy eating and are offered a selection of healthy choices. They are growing

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and outcomes for children

herbs to add to favourite dishes and therefore beginning to understand where food comes from. Children appear content and settled because their health, physical and dietary requirements are well met.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress in their communication, language and literacy skills. They are chatty and want to talk all about their day prior to being at the childminder's house. They share their experiences and knowledge on the topic of the day which is St Patricks Day and enthusiastically take part in planned activities. They enjoy and have easy access to books and other resources which prompt This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interest and engage children in a range of conversations about their play. Children have opportunities to mark-make; they are able to form letters and recognise their names in written form. Children are making progress in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy skills. They have a range of matching games, puzzles and construction equipment to explore. They have a growing awareness of colours and shapes. Children are able to count confidently, recognise some numbers written

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and outcomes for children

down and are beginning to gain skills in associating numbers to objects. Children's awareness of information, communication and technology is limited as there are few resources which encourage exploration into how technology works. Overall, children are making good progress in their learning and this will help them achieve successfully in the future. 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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