Mercer, Donna Rebecca

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY416451 Inspection date 04/04/2011 Inspector Jill Milton

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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 2010. She lives with her two adult sons in Abingdon. The home is within easy travelling distance of local schools and amenities. The whole of the ground floor of the home is used for childminding and there is access to an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family have a number of pets that include a dog, a rabbit, gerbils and fish. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Her registration permits her to care for up to six children under eight years at any one time and of these, three may be in the early years age range. She currently cares for three children in the early years age range. The childminder has a level three qualification in child care

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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 childminder provides children with a warm welcome in a well-organised home environment. She uses her experience of working with young children over many years to ensure she caters for their individual needs. Effective partnerships with parents also support the care and well-being of the children effectively. The children are able to make good overall progress with their learning and development. The childminder is making a successful start to caring for children in her home and she is keen to pursue high standards.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the use of children's observations to help plan how to support their next steps in learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a robust understanding of how to safeguard children and she is aware of her role in addressing any concerns she may have for a child. There is a good understanding too of how to assess risks in order to keep children safe in the home and when on outings. The childminder is thoughtful in the way she is organising the space in her home so that children have different areas to play in during the day. Sensible use of safety gates around the ground floor of the home ensure children play safely whilst the family puppy has some quiet time. The childminder introduces children to a variety of pets, helping them to care for living things in a safe and hygienic way. The childminder provides children with a well- chosen range of good quality toys. She adds to the range by making effective use This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of local facilities such as a toy library and this introduces older children to ideas of

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the early years provision

sustainability through the sharing of valuable resources with others. The childminder is very aware of the need to provide children with positive images of diversity and new purchases of wooden play people depicting a range of ages and cultural backgrounds are a welcome addition.

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the early years provision

Parents are developing friendly partnerships with the childminder based on effective two-way flow of information. When families arrive to drop children off with the childminder they feel sufficiently at home to sit and talk amiably. The childminder is reassuring about issues of child development and she collects information that helps her care well for the children. If families speak different home languages, the childminder collects some key words and uses signing of actions to ensure children are included in the activities. The childminder plans the week to provide a successful mix of outings and time in the home. She has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage based on her grounding of training and experience. She prepares well-presented printed information for parents and she is adjusting her policies as she works through her new procedures. She is fully aware of the need to work with other professionals in

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the early years provision

order to support children and provide continuity to their day. The childminder is keen to provide high standards of care and early education and she is using her self-evaluation positively to reflect on the first few months of her work as a childminder.

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and outcomes for children

Children are keen to play and explore the attractive range of accessible resources. They are showing curiosity in using technology from an early age as they test a range of mobile telephones. A helpful conversation with the childminder shows them how to fit a new battery to a toy telephone to make the lights and sounds appear once more. Children have a friendly rapport with the childminder who is quick to offer reassurance when parents leave. The children enjoy restful moments with the childminder as they share music times and they are learning a wide range of actions and words to well-known rhymes. An accessible range of books is introducing children to the enjoyment of reading and toddlers turn pages with confidence. The childminder encourages the children to talk and as they play together imaginatively with pretend cups of tea and chocolate cake the children echo her words and are building up their vocabulary. Children are progressing well

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and outcomes for children

with key skills for their futures, such as early literacy and numeracy.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder protects children's health effectively. She is aware of any individual health needs and she maintains a clean home with good attention to maintaining hygiene standards. The children benefit from her care and they receive regular snacks and drinks to keep up their energy levels. The childminder is aware of individual routines for sleep and she provides a travel cot for daytime naps in an area where she can closely monitor the children. Outdoor play is attractively presented in the safely enclosed back garden. The childminder promotes many areas of learning outside so children can progress not only with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their physical skills but also with their creative play. Children regularly take part in sensory play using materials like shredded paper, corn flour and water mixtures or paint. The childminder takes frequent photographs of the children enjoying these

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and outcomes for children

activities and she presents these attractively in folders to share with parents. She has a good understanding of what the activity is revealing about the children's learning, for example matching a child's play with a paintbrush to using tools for a purpose. The evaluation of each activity is based on individual children's achievements, though the next steps in learning are not yet clearly outlined. The children are experiencing outings into their local community to develop their social skills and provide them with challenging active play at the local playground. The childminder encourages children to share toys and she intervenes in occasional disputes to reinforce positive messages linked to developing good behaviour. Older children show co-operation as they return toys to their homes to tidy up or sit at a small table to enjoy snacks. This is providing useful reminders about how to play safely in the home.

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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 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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