Winton School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 126822 Inspection date 14/04/2011 Inspector Susan Scott

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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 1999. She lives with her husband and two adult children in Dartford, Kent. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for no more than six children aged under eight years; of these, not more than three may be in the early years age group, and of these, not more than one may be under one year at any one time. The childminder is currently minding four children, under eight years of age, on a full time basis. She walks to local schools and pre-schools to take and collect children and attends the local toddler group.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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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

Overall, the childminder's good knowledge of each child's individual needs enables her to promote most aspects of their welfare and learning with success. Children are kept very safe and secure at all times, although the childminder has not got a record of consent to administer each and every medication. The partnership with parents is effective and the childminder is skilfully building upon the quality experienced by families who use the service. The childminder enables the individual needs of all the children to be met successfully. This means that children make good progress, given their age, ability and starting points. The childminder has evaluated her service well using the Early Years Statutory Framework, and she has undertaken a range of training that she is using to build upon the quality of the service offered.

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further?

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

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further?

 obtain prior written permission for each and every medicine from parents before any medication is given (Safeguarding) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 30/04/2011

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  further develop routines that enable children to look after themselves, for example, washing their hands before they have a snack, and plan opportunities for children to talk about how their bodies feel

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the early years provision

Children's care and learning is effectively promoted because the childminder has spent time familiarising herself with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements. She has a clear understanding of her responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare and has developed a variety of good procedures and safety measures. Children are well supervised and have constant support for their activities. The record of risk assessments has been completed recently and there is a daily checklist used to ensure hazards have been made safe. However, the childminder is not able to find written consent for each medicine she has administered to children, and has a 'blanket' form of consent to administer calpol. This is a breach of a specific legal requirement, although the childminder has ensured parents have signed to acknowledge this administration of medication.

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the early years provision

The childminder holds a valid first aid certificate, enabling her to provide appropriate first aid treatment for children in her care. She has attended training on safeguarding and using observations, assessments and planning for the EYFS. This enables the childminder to keep her knowledge up to date. She is open minded and encourages the children and their parents to discuss different traditions, religious beliefs and cultures. This has enabled her to show how she values individual traditions, such as Chinese New Year and Christmas celebrations in Denmark, by celebrating these with the children. The childminder continuously develops her practice by researching children's individual needs and backgrounds, to ensure she supports and fulfils the needs of children. There are systems in place to evaluate and monitor the service offered to families and their children, and the childminder welcomes feedback from parents. Questionnaires have been used to

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the early years provision

obtain feedback directly from children, as well as their parents, and the childminder addresses any improvements that are suggested; for example, she recently obtained some books to suit the needs of older children.

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the early years provision

A good range of attractive resources are available for children; these are plentiful and easily accessible to promote children's free choices in all types of play and learning. The childminder uses her home effectively to enable all children's needs to be met effectively, and the children enjoy frequent and easy access to the garden and outdoor activities to extend their enjoyment, play and learning. Positive partnerships with parents, and good procedures to share information with them, support the needs of individual children who are cared for. The childminder is sensitive to the needs of individuals, for instance, understanding the routines of new children, and she promotes these to provide an welcoming service. Parents are encouraged to provide full information on children's dietary needs, interests, abilities and preferences during settling-in visits. The childminder is keen to encourage parental contributions to her service and has systems in place to share

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the early years provision

information about children's progress and the experiences they have in her care; for example, the individual folders recording children's development and progress This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are sent home on a regular basis. Children who attend school or pre-school are well supported as the childminder has strong relationships with these organisations. This ensures children are supported well, and that their experiences with the childminder supplement those they have at school or pre-school.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress and are effectively supported by the developmentally appropriate activities and sensitive support they receive. Their development is supported by the childminder's good observation of their interests, as she notes what they enjoy and the knowledge and skills they have. She assesses each child's development and uses flexible plans to promote progress in their learning, mostly through their spontaneous play. Children's ideas and achievements are noted and assessed well, and their next steps are identified using the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Plans are flexible, tracking the regular assessments of each child's development in every area of learning and summarizing this information every few months.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder takes very good steps to keep children safe and teach them an understanding of safety. Emergency evacuations are practised and recorded, and the children are encouraged to become safety conscious through helping each other buckle their seat belts in the car and wearing helmets if they use cycles. Children are encouraged to develop hygienic habits by brushing their teeth if they stay for breakfast, although they do not wash their hands before their snack. This minor lack of consistency in routines does not prevent them from washing their hands after using the bathroom, showing that they have learnt the importance of personal care. They benefit from a balanced diet; for instance, they enjoy fruit every day and have some treats, such as cake, which they made themselves. Children are taught about healthy food and have regular and frequent exercise as they walk to different places locally, although they are not fully familiar with the

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and outcomes for children

effect exercise has on their bodies. Children's behaviour is successfully managed by the childminder who sensitively reminds them of how to resolve any issues if they have a disagreement. This enables children to behave in a positive and confident manner.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play with each other and benefit from the childminder's skilful support of their play and her praise and acknowledgment of their skills. The children like to dress up and engage in role play, pretending to serve tea and cook the dinner, and the childminder readily participates in their play, making suggestions and extending their thinking. They develop their skills by experiencing a wide variety of play and learning; for example, they are encouraged to be active learners and extend their creative skills by selecting the materials for art and craft activities. The younger children particularly enjoy singing songs, dancing and listening to music. Children enjoy cooking and made rocky road cake recently. They regularly attend toddler groups, enjoying the opportunity to interact with other children, building relationships and developing social skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children's development and understanding is further supported by the childminder's good comments and questions to encourage their communication skills. For example, the childminder extends their learning on walks to school when they discuss the things they see, such as animals, door numbers, vehicles, signs and colours, and she makes learning fun. The children are encouraged to select and share or read a book every day, and recount events they have experienced, such as a bus trip, which develops their communication skills. They confidently develop their counting skills and numeracy by singing songs and rhymes.

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and outcomes for children

The children develop problem solving and creative thinking with construction resources, and spend a long time focusing on this play during the inspection building complex designs. They enjoy using various craft materials and freely select crayons, glue and sequins to decorate their designs. Children learn about their environment and the natural world by watching and talking about the birds feeding in the garden, and have enjoyed a variety of interesting activities outside, including building snowmen. They visit local places of interest and learn about these from the childminder, which enables them to develop their understanding of the local community. 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 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 keep record of, and retain them for a period of two years, any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self- administer, together with a record of the parent/guardian/carer's consent (take action as specified in the early years section of the report) 30/04/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report 30/04/2011

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