Spencer, Jacqueline

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY356524 Inspection date 28/04/2011 Inspector Sandra Williams

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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 June 2007. She lives with her husband and their three children aged 18, 14 and seven years in a bungalow in Pennington, near Ulverston, Cumbria. The kitchen, lounge, hallway and bathroom are used for childminding. There is also a decked area for outdoor play. The childminder lives close to local schools, shops and parks and attends local groups.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently four children attending who are in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language. The childminder holds a childcare qualification and has previous experience of working in childcare settings.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder respects the uniqueness of each child and appropriately assesses the progress in their learning and development. The children are satisfactorily safeguarded, however, not all health and safety procedures are fully implemented. There are good systems in place to enable the childminder to work in partnerships with parents. The childminder has thorough systems in place to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of her practice by undertaking a self-evaluation process.

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further?

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

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further?

 complete full risk assessments for each type of outing undertaken. (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 12/05/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 improve safety and security by ensuring the fire guard is secure and by verifying the identity of visitors and keeping a record of their names, the purpose of their visit and details of arrival and departure times  extend children's opportunities for physical exercise by making the garden safe and suitable for their use. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The children are safeguarded satisfactorily, because the childminder has undertaken training and has a safeguarding children policy in place. She has a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and the correct procedures to follow should she have concerns about any of the children. The childminder is well organised and makes sure that all of the required documentation is in place including written policies and daily records. Resources, such as, toys and books, are effectively deployed so that children are able to freely choose what they would like to play with. The childminder has made good use of resources, such as, training, in order to keep up-to-date with the current welfare requirements.

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the early years provision

Written risk assessments covering potential hazards in the house are in place, however, the fire guard is currently not secured to the wall and poses a hazard to children. There are currently no risk assessments undertaken for outings, which is a breach of requirements. The childminder remains vigilant and ensures that the children are supervised at all times. However, there is no system in place for checking the identity of visitors and keeping a record of their details. Fire safety equipment, such as fire blankets and smoke detectors are in good working order and children learn about fire safety by undertaking regular evacuation drills.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity appropriately by creating an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcome. She has some resources, such as, books and puzzles which help children to learn about different cultures. The children learn about a variety of cultures and beliefs by taking part in activities organised by the childminder and other local childminders. For example, children recently celebrated Burns Day by creating Scottish flags and thistles. The childminder supports children with learning difficulties by attending training courses and keeping up-to-date with current practices.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well in partnership with parents and effectively shares information with them on a daily basis. This is done both verbally and by use of daily diaries as well as by the parents reading the childminder's observations and looking at the photographs. None of the children currently attend other settings offering the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the childminder is aware of the need for sharing information about children's development with other providers in order to provide consistency in the children's care. The childminder understands the need for professional development and maintaining continuous improvements. The required training courses have been undertaken and support and advice from the local authority are appropriately utilised. The childminder has also identified her strengths and areas for further development by undertaking the self-evaluation process. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children are making sound progress in their learning and development given their starting points. The childminder undertakes observations of the children's activities and achievements and tracks their progress in all areas of their learning and development. Records show examples of the children's progress through written observations and photographs. The information gathered from the observations is linked to the early learning goals and used by the childminder to plan the children's next steps in their learning. The children are settled and happy with the childminder and enjoy a variety of activities throughout the day. They learn social skills as they socialise with other children at groups and enjoy making friends to play with.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and comfortable in the childminder's care and they confidently make themselves at home and select their favourite toys to play with. They learn about staying safe, for example, they help to tidy up their toys in case they trip over them. When playing outside in the sunshine they learn to keep themselves safe by wearing sun hats and sun cream. The children have opportunities for fresh air and exercise as they go on regular outings and play outside on the decked area of the garden. This area, however, is rather small and does not provide children with much space to move around freely and the rest of the garden is not yet safe for children to use. The children have opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles through eating nutritious snacks and meals provided by their parents. Hygiene practices are appropriately followed as the children wash their hands before eating food and after using the toilet. The children are well-behaved and there are clear

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and outcomes for children

boundaries in place, which the children understand and respect. The childminder encourages the children to take part in growing fruit and vegetables from seeds, which helps them to understand about sustainability of the environment.

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and outcomes for children

The children are developing their skills in literacy and communication as they enjoy choosing books to read with the childminder. They particularly enjoy the puppet books. They also learn to identify letters and sounds by playing with the magnetic letters and by making marks with various different resources. Children are developing an awareness of numbers from the posters displayed on the walls, the magnetic numbers on the board and the games and building blocks available for them to play with. They identify sizes as the look at the 'big' and 'small' dinosaurs in one of the books. The children have opportunities to learn about everyday technology as they use the age-appropriate programmable toys, such as, press button toys. The children's creativity and imaginations are developing through the many opportunities they have to express themselves. For example, they enjoy making craft items, such as, fridge magnets and flags to celebrate the royal

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and outcomes for children

wedding. Children learn about their community by attending various activities at the children's centre. They also learn about the rural surroundings and love to watch the farmer tending to his sheep and lambs in the nearby fields. Overall, children enjoy their time with the childminder. 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 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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