Childminder in Westmorland and FurnessOfsted inspection, 3 May 2011

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 317214 Inspection date 03/05/2011 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 has been registered since September 1994. She lives with her husband and their daughter aged 19 years old in Allithwaite near Grange-over- Sands. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding as well as the bathroom and main bedroom on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder lives close to local schools, shops and parks and she attends local toddler groups. The family has two cats.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently nine children attending who are in the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to six 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 and her husband are registered foster carers for the local authority.

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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 has a good knowledge of each individual child's needs and interests and makes sure that they are progressing well, given their age, ability and starting points. Children are safeguarded due to the childminder's effective implementation of the safety procedures. The partnerships with parents and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are strong. The childminder has started to self-evaluate in order to identify her strengths and areas for further development and continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 use the self-evaluation process more as the basis of ongoing internal review to assess the provision's strengths and areas for development  use information gathered from observations and assessments more frequently to track children's specific progress towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

The children are safeguarded because the childminder has a thorough understanding of the correct procedures to follow should she have concerns about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 any of the children. She has undertaken training and has a safeguarding children policy in place. The childminder has written detailed risk assessments covering potential hazards in the house, garden and on outings. This ensures that children are kept safe and secure while in the childminder's care. The required documentation is well organised and thorough. It includes written policies and daily records, to ensure the smooth running of the setting. The deployment of resources is good because the childminder organises the play equipment well so that children can easily access them and independently select their chosen toys and books.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity well by creating an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcome. This is also reflected in her written policies. A multi-cultural festival calendar as well as toys and books provide children with many opportunities to learn about the wider world. The childminder enjoys very positive relationships with the children's parents and there are good systems in place to ensure a daily, two-way flow of information, such as, learning journals as well as regular discussions. The childminder creates a relaxed environment where parents can share information and receive progress reports about their children's welfare and development throughout the day. The childminder has established positive links with other providers offering the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as, the local school and nurseries. This ensures that the children receive continuity of care from all

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to professional development and in maintaining continuous improvements, as she has completed the required training courses. She has also begun to identify her strengths and areas for further development by starting to complete the self-evaluation process, however, this is in its early stages.

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and outcomes for children

The children are content and settle very quickly in this homely and nurturing environment. They enjoy a good range of activities and there is a good balance between child-initiated play and adult-led activities. The childminder undertakes observations of the children's activities and achievements. Records show good examples of the children's progress through written observations, photographs and examples of their work. The information gathered from the observations is used by the childminder to plan for the children's next steps in their learning and development. The children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. However, some of the children's files do not have regular or detailed progress records, as this has not yet been fully established.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn social skills as they socialise with other children when they attend various music and activity groups with the childminder. They develop their communication and language skills as they choose from a wide range of age- appropriate books which are easily available to them. There are plenty of posters illustrating letters and labels on the walls which help the children to recognise This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 letters and links them to sounds. Children enjoy lots of opportunities to make marks and be creative with pens, paints, chalks and crayons. Their creativity is also encouraged as they take part in imaginative play, such as, dressing up, role play, music and making dens. They develop numeracy and problem solving skills as they play with resources, such as, jigsaw puzzles and shape sorters and games that encourage them to count. The children have many opportunities to learn about

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and outcomes for children

everyday technology, as they access the laptop, electronic games and press-button toys. Children are learning about diversity by playing with the many resources that are available, such as, celebrating Chinese New Year by making dragons and tasting Chinese food.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and they show strong attachments to the childminder. Children learn about staying safe, for example, when on outings they learn about road safety and they wear reflective jackets when it is dark. The children have good opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles as they enjoy nutritious snacks, home- made meals and healthy drinks. There are plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise as the children go for walks in the countryside and play on the large apparatus in the park. Good hygiene practices are followed, such as, washing hands before eating meals and after using the toilet. The children are well- behaved and there are clear boundaries and house rules in place, which the children understand and respect. Children learn about recycling household items, which helps them to understand about sustainability. Overall, children benefit a great deal from attending this setting. 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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