Ahern, Amanda Mary

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY330171 Inspection date 19/05/2011 Inspector Jill Nugent

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children, aged 12 and 15, in a house in Enfield. The whole of the house is used for childminding, although children use the rooms on the ground floor, and there is a secure garden for outdoor play. The family has two pet cats. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom three may be in the early years age group. Currently she has three children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder offers a fully inclusive provision for children where their care and learning needs are met extremely effectively. A particular strength of her provision is her excellent care for children with special educational needs. She prioritises children's well-being and works closely with parents, and other professionals, to ensure that children acquire and develop appropriate skills according to their differing abilities. Children feel secure in the setting and gain a real sense of belonging as they enjoy a variety of play activities. The childminder is committed to the ongoing improvement of her provision through evaluating her practice and accessing training which supports and develops her practice.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 looking at ways to share experience of caring for children with special needs amongst other practitioners.

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the early years provision

The childminder's documentation is exceptionally well organised, readily available and accessible. She has effective procedures in place to promote the safeguarding of all children in her setting. She is vigilant regarding children's safety and continually reviews her procedures to ensure that children keep safe while in her care. She carries out detailed risk assessments of her premises, and all outings that children take part in, showing any actions taken to minimise potential risks. Her knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures is kept up to date This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 so that she can be prompt and effective in following up any concerns. All records relating to children's health and safety are well maintained.

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the early years provision

The childminder sets out a wide range of suitable and attractive resources to stimulate children's interest, making them easily accessible to children by taking their individual mobility into account. She spends her time with the children, supporting them as they access different play activities and interacting effectively to promote their learning. She is particularly attentive to children's individual development and focuses on moving children on in their learning according to their particular stage of development. For example, additional resources are introduced at times to cater for a child's interest or learning need. The childminder encourages an awareness of diversity through the provision of resources and activities that reflect diversity in a wider world.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an excellent working partnership with parents, and also other professionals and providers, and these contribute greatly to the continuity of care for all children. The written information about her setting is clear and reader- friendly, and she provides extra information for parents which may be of interest, such as local services, child development and special educational needs. She makes very good use of questionnaires to gauge parents' satisfaction with her provision for their children. She regularly exchanges information with parents, both verbally and in writing, and actively encourages parents to become involved in their children's learning. She is proactive in her liaison with other professionals who support children in her care, sharing relevant information and carefully documenting all communications.

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the early years provision

The childminder is exemplary in her approach to her own professional development, updating mandatory training regularly and seeking out training events which are relevant to the needs of children in her care. Since her previous inspection she has made notable improvements to her setting, for example, redesigning her garden so that is more child-friendly, developing and establishing a new system of observational assessment and learning about special needs education. She has recently joined her local childminding network so that she can benefit from their input to her ongoing self-evaluation. She reviews aspects of her practice monthly to consider ways of improving it and is keen to take up the opportunity to become a 'disability champion' within her local authority. In this way she hopes to share her experiences with other practitioners.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from the childminder's flexible and sensitive attitude to their developmental needs. They delight in the many opportunities to explore and to follow up their own interests, for example, playing with balls, making music or creating pictures. The childminder carefully adapts the play environment so that it is accessible for children with differing needs, for instance, deflating a ball so that it can be grasped by a child or hanging musical instruments at low level in the garden so that they are within reach. She responds appropriately to children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interests as they arise, for instance, when a child takes an interest in banging together building blocks she takes the opportunity to extend the child's learning through an awareness of rhythm and counting. She talks with children about their favourite activities so that she can follow these up in her planning and uses local

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and outcomes for children

children's centres to provide a range of alternative learning experiences for children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has put in place a very effective system of observational assessment which enables her to record her observations of children in different ways, and then summarise their progress each month in order to determine their next steps of learning. The children's observation records are visually attractive and clearly show children's progress so that parents are also encouraged to contribute. In addition, the childminder has introduced a system of focused developmental observations for children with special needs. These chart children's individual progress in detail and can be shared with parents and other professionals, enabling these children to be moved on step by step in their learning. Through the use of these comprehensive systems the childminder maximises opportunities to focus children's learning, for instance, as they explore mark-making, investigate toys or sort objects. Children gain useful skills for the

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and outcomes for children

future when sharing books, singing rhymes or going for walks in the local area.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop very close relationships with the childminder and enjoy playing with each other. The childminder encourages them to respect others through reminders to share and take turns. Children's behaviour is excellent and they respond positively, and enthusiastically, to the childminder's requests and suggestions. Their self-esteem is boosted through much praise for their efforts and achievements. The childminder takes care to allow children to find things out for themselves as they play, offering help only if a child wants it and verbalising her actions to encourage their communication skills. In this way she promotes a relaxed atmosphere in which children become inquisitive and creative learners. They feel safe in her setting as she supervises them closely. They learn to keep themselves safe in different situations and talk about people in the community who help to keep them safe. The childminder encourages children to adopt healthy

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and outcomes for children

lifestyles through talking about healthy foods, learning good hygiene practice and enjoying outdoor play activities. Children are extremely happy in her care and making significant progress in their learning in all areas. 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 1 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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