Norman, Jenny

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY358232 Inspection date 12/05/2011 Inspector Alison Edwards

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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 2007. She lives with her husband and three children aged 15, 12 and eight years of age in a house in a village on the eastern outskirts of Leicester. Minded children use the ground floor of the house for play. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor activities. A cat is kept as a family pet. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of five minded children aged under eight years, including three in the early years age range. There are currently seven children under the age of eight on roll, including five in the early years age range. The childminder is also registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register to care for older children. The childminder holds a recognised early years qualification at Level 3.

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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

Children are settled and confident in this very welcoming and stimulating family home. The childminder has developed excellent partnerships with parents and other professionals. This ensures that she has strong arrangements to take account of each child's individuality and to promote consistent continuity and progression in their care and learning. The well-qualified childminder makes good use of self-evaluation and available training and support to continue to develop her existing good practice. Consequently, children are well supported overall in making good progress across all areas of learning, helping them to establish a strong basis for their future skills.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that risk assessments take full consideration of everything that children use, with particular regard to manufacturer's guidance relating to young children's access to the full-sized trampoline.  review existing use of observations to more consistently and accurately identify and plan for the next steps in each child's development and regularly review their progress in order to promote the highest levels of challenge and progression across each aspect of learning.

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the early years provision

Childminding is organised effectively to promote children's welfare and learning. Methodical and comprehensive policies and procedures are shared with parents and are readily accessible for reference. Consequently, they effectively underpin arrangements for children's safety, for example, in the event of a child being This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 uncollected or contracting a contagious illness. The childminder maintains clear and detailed information about each child's personal, contact and care details, so helping her to take good account of their individual needs. Required records relating to medication administration and regarding parental permission to obtain medical treatment in the event of an emergency are now effectively used to underpin the childminder's ability to act in children's best interest. Detailed risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, effectively documenting the

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the early years provision

range of sensible precautions taken to promote children's safety inside the home and on outings. However, they occasionally omit consideration of specific aspects of children's garden play, with particular reference to children's access to the large trampoline. The childminder has recently undertaken updated training on safeguarding issues. Consequently, she has a good understanding of what child abuse and neglect are, and of her responsibility to notify the relevant agencies in the event of any concerns about a child or any allegation of abuse. Available space and resources are used extremely well. For example, indoor play space is organised very effectively to provide many stimulating opportunities for children to extend their purposeful and independent activities, for example, within a very well equipped pretend play area. Children benefit greatly from very well-presented outdoor activities very effectively supporting all areas of their development and

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the early years provision

helping them to make links in their learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder has excellent arrangements to work in partnership with parents and other relevant professionals. There is an extremely informative and readable welcome pack which very effectively supplements prospective parents initial discussions and visits with the childminder. These, together with clear written business agreements, ensure an excellent shared understanding of arrangements for children's care. The childminder works extremely closely with new parents to ensure that she is able to take fully account of each child's individual circumstances, interests, needs and abilities. Consequently, children settle extremely readily in her care. The childminder greatly values parents continuing observations of children's changing abilities and needs, so actively involving them in her ongoing processes of assessment and planning. Developmental records are freely shared with parents, so ensuring that there is an excellent shared

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the early years provision

understanding of how children are progressing. In addition to informal discussion, the childminder uses systematic questionnaires to actively encourage parents to contribute their views on the arrangements for children's care. The childminder is very clear on the value of working closely with other relevant agencies, such as health professionals, to support the inclusion of any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or chronic health needs. She has excellent links with a network of other local early years settings, including schools, playgroups and childminders. As a result, there are extremely good channels of communication to promote a shared knowledge of the needs of children moving on to other settings. There are also excellent arrangements to help children become familiar with a range of other early years practitioners and settings, so very effectively promoting their confident transition. The childminder is well-aware of

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the early years provision

the need to take sensitive account of each child's individuality in order to help them reach their full potential. For example, she adapts messy and investigative play activities to encourage the growing confidence of children initially reluctant to get dirty hands. Children readily access a selection of good quality resources reflecting different cultures, lifestyles and abilities, so helping them to gain a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 positive attitude to diversity.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to continued improvement. She has taken effective steps to address the recommendations from her previous inspection, for example, by improving her use of required records to more effectively underpin arrangements for children's welfare. The childminder has extended her skills and knowledge by completing a recognised early years qualification at Level 3, and continues to make committed use of available local support networks to share and implement best practice. She has a clear understanding of the value of continuing to systematically review the effectiveness of her childminding service. This enables her to accurately monitor existing strengths and identify areas for ongoing improvement in order to further enhance the quality of provision for all children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's caring and responsive approach helps children to quickly establish secure and confident relationships with others, and to develop purposeful enjoyment in their play. For example, the childminder's gentle encouragement and support enables older and younger children to play cooperatively and harmoniously together when participating in parachute games in the garden. Excellent organisation of resources promotes children's purposeful and sustained play, for example, as they explore many aspects of painting and mark making using long strips of wallpaper in the garden. It also effectively promotes children's independence and choice, for example, as they readily choose favourite stories from low shelves to take outside. They show growing awareness of their own and other people's feelings as they talk with the childminder about why a character in a favourite story is scared of what's under the bed. The childminder effectively

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and outcomes for children

promotes children's understanding of how to behave safely. For example, she involves them to think and talk about how to use sand sensibly to avoid it going in each others eyes and hair. Children learn about safety in the wider world through discussion and stories about issues such as road safety and stranger danger.

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and outcomes for children

There are good arrangements to help children develop a healthy lifestyle. The childminder talks with younger toddlers about simple hygiene issues during nappy changing, encouraging them to hand her items such as clean wipes. Children readily gain an understanding of good hygiene practices as they talk about using liquid soap and individual towels when washing their hands before eating. The childminder actively encourages them to try a range of healthy snacks such as chopped strawberries, satsuma sections and crackers. Children participate in simple board games related to healthy food choices, and enjoy sowing and caring for plants such as carrots and tomatoes, so helping to extend their awareness of healthy foods. The childminder takes careful account of children's changing physical skills, such as their growing confidence in balancing or climbing. From an early age, she incorporates a number of activities helping them to develop their

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and outcomes for children

dexterity, for example, pouring water between containers and manipulating cornflour gloop. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children enjoy a range of practical play activities helping to develop their problem solving skills and number awareness. For example, the childminder encourages them to count the number of steps they climb to the top of the slide, and to investigate how different shapes and sizes of rail track can be fitted together. Children enjoy anticipating events in favourite stories, and readily begin to retell these in their own words. The childminder consistently encourages them to talk about their own experiences and ideas. This helps children to develop their language and thinking skills, for example when a child explains that he has seen how you can pull milk out of a cow. Children enjoy easy access to a range of chunky chalks and crayons, so helping them to extend their mark making skills. A

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and outcomes for children

very well resourced role play area enables children to develop their imaginative ideas, for example, building on their interests in super-hero play. Resources such as toy microwaves, phones and swipe card tills enable them to explore everyday technology in their pretend play. They investigate the world around them as they use magnifying glasses to find small creatures in the garden or nearby wildlife areas. The childminder encourages them to observe aspects of the changing seasons, such as the blossom on spring trees, linking this to related adult-led creative activities which they experience at local toddler groups. The childminder already makes consistent use of observations and captioned photographs linked to different areas of learning to record many aspects of children's progress. She already plans a varied range of activities and experiences inside and outside the home helping to provide balanced coverage of most aspects of learning. However,

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and outcomes for children

she is not yet fully confident in consistently and accurately identifying priorities for each child's future learning in order to plan for the highest levels of individual challenge and progression. 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 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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