Manchester Health Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 135875 Inspection date 22/06/2011 Inspector Anahita Aderianwalla

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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 1993. She lives with her husband in a house situated in the Bush Hill Park area of the London borough of Enfield. The whole ground floor of the premises is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder's daughter works as her assistant. The childminder is registered to care for six children under eight years at any one time; of these, three may be in the early years age range. When working with an assistant they may care for eight children under eight years at any one time; of these, five may be in the early years age range. There are currently four children in the early years range attending on a part-time basis. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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's welfare is effectively promoted in the warm and welcoming homely environment provided by the childminder and her assistant. Good relationships with parents are established through sharing valuable information. Children's needs are inclusively met and individual routines followed with regard to the preferences of parents. Children make good progress in their learning as they enjoy a variety of well-organised and stimulating activities. The childminder demonstrates good capacity for continuous improvement through identifying areas of strengths or weaknesses in most areas of their practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the frequency of observations recorded and ensure next steps are completed consistently for every child  improve systems for self-evaluation to clearly show strengths and weaknesses in all areas of practice

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the early years provision

The children are safeguarded well by the childminder and her assistant, who are able to implement effective safeguarding procedures. This is assured through their clear knowledge of the signs of possible abuse, having relevant contact details and appropriate guidance documents being on display for easy access. The childminder's daughter is her assistant and they work very well as a team. They share and understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to conditions of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 registration and how to meet the welfare requirements within the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, a good range of robust policies and procedures and informative displays of certificates, registration and insurance documents are effectively maintained. All necessary records are available in regard to medication, emergency medical advice, accidents and existing injuries and hours of

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the early years provision

attendance; all parental consents are in place. Suitability checks are complete and the childminder keeps a record of all visitors to ensure their suitability can be accessed as necessary. Formal risk assessments are completed well and include all outdoor visits. The childminder records possible hazards when taking trips or visiting local parks and different toddler groups.

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the early years provision

Space and resources are organised very well. Children's sense of belonging is promoted as they are encouraged to self-select from the range of toys available; these are age appropriate and promote positive images of diversity. The childminder constantly ensures necessary adjustments are made to secure children's safety at all times.

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the early years provision

There is an effective partnership between the childminder and her assistant, who use their individual strengths to complement each other's daily duties. They regularly discuss practice issues and identify priorities for improvement. The childminder regularly reviews documentation and the quality and suitability of resources are checked to ensure sustainability of the provision. Recently, the childminder has considered the benefits of completing the Ofsted self-evaluation form. She is beginning to compile all the self-evaluation records they have completed. However, the self-evaluation process does not include all areas of practice at this time.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and other carers are well established. The childminder offers parents clear information on a daily basis. Parents are aware of the procedure for making a complaint and there is relevant information and a complaints log available to them. The childminder works closely with parents. She shares plenty of information, both verbally and in daily diaries, which has a positive impact on children's care, welfare, development and learning. The childminder is aware of building relationships with the staff at local schools and nurseries, to maintain consistency in the welfare and learning of children in her care.

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and outcomes for children

Children settle quickly and form a good relationship with the childminder and their peers. Children behave well, taking turns with favourite resources and learning to be considerate of the safety of others; for example, whilst tidying up they ask adults to be careful not to trip. Children are developing good independence and personal hygiene skills, washing their hands thoroughly before snack time and taking care of their own toileting needs. Children enjoy healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, which are prepared by the childminder. They have free access to water, independently using a water dispenser throughout the day to ensure they are suitably hydrated. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 A variety of well-organised and stimulating activities are on offer to support children's learning and development. The effective liaison with parents and other

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and outcomes for children

carers ensures that valuable information is shared and a full picture of each child is obtained. An effective system for recording individual progress is used. The childminder plans with children's interest in mind and written plans cover all areas of learning. The childminder observes and notes children's progress during planned and spontaneous opportunities. This information is recorded, alongside photographs of the children enjoying their daily activities and samples of their creations. This information is used to identify children's next steps in their individual learning journey. However, not all next steps are consistently completed for every child. The number of observations completed need to be increased, to allow the childminder to fully monitor progress of the children in her care.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrates a clear knowledge of each child's unique progress. She ensures the opportunities available encourage further development across all areas of learning. She interacts well with the children asking age appropriate questions and responding positively to their actions. Brightly coloured posters of numbers, letters and animals are used to support discussions to extend learning; for example, children engage in long periods of play with construction blocks and small world animals, placed on a large floor road mats. The childminder encourages children to problem solve as they engage in a variety of activities; for example, they build complex models such as trains with several attached carriages. They talk about where they are taking the farm animals and make suggestions about how many stops to make as the animals may get thirsty and hungry. Other children happily build helicopters and talk about flying in the sky and where they

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and outcomes for children

think they are going, predicting the possible destination.

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and outcomes for children

Children are helped to feel safe. They have achievable boundaries and take part in discussions about road safety and fire drills regularly. The children help to tidy up toys, learning not to leave things lying on the floor to prevent accidents. They are aware of how to negotiate around small babies and remind each other that 'babies might get hurt if they fall over the toys'.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder encourages the children to adopt a healthy lifestyle and teaches them about healthy eating. There are daily routines for promoting children's personal hygiene skills and the childminder sets good examples for them to follow. In addition, children have access to a large well stocked garden, where they can play what ever the weather. Children learn about living things as they explore the garden for different creatures like butterflies, spiders and worms or compare the shapes and colours of the flowers and leaves. Additional experiences, such as attending various toddler groups and activity centres, taking part in charity events and trips to local parks, develop children's awareness of their community and allow them to explore and further investigate the world around them. 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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