Beech Down Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 116064 Inspection date 28/06/2011 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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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 1997. She lives with her two adult children in Staines, Surrey. The ground floor of the house is mainly used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding three children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. She is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder drives to local schools to take and collect children. She holds a level 3 childcare qualification.

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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 treats each child in her care as a unique individual, and works effectively with parents to ensure their needs are met. The childminder's good understanding of the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to progress successfully towards the early learning goals. Overall, children learn about equality and diversity, and the society in which they live. The childminder is committed to the continuous development of her provision in order to improve outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 enable children to talk to people and visit places in the community, such as the library and fire station, in order to learn about the local environment and develop a sense of community.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a high level of commitment to promoting children's safety. She has a good understanding of the potential signs of child abuse and has her local authority procedures to follow should she need to report concerns. Detailed policies, including a complaints procedure, are given to parents to make them aware of her responsibilities for safeguarding the children. All adults living in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 home have had the necessary checks to assess their suitability to be in the proximity of minded children. Highly detailed and effective risk assessments are carried out on all aspects of the childminder's home in order to identify and minimise potential hazards. Risk assessments are also conducted for each outing to further promote children's safety. Children learn to be safety conscious without being fearful. For example, they learn about the potential harmful effects of the

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the early years provision

sun and the importance of wearing a sun hat, and about looking both ways for traffic before crossing roads.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to building upon her existing good standards. She enjoys attending training courses as she recognises how continuous improvement benefits the children, as well as her personal development. Since the last inspection, the childminder has attained a National Vocational Qualification in childcare at level 3. The childminder has found self-evaluation of her practice a useful exercise to identify areas to enhance. One recent initiative is the way in which she now carries out planning. The childminder has improved her organisation by devising a plan for the week. This keeps her focused upon what she aims to provide for the children in order to promote their learning and development. Her plan for the future includes becoming part of a quality assurance scheme to maintain her knowledge of current good practice. Parent questionnaire forms enable parents to express their views as part of the self-evaluation process.

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the early years provision

The childminder welcomes their feedback.

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the early years provision

Effective partnerships with parents are well established and result in the individual needs of each child being met well. 'All about me' forms are completed by parents at the start of an arrangement to ensure all relevant information is exchanged, which enables the childminder to provide consistent individual care. Parents routinely take their child's progress file home to read. Consequently, they are well informed about their child's development and are able to support their learning at home. Parents also make contributions to the child's file by providing photographs of activities the child has done at home. This sharing of information enables a coherent approach to each child's learning to be established. Parents make very positive comments about the care provided, and describe how the childminder enables children to learn through activities indoors and outings. The childminder also liaises effectively with the schools and nurseries the children attend in order to

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the early years provision

promote their achievements and well-being. She ensures she is provided with information about each child's stage of development in all the areas of learning, as well as the themes and topics covered each term.

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the early years provision

The childminder's home provides a safe, clean and nurturing environment for children. A range of fun and stimulating resources is set out each day, based upon the interests of the children attending. Other play materials are stored in the 'sun room' in drawers or on shelves for children to choose. They have plenty of space in the living room to fully explore the toys. Children's comfort and safety is considered as the childminder has the appropriate numbers of travel cots and highchairs to meet all their needs. All the toys and equipment are clean and in good condition.

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the early years provision

Children learn about diversity in the wider society through socialising with others at pre-school groups, and through the resources they use in the childminder's home. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Many books, puzzles, dressing-up outfits and play figures reflect positive images of different cultures and religions, thereby enabling children to learn about and have respect for people different from themselves. However, children have fewer opportunities to learn about people who work in the local community to help and support them, such as fire fighters and road crossing-patrol men and women, in order to develop a sense of belonging.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play and become active learners as they make good use of the available resources. Each child's progress file contains detailed observations linked to the six areas of learning, along with an assessment of their development. The next step in their learning journey is clearly identified. The childminder uses suitable record forms effectively to monitor the progress each child makes towards the early learning goals. Children select books for pleasure and sit down in the comfortable book corner to look at them. They have opportunities to develop pre- writing skills through drawing and painting. This helps to promote language and literacy. They routinely count and match puzzle pieces, thereby fostering problem solving skills and numeracy. The childminder has a variety of children's laptops readily accessible to the children. These help them to develop the skills they will need to operate information and communication technology in the future.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder supports children's growing understanding of the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They plant strawberries and vegetables in the back garden and learn how to look after them successfully. They both enjoy and benefit from eating them. The back garden also provides a safe place to enjoy physical exercise through playing with a range of suitable equipment. The children also thoroughly enjoy walking in parks and on nature trails. The childminder helps children understand which foods are good for them by providing a range of healthy meals and snacks that take account of their individual dietary needs. Drinking water is readily available in their drinking cups to prevent dehydration, and children ask for them if they are unable to locate them. Personal hygiene skills are promoted as children become familiar with the routine of hand washing before meals. Young children are content and settled because their physical and dietary

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and outcomes for children

Children are relaxed and happy in the childminder's care. Their behaviour is good because they learn the rules of the house, such as not jumping indoors and being kind to each other. The childminder applies these rules consistently so that children develop confidence and good self-esteem because they know what is expected of them. The childminder treats each child with warmth and kindness. They demonstrate their closeness to her by welcoming her interaction with them, and willingly sitting on her lap for a cuddle. 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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