Childminder in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY261306 Inspection date 18/07/2011 Inspector Kath Harding

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and three children in Telford, Shropshire. The whole of the property is used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. The family has no pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently three children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to eight years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds.

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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 provides highly effective care and learning opportunities, promoting very positive outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children take part in an exciting and purposeful range of high-quality activities that support their learning and development extremely well and take into consideration their individual needs, so ensuring that the childminder's practice is fully inclusive. The childminder works extremely closely with parents, consulting with them and their children regularly to enable her to assess the provision. She is fully committed to the continuous provision of a childminding service that is sensitive and responsive to the future needs of the children she cares for.

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further?

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

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further?

 developing relationships with parents by offering support for extending children's learning in the home. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is prioritised and is very well promoted because the childminder has an excellent understanding of her responsibilities relating to safeguarding children. She has undertaken child protection training to promote her understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board's procedures. Children's well-being is further enhanced by the childminder's excellent organisation and comprehensive risk assessments for the home garden and outings, ensuring that children's safety is promoted at all levels. The childminder has a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that support her exceptionally good practice. These are shared with parents and reviewed regularly.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in accordance with their parents' wishes, for instance the childminder encourages children to eat different fruits and offers very flexible sessions to fit in with flexible working arrangements. She takes time to accumulate information relating to children's individual needs, likes and dislikes, thus ensuring consistency and continuity between home and the setting. Photographs of the children's parents at work are displayed, so children can look and chat about their parents during the day. Parents receive verbal information about their child on a daily basis with children being encouraged to recall their days events and younger children having daily diaries. This helps to sustain excellent relationships. Children's profiles and detailed observations and photographs fully support their progress and are shared regularly with parents and complement the regular, meaningful feedback discussions about children's activities, routines and achievements. The

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the early years provision

childminder sometimes offers support to parents for extending children's learning at home and useful information is displayed in the office for parents so they can easily refer to this. Parent's and children's views about the setting are consistently encouraged and very much valued. This includes: 'We will be heart broken when we have to leave... the way our child has developed into a lively, active, intelligent little girl and a massive part of this is down to our childminder. Our child misses the childminder's place when she is not there. Half way through our holiday, she wanted to know when she will be back at the childminders, even though she was having a fantastic time... you make some right decisions in life and this is one of them... she cannot get a better start... she is so happy'. The childminder actively seeks out advice and support to deal with children's individual needs. The childminder's rigorous, honest approach and positive attitude to feedback enable

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the early years provision

her to identify changes and prioritise areas for improvement. She listened to the children's thoughts and ideas and traded saved vouchers for a dark den.

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the early years provision

The childminder is highly motivated and totally committed to providing a high level of care and education to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. She has a strong commitment to her own self-development and attends regular training to update and develop her knowledge and expertise and to enhance her excellent practice.

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the early years provision

The childminder manages daily routines effectively to accommodate the individual needs of the children attending, recognising their need for quiet and active play and rest. Planning is flexible and is developed by talking with the children to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ensure they have a voice. Their interests and play preferences are woven into the plans to ensure that they benefit from an excellent balance of child-led and adult- initiated activities that fully sustain their interest.

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the early years provision

The welcoming, rich and varied environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's learning. It is utilised to its full potential to provide children with choices about where and with what they wish to play. The childminder makes maximum use of all areas, providing toys and resources at low-level, to enable children to make independent choices.

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the early years provision

The childminder is very proactive in developing partnerships with other settings. She fully understands the benefits of effective partnership working. This results in productive dialogue and exchange of information to fully promote continuity in the children's care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

High priority is given to maintaining children's good health and well-being. They enjoy a wholesome, nutritious and balanced diet and are supported to make healthy choices as the childminder cooks freshly prepared meals. They are encouraged to try different food items and their individual dietary requirements and preferences are catered for. They take part in food games, so encouraging their understanding of healthy food options. They choose from a variety of fruits at snack time and are involved in the choice and preparation of snacks and lunches. They go fruit picking to further tempt children to try different tastes. They are encouraged to wash their hands regularly, so encouraging their understanding of the importance of following good personal hygiene routines. They have innovative opportunities to engage in a wide range of physical activities such as balancing on tree stumps, making dens, taking part in the Eco Olympics and a local twig boat

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and outcomes for children

Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they visit the fire station, talk about what to do in an emergency, handle the hose and dress up in fire-fighters clothes. As children jump down stairs the childminder encourages the children to undertake their own risk assessments. They play with commercially produced games which help them to think about how safe or unsafe things are, such as scissors. They take part in regular fire drills so they know how to evacuate the premises in an emergency.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive and make excellent progress because the childminder has a comprehensive knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and offers a highly stimulating environment. She uses the information gained from the observations of children's progress to ensure that activity planning is well targeted and focussed to fully promote children's individual development in all six areas of learning. Children enjoy an extensive variety of activities both in and out of the home and they become thoroughly engrossed in activities such as the elephant game, where they have to catch different coloured toy butterflies. As they care for caterpillars, look at This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their life cycle and go to the butterfly farm, they make connections in their learning. They plant sunflowers and strawberries, tend these and feed the poorly duck, so learning to care for living things. The superior organisation of the setting

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and outcomes for children

and provision of resources means that children are encouraged to explore and experiment, as they make dens, take part in Forest school sessions, build supervised fires and toast marshmallows and teacakes. The children have great opportunities to discover things for themselves as they use binoculars when looking at wildlife, explore in the streams as they collect items in their buckets and smell the sap in the trees.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder skilfully supports children's play using effective questioning techniques to challenge their knowledge and understanding in areas such as number, colour, shape and size. Children become confident communicators, learning to listen and speak as they interact with the childminder. They learn to problem solve, and negotiate as they play games to re-enforce this learning. The positive attitude of the childminder in encouraging children's enthusiasm and interests allows children to develop habits as independent and inquisitive learners. Extremely positive attitudes to sustainability are encouraged from an early age as children learn about the wormery and recycle paper, card, bottles and plastics. The children are encouraged to separate the items and put in the relevant bins.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave exceptionally well, are polite and respectful in their interactions. They learn to take turns, share and be helpful to each other as they offer some of their toy butterflies to others as they have caught the most. Their emotional development is promoted extremely well as they develop secure, trusting relationships with the childminder. All children are highly valued as individuals and made to feel special as they engage in a wide range of activities that help them to value diversity and understand the cultures and lifestyles of others. They look at different festivals such as Eid, St David's day and Chinese New Year and do a whole host of related activities such as going to a Chinese restaurant for a meal, making lanterns, looking at Chinese signs and writing, making Eid cards and making dragons and eating Welsh cakes. They are helped to learn about their local area as they visit the woodland area, the library, the toy library, the bank and

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and outcomes for children

shops. They go to places such as, an interactive science museum, Warwick castle where they watch jousting and play at the pageant park and the air force museum to gain an understanding of the wider world. They take part in fund raising activities such as, a sponsored toddle waddle to raise monies for others. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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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