Seaham Trinity Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 134657 Inspection date 25/07/2011 Inspector Jan Leo

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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 1999. She lives with her husband and two adult children in Didcot, Oxfordshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of six children under the age of eight years at any one time; of whom three may be in the early years age group. The childminder currently cares for six children in total and of these, five are in the early years age group. All attend on a part-time basis.

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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 children benefit from individual learning and development programmes in recognition of their diverse skills and interests. They learn to be considerate and play very well together in harmony. All aspects of health and safety are well met, although some documentation lacks the detail needed to meet all legal requirements and fully support her service. Resources are well used to inspire play and the childminder helps children understand the consequences of their actions and develop the skills they need for the future. The partnerships with parents, and children's other carers where care is shared, are very effective with good two-way information exchange being used to consolidate learning and develop a consistent approach to children's care. The childminder evaluates all she does to identify and address areas for improvement and she links with other childcare professionals to share good practice and help raise standards further.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure the risk assessment record includes the date it was completed, by whom, date of review and any action following a review or incident (Documentation) 01/08/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 include full and accurate details in all documentation routinely to provide parents with clear information about procedures and their children's progress. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of child protection issues and the procedure to follow if concerns arise. She understands her responsibility to protect children from harm and provides a high level of supervision to keep them safe throughout the day. The childminder reinforces safe practice as children play to help them learn good habits for later life and make sensible decisions for themselves as they grow and develop. Hazards are successfully addressed to provide a child friendly environment, but the risk assessment records currently lack the required detail to meet the legal requirement. However, this failing in the childminder's documentation does not have a significant effect on children's safety overall.

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the early years provision

The childminder makes a wide range of resources easily available to all ages and children select them confidently to develop their own ideas. The childminder joins in play to link learning and reinforce children's skills, interacting fluently with children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. As a result, the children feel very safe and secure in the childminder's care and thoroughly enjoy their day. The children learn to understand the needs of others and some show signs of distress when a friend is upset, demonstrating a feeling of community within their little group. The childminder sets individual targets for each child and all receive the support they need to narrow the gaps in their development and help them reach their full potential.

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the early years provision

The childminder understands the need to build strong partnerships and has well established systems for sharing information with both parents and carers to enhance what children do elsewhere. She has implemented a formal hand over form to give to schools and pre-schools when children move on, easing the transition as much as possible. Parents have access to a comprehensive range of policies to inform them about the service and most documentation is clear, up to date and valuable. However, some policies do not include appropriate timescales or updated references.

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the early years provision

All aspects of the service are well thought through and professional. The childminder takes a self-reflective approach to improvements and she welcomes ideas from parents and carers to help develop further. She values ongoing training to help stay up to date and has begun to use websites and good practice ideas from other childcare professionals to help lead improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The children follow a healthy lifestyle with frequent opportunities for outdoor and active play, unlimited access to drinks, and a secure hand washing regime to help prevent the spread of germs. They learn about healthy eating and how food grows, visiting a fruit farm to encourage poor eaters to try new foods as part of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their activities. The children confidently ask for drinks and tell the childminder when they are ready for lunch, expressing themselves clearly when conveying their needs.

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and outcomes for children

The children play very well, welcoming adults by including them in play. For example one makes 'lunch' and plies visitors with pizza and strawberries with ice cream. They talk through what they do, speaking clearly and confidently in the main, making themselves easily understood. The childminder questions children appropriately to develop their thinking and reasoning, reinforcing colour and number work within a relevant context to make learning meaningful. All learning is through play. Children are unhurried and progress at their own rate while the childminder brings in related topics to extend their interests. As a result, the children join in enthusiastically and learn effortlessly.

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and outcomes for children

Some snuggle up close to the childminder while they read a story together, developing a love of books and responding well to the childminder's questions. They talk about what they see to extend children's knowledge of the wider world and chat freely and confidently, demonstrating growing independence and security. The children use technical and interactive resources to help them learn about modern technology and use role play to broaden their life experiences. For example, when playing office they use a laminator, hole-punch, computer and typewriter to get a feel for the job, experiencing aspects of modern life to prepare them for the future.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder routinely talks to the children to help explain what they see and enable them to make more sense of things. They progress well and the childminder uses photograph albums to keep parents involved in the day. The books provide a colourful and interesting record of what the children do; but these are not routinely dated to show children's rate of progress or to aid future areas for individual development. However, the childminder knows the children well enough to prepare an effective plan for each child and, although this limits information available to parents and carers, there is little impact on the children and their progress. 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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