Childminder in Warrington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 314897 Inspection date 07/07/2011 Inspector Ferroza Saiyed

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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 1989. She lives with her husband in the Penketh area of Warrington. The local area offers a community centre, library, parks, various groups, and shops. Facilities for children within the family home, comprise of the lounge, kitchen dining, and a playroom. There is an outdoor play area to the rear of the house.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, the compulsory part of the Childcare Register and the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of four children aged 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 on roll in this age group who attend at various times. The childminder cares for children on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is qualified to National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Childcare, Learning and Development. Advice, support and training are gained from the local authority. She also runs a group for Parents and Toddlers with two other registered childminders in the local community.

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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 is effective in meeting the needs of all children through recognising their uniqueness. She provides an inclusive, welcoming and caring service. The homely environment makes children feel very safe. The good organisation, drive and motivation of the childminder ensures that children are happy, and have very positive experiences. Children make good progress overall in their learning and development as they are eager to be actively engaged in their choice of interesting play activities. The childminder has developed effective procedures to work with parents, which help ensure that all children's individual needs are met well. The childminder reflects on her practice, undertakes regular training and is extremely well placed to sustain improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the links between observations and the expectations of the early learning goals by using the identified learning priorities to inform future planning  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips. 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 organises her provision well. She demonstrates a good understanding of safeguarding children issues and is fully aware of and confident about procedures to follow should she have any concerns. A comprehensive range of policies and procedures, which have been recently updated, are used effectively to underpin her good practice. Written risk assessments of all areas of the home and garden, along with daily checks and appropriate safety equipment, ensure that children are kept safe within the home environment. However, records do not include outings and trips. Nevertheless, children's safety is promoted on outings as the childminder implements good procedures, such as carrying contact details for children and a first aid kit, along with constant supervision of the children. Therefore, the impact is minimal.

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the early years provision

The childminder holds an up-to-date first aid certificate and has requested consent from parents to obtain emergency medical treatment. This ensures she could respond quickly and effectively to any accidents. The childminder demonstrates a very positive attitude towards her career and developing her provision. She has made good use of the Ofsted self-evaluation form and has a very good understanding of areas she wishes to develop. This helps to promote outcomes for children and promotes an environment of continuous improvement. All recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been positively addressed.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an abundance of toys and activities for inside and outside play. She clearly considers how to make best use of space in order to achieve the maximum benefit for children, for example, creating zones to meet the needs of children. Toys are stored on low-level shelving or in boxes. This enables children to make confident choices about their learning and play. The children benefit from dedicated playrooms in the child-orientated home, where colourful examples of their work, along with posters and photographs, help to promote their sense of belonging and self-esteem.

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the early years provision

The childminder ensures that parents are kept fully up-to-date about their child's learning through daily diaries for younger children, verbal feedback and access to their child's developmental file. Close liaison with staff at the local nursery serves to support and promote the continuity of care and learning for all children who attend more than one setting. The childminder is warm and very caring and children respond to this nurturing positively. They are happy in their play and laugh and smile a lot. Although the childminder does not currently work with children with additional needs, she fully understands the importance of working with parents and other professionals. Policy statements show an inclusive, anti- discriminatory approach to the childminder's practice. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. A good balance of child-led and adult-initiated experiences ensures that activities are appropriate for children's ages and stages of development and cover all areas of learning. The childminder knows the children well and uses this to plan activities based upon their interests and needs. Ongoing observation is the main form of assessment and the childminder has developed a system for assessing the children. As a result, children are making good progress in their learning and development. Individual files have been developed for each of the children. These include photographs and assessment of the children's learning. However, these do not always match the observations to the expectations of the learning priorities to inform future planning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have lots of fun and enjoyment. They are confident and most of all they are happy. They are well supported in their learning and development as the childminder knows them very well. She skilfully promotes children's well-being and promotes children's active involvement in their own learning. The space is planned so that it is accessible, interesting and there are stimulating resources available for all children. This enables them to access resources freely, encouraging independence, choice and decision-making. The childminder interacts with the children constantly. She stimulates their curiosity and uses open-ended questions well to encourage their developing language skills as they play together. For example, she asks children to reflect, asking 'Who do we contact if there is a fire?' Children respond by dialling for the fire brigade. This positively contributes to children developing a sense of danger and how to keep themselves safe.

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and outcomes for children

Mathematical awareness is well promoted through everyday activities, such as, counting to ten when playing hide and seek, and squealing in delight when found. Minded children proudly informed the inspector that five and five makes ten. Children express their imagination in a creative way, as they dress up as their favourite characters, and use a wide range of media to produce cards to celebrate different occasions in an inspiring way. Children illustrate their joy in showing their creations. Children confidently practise their writing skills as they access a range of tools to make marks. They carefully trace over the letters and know 'M' is for mum.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a variety of outdoor activities each week and this increases their confidence and develops social skills as they visit local groups to socialise with other children. They learn the importance of fresh air and exercise being good for their health and well-being. Children enjoy playing in the garden, with a selection of sit-and-ride cars, the slide and in the sand. They have good opportunities to climb and balance when visiting the park and the activity centre. The childminder has an extremely good understanding of the importance of providing a healthy diet and this is supported by exciting and fun activities, such as, planting vegetables. They also taste food from around the world. Children are provided with good opportunities to learn and develop an awareness of the diverse culture in which they live, because the childminder has a clear understanding of differing cultures. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The indoor space, the garden, visits to community groups and trips to places of interest all allow children to discover new environments and promote highly stimulating experiences. This provides them with inspiring and challenging opportunities to develop social and intellectual skills. Children are welcomed into the childminder's home and are valued as individuals. They behave well and display good manners, such as saying 'may I?', 'please' and 'thank you' for snacks and drinks. Children are well supported by the childminder who has clear house rules in place to help children to begin to learn right and wrong. This is combined with lots of praise and encouragement and, consequently, children's self-esteem is promoted. Children show respect for one another as their social skills develop, enhancing their positive disposition to learning. 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 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 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 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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