McHugh, Victoria

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY414169 Inspection date 16/08/2011 Inspector Sandra Williams

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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 has been registered since September 2010. She lives with her brother in Thornton, Lancashire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding apart from the back room. The bathroom and front bedroom on the first floor are also registered. Children have access to an enclosed rear garden for outside play. The childminder lives close to schools, shops, beach, Children's Centre and parks and she attends many different local groups and childminding groups.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently six children on roll, four of whom are in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder also provides care to two children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and the Childminding Network. She has 10 years experience working with children and holds a National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Early Years Childcare and Education.

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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

This professional and nurturing childminder respects and caters for all children's unique and individual needs very well. She makes sure that she successfully promotes children's safety, welfare and learning to a high standard. This means that children are making good progress towards most of the early learning goals, given their age, ability and starting points. Partnerships with parents and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are effective in successfully promoting children's welfare and learning. The childminder has a driving ambition and commitment to excellence and is constantly self-evaluating her practice to maintain continuous improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase children's opportunities to develop skills in the use of information and communication technology  develop the outdoor play area to provide children with a wider range of play opportunities and to encourage them to explore and learn about the natural environment by, for example, growing plants. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are very well safeguarded because the childminder has completed training and has a very good knowledge of the indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow should she have any concerns about the children. She has detailed safeguarding policies and procedures in place. The childminder conscientiously and professionally provides a very good childcare service for local children. Detailed and robust risk assessments are undertaken to ensure that the premises is extremely safe and free of hazards. There are good security systems in place which keep children safe and secure and the children are never left alone with anyone who has not been vetted. Emergency evacuation drills take place regularly to ensure that all children are fully aware of the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

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the early years provision

The childminder has undertaken a thorough self-evaluation process which takes into account the views of parents and children. She makes good use of resources, including training opportunities, in order to meet the needs of the children. The deployment of resources is good as the childminder provides a wide range of play equipment for the children to enjoy. Books and toys are stored at low level, some in labelled boxes, which makes it easy for children to access. She also provides a booklet showing photographs of all of the resources available, which helps children choose what they would like to play with.

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the early years provision

Equality and diversity is promoted and embraced by the childminder. She makes sure that all children are well integrated and respected as individuals. She has a good knowledge of the children's individual needs and she conscientiously ensures that they are adhered to. Children are encouraged to respect others and to learn to recognise and celebrate differences as they learn about various festivals. They also enjoy tasting food from different countries, such as chicken curry.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good relationships with parents and carers. They are kept well informed about all aspects of their children's achievements, well-being and development. Parents' written feedback is positive about the care provided to their children. Partnerships with other professionals are also well developed and are very effective in supporting children and their families. Close links with local schools and nurseries also help to ensure that everyone is working well together to support the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time spent with this enthusiastic, caring and nurturing childminder. She provides a homely and safe environment in which the children thrive. They clearly feel safe and happy as they enjoy close and trusting relationships with the childminder. They are developing good levels of confidence and self-esteem as they attend many different groups and activities where they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 make friends and develop good social skills. They show an impressive understanding of what standards of behaviour are acceptable. They are well- mannered and polite and this is reinforced by constant guidance and praise by the childminder. She places great emphasis upon teaching the children about safety. The children understand and respect the childminder's expectations and they apply these in order to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they know that

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and outcomes for children

they must not jump on the furniture. They also learn about road safety and stranger danger when on outings with the childminder.

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and outcomes for children

All children have excellent opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles and enjoy plenty of fresh air as they access the outdoor play area and enjoy regular walks. The children have wonderful opportunities to develop their physical skills as they play with the outdoor equipment as well as going on outings to various places of interest. They develop their fine motor skills and hand to eye coordination as they learn to blow bubbles. They show an excellent understanding of healthy eating and enjoy a varied range of healthy, home made meals and snacks. Children have a very good understanding of the importance of following good personal hygiene routines and they are aware of why they need to wash their hands at appropriate times. They all have individual hand towels in order to avoid cross-infection.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress in their learning and development due to the imaginative range of activities that are planned specifically to meet their individual needs and interests. Regular observations and assessments of children's achievements provide the childminder with valuable information used to plan for children's next steps. The childminder has a good knowledge of the children's developmental stages and has good systems in place for systematically tracking children's progress using the progress records.

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and outcomes for children

The children are developing good mark-making skills by using a range of crayons, paints and pencils. Many of the children are able to write their names. They also enjoy choosing from a wide range of age-appropriate books and they enjoy visiting the library for story time. Children enjoy problem solving and numeracy challenges. They enjoy playing on the hop scotch floor mat and are able to count up to 10 and recognise the numerals on the mat. The children thoroughly enjoy being creative as they help the childminder to make play dough. They weigh out the ingredients and mix them together. They create their own unique play dough by colouring it pink and adding glitter to make it sparkle. They learn about how the mixture changes form when it has been in the microwave. When the play dough is ready to use, the children really enjoy making shapes by rolling it and using different shaped cutters. The children have wonderful opportunities to express themselves

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and outcomes for children

in many different ways, both at the childminder's home and at local groups. They enjoy singing, playing with musical instruments, various messy play activities, role play and dressing up. The children have some opportunities to develop skills in information and communication technology, however, the range of equipment for supporting their learning in this area is not yet fully established. The children have opportunities to learn about nature and living things, however, plans to develop the garden area to enable children to dig and grow plants and vegetables are not yet fully completed. Overall, children benefit greatly from attending this homely setting. 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 1 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 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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