Foundry Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 103364 Inspection date 19/09/2011 Inspector Susan Scott

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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

This childminder has been registered since 1989. She lives with her husband and one child in Rainham, Gillingham, Kent. The house is situated within walking distance of shops, schools and parks. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for six children aged under eight years. She is currently looking after her two grandchildren, and minding two children on a part- time basis, one of whom is in the early years age range. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association, and attends the local group on a regular 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 childminder has a good understanding of each child's individual needs, and meets these in partnership with parents. Her commitment to providing children with a happy and secure experience enables her to promote all aspects of their learning with success. Overall, children's welfare is well promoted and they enjoy their learning, because they have positive support and good attention from the childminder. Consequently they make good progress, given their age, ability and starting points. The childminder has started to evaluate her provision and is intending to extend this process to enable her to continue building upon the quality of the service.

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further?

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

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further?

 maintain an accurate record of the names of visitors to the setting, the purpose of their visit and details of arrival and departure times  share the written records of children's learning and development and develop systems to incorporate contributions from parents

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the early years provision

Children's care and learning is effectively promoted because the childminder has This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 spent time familiarising herself with the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. She has a clear understanding of her responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare and has developed a variety of good procedures and safety measures. Children are well supervised and have constant support for their activities. The record of risk assessments has been reviewed recently and all hazards have been minimised. However, the childminder has not been recording visitors recently, although she used to do so. The childminder holds a valid first aid certificate, enabling her to provide appropriate first aid treatment for children in her care. She has attended training on safeguarding and using observations and assessments. This training enables the childminder to keep her knowledge up-to-

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the early years provision

date and support children's welfare and development successfully. She values the children as individuals and ensures they feel at home and are able to share their feelings with her.

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the early years provision

The childminder continuously develops her practice to ensure she supports and fulfils the needs of children. Systems for evaluating and monitoring the service offered to families and their children are not yet fully embedded, although the childminder intends to develop this aspect by using the Ofsted self-evaluation form. She addresses any improvements that are suggested; for example, she has addressed previous recommendations successfully. A good range of attractive resources are available for children. These are plentiful and easily accessible to promote their choices in all types of play and learning. The childminder uses her home effectively to enable all children's needs to be met and the children enjoy frequent and easy access to the garden and outdoor activities, which extends their enjoyment, play and learning.

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the early years provision

Positive partnerships with parents, and good procedures to share information with them, support the needs of individual children. The childminder is sensitive to the needs of individuals, for instance, understanding the anxieties of children and ensuring she provides them with a welcoming home environment. Parents comment positively on this aspect of her service. The childminder obtains full information on children's dietary needs, interests, abilities and preferences to help them settle in. She welcomes parental comments and suggestions and keeps a daily diary to share information about activities, routines and children's progress. However, she has not shared the ongoing records of information about children's learning and development, although she gives these to parents when children leave or start school. Nevertheless, she shares a lot of information verbally with parents. Children who attend school are well supported as the childminder ensures

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the early years provision

that their experiences with her complement those they have at school.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is developing a system for recording regular assessments of each child's progress in every area of learning. She makes observational assessments of children during their play and clearly references these to the Practice Guidance for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder makes informal plans to provide opportunities to progress children's learning through activities that appeal to them although the records do not show the next steps in their learning. Children enjoy the variety of well-organised play opportunities; for example, she has taken children on a range of interesting outings this summer including the beach, a train journey, play facilities and parks. Children's progress is good as it is supported by the childminder's accurate observation of their interests, and her sensitivity to their

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and outcomes for children

needs. They benefit from the information the childminder gathers to create individual routines which ensure they settle well and feel secure.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from effective hygiene routines when they are changed or are about to eat food, as they understand that they have to clean their hands. They learn how to care for toys, through the clear instructions and gentle explanations given by the childminder; for example, they help tidy away toys when they want to go and play outside. They enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including playing in the garden and visiting local parks for challenging physical activities. This also enables them to develop their understanding of nature and the locality. Children are encouraged to understand how to keep safe, by learning how to respond to emergencies with the childminder and evacuating the premises. They talk about where they can cross roads safely and learn how to use pedestrian crossings to avoid dangers. Children enjoy good opportunities to build upon their social skills, as they mix with the childminder's grandchildren and other minded children; for

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and outcomes for children

instance, younger children learn about school as they sometimes accompany the childminder to collect them and hear about what the children do there.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy learning because they receive lots of attention and kind, loving support from the childminder. Very young children like to sit on her lap and listen to stories or play with her, using books or small world toys. Babies and young children happily babble to the childminder during the activities and receive good encouragement to develop their communication skills; for example, the childminder offers them a variety of words and names for things they play with. This builds their confidence and encourages them to learn new vocabulary. Children's understanding is further supported by the childminder's participation in their play as she asks them questions to encourage their communication skills. Children develop their mathematical skills, through encouragement to identify and talk about shapes and colours when they use the coloured mats and play with the puzzles. They enjoy sharing books and are encouraged to learn about different

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and outcomes for children

cultures and celebrations through the wall posters and resources, which reflect various backgrounds. Children enjoy using the range of programmable toys to play music, which encourages their imaginative play and develops their coordination.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides a variety of easily accessible activities that interest children, ensuring that she provides play and resources that reflect their preferences. Children enjoy being able to freely choose to play in the garden, using varied sit-and-ride toys. They learn about nature from their observations and discussions with the childminder; for example, when a child notices butterflies, they talk about these. Children feel very safe in the care of the childminder who successfully promotes their confidence through skilful encouragement and vigilant supervision. 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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