Sharp, Michelle Lyn

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY424857 Inspection date 22/09/2011 Inspector Janet Armstrong

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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 April 2011. She lives with her husband and three children, two sons aged 10 and 22 months and a daughter aged 12 years in a five-bedroomed detached house in Canford Heath, Poole, Dorset. All areas of the home are used for childminding purposes, with a living/dining room, conservatory/playroom, kitchen and downstairs cloakroom used as the main accommodation. There is an enclosed back garden available for outside play. The family have a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of five children, two of whom may be in the early years age group. There are currently four children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age range and 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 childminder has a good awareness and understanding of the individual needs of the children in her care. Her positive communication with parents and sensitive and supportive approach with the children means that they are very settled, happy and engaged in their play. The enabling environment provided by the childminder means that children are confident and secure as they explore and develop new interests, particularly enjoying outdoor play in the garden. Overall, most practices positively promote children's care and learning. The childminder takes active steps to improve the service she offers, although she has not yet developed a secure system to enable her to prioritise, evaluate and action areas of weakness.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop systems for personal development so that they help build on strengths, identify weaknesses and prioritise key areas for development to help improve outcomes for children  improve current practices to promote healthy outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted well. The childminder has a good understanding and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 awareness of safeguarding issues and is clear on the procedures to follow should she have a child protection concern about a child in her care. Written risk assessments of the home, garden and outings support her well in her day-to-day safety checks to ensure a safe environment is provided at all times. A good level of supervision and clear instructions and reminders means that children are well supported as they explore their environment.

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the early years provision

The childminder is very well organised. She ensures she is well prepared to support the children's learning and meet their care needs each day, with a flexible approach that allows her to adapt planned activities to accommodate the children's ideas and interests. She makes very good use of her home and garden to ensure it is free from obvious hazards and positively supports the children's care routines. However, not all routines positively support the children's health. For example, the changing mat is torn and does not effectively reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Hand washing routines have not been reviewed to ensure they continue to support the children as they grow and become more independent, and sleeping arrangements for the youngest children do not positively support them in their rest, as they sleep in a buggy, sometimes for up to an hour at a time. The childminder has a dedicated playroom that is child-orientated and welcoming,

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the early years provision

providing children with independent access to a good and varied range of toys and play provision at their eye level. Children enjoy use of the back garden in all weathers and the challenges of the different resources and equipment on offer.

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the early years provision

The childminder is calm, sensitive and gentle in her approach. She provides the young children in her care with a positive role model and supports them well as they learn to show consideration towards others and follow expected house rules. This helps them to recognise boundaries as they start to form positive friendships with others. The childminder takes a proactive approach to raising the children's awareness about difference and diversity in the world in which they live. She has a good range of toys and resources that shows the difference amongst us and supports them as they learn to show acceptance and respect.

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the early years provision

The childminder has very well organised paperwork and documentation that supports her well in her role. A good range of written policies and procedures are effectively shared with parents who sign to show they have read and understood them. This helps to form positive relationships with parents and reassures them about the practices followed by the childminder. Parents also benefit from and value the range of different communication methods used by the childminder to work with them, such as texting, telephone calls, daily diaries, daily discussions and written information. This means they are well informed about the daily routines their children follow and their learning and achievements. One minded child has just started attending another early years setting. The childminder is aware of the need to form links with them to enable them to work together to support the child consistently, and intends to do so shortly.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a positive attitude to improving her service. She has not attended any further training since registering due to other training commitments, and has not been minding for long, but seeks the support and advice of other early years professionals, reads literature and uses the internet to make changes. She has not yet developed a system her to assess the impact of her practices, identify This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 weaknesses and prioritise them to bring about change, for example, with regards to promoting children's health, and the frequency of practising fire drills with the children.

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and outcomes for children

Young children have a good introduction to keeping safe. They learn from a young age positive practices to reduce accidents and avoid potential hazards, such as 'holding on tight' when using the swing, being careful around hot drinks, climbing with care on the climbing frame and practising emergency fire evacuation of the premises, although this is only completed annually. Children enjoy healthy meals provided by their parents and lots of fresh air and exercise as they develop control and coordination of their bodies. However, sleeping arrangements are not fully supportive of the youngest children who sleep in a buggy. The childminder cleans the children's hands using wet wipes before mealtimes and has not introduced them to hand washing procedures to support them in learning about reducing the risk of the spread of germs.

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and outcomes for children

Young children are supported and challenged well in their learning and development. An eight-month-old is encouraged to become independent, mobile and explore using their hands, touch and taste. At mealtimes they are given finger foods and encouraged to feed themselves and try new tastes. They enjoy and show curiosity in the range of different textures, shapes, sizes and colours of sponges. They are able to explore in a walker, supported cushioned ring, as well as crawl and find their own activities and items of interest. The childminder is supportive, reassuring and on hand to support them in their exploration and play.

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and outcomes for children

Younger children enjoy being outdoors and show enthusiasm and interest in the resources available to them. They are learning to propel themselves on the swing, with support, instructions and encouragement from the childminder to move and coordinate their legs to keep themselves swinging. They are able to climb up the small slide the wrong way, and enjoy the challenge and achievement this gives them as they reach the top.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder effectively stimulates the children's learning and interests by supporting and introducing a wide and varied range of activities. She provides plastic building bricks and table for them to construct towers and rockets. She uses a good range of language and new concepts for them, such as 'smaller', 'too big', 'bigger' and 'taller', to develop their learning as they build a 'big rocket'. The children repeat the new words as they learn to associate them with their actions and learning experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Effective planning and assessment systems enable the childminder to provide positive support and challenges for the individual children to ensure that they make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage. Key next steps are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 indentified for each child, enabling the childminder to plan specific activities. She makes written observations and uses photographs to record the progress children are making. 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 3 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 3 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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