Manley, Mary

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 132896 Inspection date 26/09/2011 Inspector Brenda Flewitt

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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 1997 and lives with her husband, one adult child and three younger children aged 13, 10 and seven years. The family live in the village of Paulton, near Bristol. Childminding mainly takes place on the ground floor, which includes a lounge, dining room, kitchen and toilet facilities. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family has a dog and a hamster, to which the children have supervised access.

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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. A maximum of five children may attend at any one time, of whom three may be in the early years age range. There are currently five children on roll, of whom four are in the early years age range. The childminder is registered to provide funded early education for three and four- year-old children. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 3 and is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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

Children are well cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming family home. The childminder promotes positive relationships with parents, and other providers which results in her knowing the children well to meet their individual needs effectively. Children are involved in a broad range of activities, both inside and out, that helps them make good progress in most areas of their learning and development. The childminder has effective methods to help identify areas for development. She increases her knowledge about various areas of childcare and keeps up to date with changes to continue to improve the learning experiences for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further children's awareness of gaining instruction and information from print, for example, by using recipes during cooking activities.

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the early years provision

The childminder implements clear policies and procedures to promote children's welfare and safety. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding children, which includes how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow if there are concerns. She has attended training to keep her This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knowledge up to date. This all contributes towards protecting children from harm. The childminder completes detailed risk assessments and puts measures in place to provide a safe environment for children to play, both in the home and on outings. All the required records are in place, well organised and stored confidentially.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her home well to meet the needs of the children in her care. Children use a wide range of toys and equipment, which is arranged to enable them to make spontaneous choices to extend their own play. The childminder makes good use of local facilities to provide outings to enhance children's learning. For example, regular attendance at a toddler group enables children to use alternative resources and develop their social skills. Children meet a range of people when they are on outings. They learn a positive attitude to people's differences through the good example set by the childminder. Children access a variety of toys and resources that reflect a diverse society.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes effective relationships with parents. She provides clear information about her setting, which includes written policies and procedures. The childminder encourages daily verbal exchange of information, in order to meet children's individual needs. She actively seeks parents' views about her provision through questionnaires. Parents say that their children are happy in a loving environment and that the childminder is a 'valuable extension to their family'. When children attend other settings, the childminder has established ongoing dialogue with practitioners, sharing information to promote further their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good methods in place to identify areas for development. These include welcoming advice from her childminding coordinator, reading early years publications and implementing good practice ideas shared by other practitioners. For example, she has recently provided a 'digging patch' in the garden to expand on children's enjoyment as they dig for 'treasure', in addition to planting and nurturing seeds. She has addressed the recommendations set at the last inspection, which has improved aspects of children's health. The childminder is keen to extend her knowledge through training courses to support continuous improvement in children's experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and secure in a welcoming and caring environment. Children develop warm and trusting relationships with their childminder and one another. They enjoy a strong sense of belonging as they see photos of themselves and friends displayed in the childminder's home. Children spontaneously talk about familiar routines and other children that attend the setting. Children behave well. They learn to take turns and share equipment. Older children are encouraged to be tolerant of younger ones, respecting their differing abilities. Children receive regular praise and encouragement for effort and achievement, which helps boost their self-esteem and confidence. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children participate in a broad range of activities, both inside and out, that helps them learn through play. The childminder is aware of each child's interests and

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and outcomes for children

preferences, which enables her to support their learning. Children develop a sense of number and shape through play and everyday activities, For example, they count toy engines and make decisions about whether to use a 'straight' or 'corner' piece of train track. Regular cooking activities provide learning experiences such as weighing and measuring, using various tools and discussion about where ingredients come from. However, children are not always involved in looking at recipes to encourage their awareness of gaining information from printed text. Children enjoy books and stories; they like to join in by turning the pages and reciting familiar phrases. Children's days include a wide range of outings in the local community. Visits to woodland areas encourage children's curiosity about changes in nature. For example, they start to understand about the lifecycle of frogs and like to collect natural items, such as conkers, for craft activities. A visit to

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and outcomes for children

a cafe encourages children's skills in their interaction with other people as they choose from a menu and are involved in paying the bill.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder completes an observation and assessment record that includes dated and annotated photos of children enjoying various activities. She uses this successfully to identify how she will promote the next steps towards the early learning goals. She knows the children well as individuals, which enables her to support each of them to make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder interacts positively with the children, which helps them learn good vocabulary and communication skills, solve problems and start to understand the world around them.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a healthy lifestyle. They learn good routines for their own personal hygiene. Children make choices from healthy options for meals and snacks, and learn about the importance of healthy eating through discussion. Children have daily fresh air and exercise by way of garden play, walks, and visits to play parks where they use a range of equipment to develop large muscle skills. Children start to take responsibility in aspects of their own safety, such as routines for crossing roads, and understanding how to use equipment safely. Children are encouraged to set their own physical challenges and take calculated risks within a safe environment, for example, climbing rocks. Children know what is expected if they must leave the home in an emergency because they are involved in regular practises of the escape plan. 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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