Thorpe, Amanda Jane

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY421980 Inspection date 29/09/2011 Inspector Tracey Outram

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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 2011. She lives in Sheffield with her two children aged 11 and 12 years. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding purposes. The childminder may provide overnight care for 1 child under 8 years. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. The family has a pet dog and a cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of 4 children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently four children attending the setting and of these two are in the early years age range. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She provides a service each weekday and operates for 48 weeks of the year. The childminder is registered to provide overnight care.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a level 2 qualification in 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

The children enjoy their time at the setting. They are cared for effectively and make secure progress across the six areas of learning. Policies and procedures are inclusive and partnerships with parents and other providers are developing to ensure that the children's individual needs are actively addressed. The childminder continually endeavours to improve her knowledge and practice, thereby demonstrating a good capacity for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the ways of supporting the children to learn about healthy lifestyles and enhance the planning for outdoor play  enhance partnership working with parents and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure that there is consistency and continuity for all children.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes positive steps to work in partnership with parents by ensuring that they are fully informed of her safeguarding policies and procedures. She has a secure understanding of her legal duties including the signs and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 symptoms of child abuse and neglect. The childminder is very safety conscious and she completes effective risk assessments which help to maintain the children's good health and safety on the premises and during outings. In addition, good systems are in place to meet regulatory requirements in relation to the safe administration of medicines and recording accidents and existing injuries.

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the early years provision

The children safely explore the indoor environment and make independent choices of toys and equipment which capture their interest. They also have free-flow access to the secure outdoor play area which is used effectively to support their physical development. The childminder is motivated to improve her practice through attending training events and working closely with colleagues from the local authority. She reflects on the effectiveness of her practice and uses questionnaires to gather the views of parents and older children.

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the early years provision

The childminder is confident to challenge and any discriminatory attitudes and behaviours to ensure the setting is inclusive. The children are encouraged to learn about their own culture and those of others through the use of books, discussions, cooking activities and celebrating different festivals. On the whole, parents are appropriately informed about the service the childminder provides. For example, they have access to the many written policies and procedures, which underpin the daily operation of the setting. In addition, the childminder frequently discusses the children's changing care needs with parents and encourages them to share what they know about their children. Aware of the importance of parental involvement, the children's development files are accessible to their parents. However, methods of ensuring that they take an active role in planning for their child's future learning and development are not securely rooted in the practice. The childminder

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the early years provision

demonstrates good knowledge of the need to develop partnerships with other professionals who share the care of the children. As part of the process of self- evaluation she has started to look at making improvements in this area of the provision.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and importance of play in supporting children's development and learning. There is a clear system in place to monitor and evaluate the progress children make in comparison to their starting points, and the effective use of observation results in children being appropriately challenged.

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and outcomes for children

The children have good levels of concentration and are supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. For example, by using the children's interests in three dimensional shapes, the childminder is able to provide activities that increase their knowledge of other cultures and countries, such as Egypt. In addition, the children's enjoyment of spoken and written language is effectively fostered by providing motivating and exciting play opportunities, such as, making models, using gloop, singing songs This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and role-play. Language freely flows and the children are confident to express themselves and share their thoughts and ideas. Similarly, mathematical development is suitably considered as the children engage in baking activities, which actively encourage counting and calculating. Conversely, the mathematical

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and outcomes for children

potential of the outdoor environment is not fully utilised to enable the children to discover things about shape, distance and measure.

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and outcomes for children

The children adopt good hygiene practices, such as, washing their hands and they enjoy daily opportunities to exercise and enhance their physical skills. For example, the children enjoy walking and they enthusiastically demonstrate their balance and coordination as they skilfully use the trampoline. The children also take an active part in cooking and baking activities, although these experiences are not fully used to help children realise how certain food types can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. The childminder's warmth and consistent approach in managing behaviour ensures that the children demonstrate an understanding of the boundaries and expectations of their conduct. The children feel safe in the care of the childminder which results in them being able to develop firm friendships and take turns and share the toys. The children are helped to consider their own safety including that of others; for example, when engaging in new activities they are helped to assess

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and outcomes for children

the risks and use resources with care. Overall, the children benefit from the childminder's commitment to extending activities and making adaptations to secure the involvement of all children. 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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