Swarcliffe Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 107944 Inspection date 26/09/2011 Inspector Tracy Bartholomew

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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 registered in 1994. She lives with her adult daughter. They live in a house in Hedgerley in the County of Berkshire. The whole of the downstairs is used for childminding with sleep facilities on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden available for the children's outside play. The childminder's home is within walking distance of local shops, parks, pre-schools and schools. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time when working alone. Of these no more than three may be in the early years age group and one may be under one year. When working with her daughter who is her assistant she is registered for 12 children under eight years and of these, six may be within the early years age group and two may be under one year at any one time. She is currently caring for

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Description of the childminding

ten children in total and of these, six are in the early years age range. All children except for one attend part time. The childminder is member of National Childminding Association. The family has three pet cats and one dog.

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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 motivated and interested in a broad range of activities and make good progress towards the early learning goals in most areas of learning. They have strong relationships with adults and play well with their peers. Effective partnership working clearly promotes children's development and supports their individual needs. The childminder demonstrates a high level of commitment to promoting children's safety, which as a result means children are happy and safe whilst in her care. The childminder demonstrates a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase opportunities for children to develop their exploration and investigation skills within free play  develop further the use of observational assessment in order to plan to meet children's individual learning needs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to safeguarding children and her arrangements are robust, regularly reviewed and carefully managed. The childminder and her assistant have effective procedures in place for identifying any child at risk of harm and are secure in the action they would take in the event of a concern. The environment is safe and supportive for children and they are taught to be safety conscious without being fearful. They are developing their understanding of how to keep themselves safe through play.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good systems in place to promote equality and diversity. She has a good knowledge of each child's background and needs, which as a result enables her to promote and extend development well. For example, she uses some words from children's home languages to support children speaking English as an additional language. Overall, there is a good range of toys and resources although opportunities for developing children's exploration and investigation skills are more limited. Nevertheless, resources are fit for purpose, of good quality and support children's learning and development well. The environment is conducive to learning and enables children to achieve well.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a highly positive relationship with the parents. Relationships are well established which as a result enables the childminder to maintain and meet the children's individual needs. Parents are kept well informed about their children's achievements, well-being and development, through verbal communication and photographs. The childminder has a good understanding of the need to communicate with other professionals involved in the care and learning of the children. These partnerships are well-established and make a strong contribution to the children's achievements and well-being.

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the early years provision

The childminder is reflective in her practice and has an accurate diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of her setting. She is confident in what is needed to secure future improvement. For example, she is currently enhancing her systems for self-evaluation and is clear about future training needs. As a result, she promotes good quality outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate that they feel safe, confident and secure within this setting. The childminder works well with her assistant to promote an environment where all children's needs, well-being and development are strongly promoted. The childminder is attentive to the children's needs and works successfully with them to enhance their development. For example she uses computer software and teaching activities to aid children's letter formation. Children all receive good one-to-one support throughout their time with the childminder. This combined with good quality interaction enables all children to feel secure and confident in the setting. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder obtains a good verbal understanding of each child's development status on initial meetings with parents. She then uses this information to promote a stimulating environment for the children to learn and develop. New systems for

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and outcomes for children

observation and assessment are being developed and do not yet fully demonstrate children's progress. However, the childminder has a good awareness of where the children are developmentally in relation to their starting points. She has a good range of photographs of the children engaged in activities, which cover the six areas of learning. Children demonstrate that they are happy, confident and making good progress in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are at ease in the setting, and they respond well to the activities on offer. They are engaged in a good range of creative activities, such as stamping and colouring with the pens and designing their own pictures in scrapbooks. They enjoy cooking activities and developing their senses through dough and sand play. Most children are developing their imaginary play well, for example, as they pretend that interconnecting animals are mobile phones. However, children are less able to explore and investigate the properties of different objects and materials.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy listening to music and songs on the CD player. They actively enjoy dancing and creating their own musical versions. Activities such as dancing to African music aids children's knowledge and understanding about the world they live in. Their physical skills regarding movement and space are also promoted. Children learn about colours and develop early counting skills through the childminder's effective input. For example, she joins in with stacking cups, counting pens and reading stories to develop their learning. Children have daily opportunities to play outdoors in the childminder's garden, exploring the recreation field and playing at parks and toddler groups. This enables them to be active and improves their physical skills. Overall, children's experiences help to prepare them well for their future learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is well promoted. They play in a clean, secure and comfortable homely environment. Their dietary needs are well met through the childminder's commitment to providing healthy and nutritious meals. They benefit from regular fresh air and exercise and understand the basics of how to keep themselves healthy. For example, they know to wash their hands prior to eating. Children clearly know what is expected of them and demonstrate a strong understanding of how to stay safe independently. Children receive good support, take turns and share toys fairly. Older children remind the younger ones to say 'please' when they want something, showing that they understand how to be polite and behave positively. Good quality interaction and well-organised routines helps young children to become secure and confident in the care of this childminder. 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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