St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 117491 Inspection date 04/10/2011 Inspector Lynne Bowden

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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 1992. She lives with her husband and their adult son in the St Budeaux area of Plymouth, Devon. The house is close to shops, a park and schools. The ground floor of the house is used for childminding and consists of a kitchen, lounge and conservatory. The conservatory is used as the main playroom. Children access the upstairs bathroom. The house has an enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for six children aged under eight years at any one time, of whom three may be in the early years age group. When working with an assistant, she may care for five children in the early years age group. She currently has three children in the early years age range on roll.

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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 confident and secure and enjoy a warm relationship with the childminder. The childminder provides activities which interest children and promotes their learning and development well although systems for assessment and planning are not yet fully developed. The childminder is aware of the importance of working in partnership with other providers and agencies. Parents are kept well-informed about their children's activities and progress. The childminder has a good capacity to improve her practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems for observing and assessing children's progress and use them to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child framework.

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the early years provision

The childminder carries out and records effective risk assessments and has had training in fire awareness and child protection. This helps her to keep children safe from harm. She closely supervises children and has made her home safe and secure. She makes regular checks on fire equipment to make sure it continues to be effective. Children are protected in the event of having an accident because the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder has first aid training and the first aid kit is readily available. The childminder promotes good hygiene practices, such as appropriate hand washing. She provides healthy snacks and cooks nutritious hot meals.

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the early years provision

The childminder successfully promotes children's awareness of difference and diversity. She provides positive images of people from different cultures and by discussing different backgrounds and diversity. She uses her knowledge of the children to provide activities and resources which promote their individual development and help them to make progress. However, her systems for observing and planning do not fully identify children's levels of achievement or their next steps. This makes it difficult to track their progress easily.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an effective partnership with parents and shares information with them about their children's activities. They value this, along with her commitment to their children's welfare. The childminder also works in partnership with other settings to maintain continuity of care and consistency. She is able to successfully indentify areas for further development. She has addressed the recommendation set at her last inspection which shows her commitment and capacity to maintain improvement. She has also attended training and keeps up to date by attending two childminding groups.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident in the childminder's home. They confidently select and use resources which interest them. They develop their coordination as they enjoy using threading toys. They show their awareness of difference in size and shape as they talk about the size of the sun flowers they have grown and complete a range of jigsaw puzzles. They show their understanding of number as they attempt to count items and are beginning to recognise and name different numerals. They communicate and express themselves very well as they describe previous experiences and discuss the activities they are taking part in. Children concentrate well and carefully follow instructions on a computer programme. They enjoy sharing and exploring books, discussing the stories and pictures with the childminder and visiting the local library. They learn about how to keep safe during visits to the local fire station and follow safety routines when they go on outings.

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and outcomes for children

This helps them to feel safe and secure.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy plenty of fresh air due to daily outings and to their easy access to the garden. The childminder encourages them to walk to and from school and toddler groups. Children learn about the world about them on visits to local beaches where they enjoy collecting shells. They also enjoy trips to local farms, zoos, parks and the aquarium. There they see and learn about a wide range of animals. Children learn good hygiene habits when they wash their hands before meals. They are involved in growing fruit and vegetables, harvesting them and helping the childminder use the crops to prepare nutritious meals. Consequently children learn about seasons, the food cycle and healthy eating. They show great enthusiasm as they enjoy eating their healthy snacks and discussing the variety of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 fruits provided. Children benefit from attending exercise sessions at the local Sure

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and outcomes for children

Start centre and develop confidence in the water on regular outings to the swimming pool. 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 1 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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