Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 104373 Inspection date 14/10/2011 Inspector Susan Scott

p.1

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.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder lives with her husband and pet cat in a semi-detached bungalow in Marldon, on the outskirts of Paignton. There is a secure patio area to the rear of the house and an enclosed front garden.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder has been registered as a childminder since 1993 and is currently registered to care for six children under eight years, of whom no more than three can be in the early years age group, and of those, no more than one can under one. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and offers a flexible service, but not overnight care. A total of 12 children attend on a part time basis and four of these are in the early years age group. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language are welcome.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The uniqueness of each child is recognised by the childminder who provides good support for individuals and their families. Children's individual interests and skills are observed and assessed and are used effectively to plan for their progress in all areas of learning and development. Children's welfare and safety is promoted well and documentation required for the safe management of the provision is generally well maintained. Frequent, varied and stimulating outings that are organised enhance children's learning experiences. The close relationships between the childminder and the children's parents also support children's care and learning mostly highly successfully. The childminder uses self-evaluation well to identify improvements she can make and attends training in order to continuously improve the service offered.

p.4

further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

p.4

further?

 ensure the record of risk assessment clearly states any action taken following a review or incident, for example, action taken to minimise the risk of the hearth and fireplace (Documentation) 25/11/2011

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 explore further ways to encourage parents to contribute to self-evaluation to support collaborative working. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibiliy to safeguard children's welfare. She supervises the children well and implements well- understood procedures and safety measures to promote children's safety. The childminder has developed a variety of clear and informative written procedures, including those to safeguard children, what to do if a child is lost or uncollected and an emergency evacuation plan, that she shares with parents to ensure they are clear of her responsibilities. Risk assessments are carried out for outings and all areas of the home. The childminder takes prompt action to minimise any identified risks to children's safety. She maintains a record of her risk assessment but does not always remember to detail action taken following a review, as required. For example, she has not noted the action taken to minimise the hazard of the fireplace and hearth. However, this has no impact on the children's safety

p.5

the early years provision

because of the good safety measures she puts in place.

p.5

the early years provision

Children enjoy playing in the home and the childminder ensures resources are easily available and support a variety of play and learning. Children enthusiastically participate in stimulating outings which the childminder plans to give them a broad range of experiences.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder has attended a good range of training courses about early years care and education, and uses this to good effect so that children benefit from her knowledge. She is keen to build upon the strengths of her service and has completed a self-evaluation recently, accurately identifying the strengths and her priorities for improvement. The childminder has a good understanding of equality and ensures that children experience a warm welcome and feel a sense of belonging in her home. She has obtained some helpful information from parents and uses her own observations to guide her care and deliver a service which meets the individual needs of all the children in her care.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder works closely with parents, sharing information about the care she offers. She takes account of the views of parents and has used questionnaires to try to gain further feedback as part of her self-evaluation. Children's progress records are shared with parents and there is a very good exchange of information about children's experiences in the childminder's care. Information is also exchanged concerning experiences at school and the childminder shares information with the local pre-school when children attend the setting as well as her own. This promotes consistency of care and also enables the childminder to plan experiences that enhance those they receive elsewhere. Parents are very pleased with the service they receive: they make positive comments about the experiences children have and write that they miss the good feedback when they leave. The childminder responds sensitively to all the children's families and uses a

p.5

the early years provision

contact book with young children so that parents benefit from clear information about the routines. This enables consistent practice between children's care at home and their care here. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress in the childminder's care. Each child has a folder which has observations of their assessments, recording their skills, understanding and abilities. The childminder references her observations to the Early Years Foundation Stage and plans the next steps for children's development flexibly. She plans how to support progress in all areas of children's development. The childminder plans a very interesting and stimulating variety of trips and visits which children really enjoy. For example, they visit the beach and regularly attend different activity groups. Children learn about the autumn and collect fallen leaves to make collages. This enables children to learn through practical experiences and promotes their progress in all aspects of their development, such as learning about the seasons.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are protected in the event of an emergency as the childminder has well planned procedures to evacuate the house and she practises these regularly with the children. They are supervised very closely so that they are kept safe and the premises and resources are effectively organised to meet all their needs. Children learn basic safety rules in the home. They confidently ask if they want something or wish to visit the toilet and the childminder allows them privacy as well as promoting their independence. However, she is always on hand to assist as needed. Children develop an understanding of good hygiene when they use the soap dispenser when washing their hands or use wipes after messy play. Their health and wellbeing are effectively promoted. They enjoy healthy snacks and the childminder encourages them to try new foods. Children happily chat about their favourite foods such as strawberries and pears, reflecting the good dietary habits

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is positive as the childminder uses praise to acknowledge their achievements which helps them to feel good about what they do. This positive reinforcement also encourages them to become more independent and confident. Children enjoy learning and show enthusism about what they have done; for example, three-year-olds are keen to show how name their own work. They learn to recognise the letters and sounds of the alphabet on a floor puzzle, as a result of the childminder's interaction that makes activities fun and appropriate to their development. Their language development is supported by the childminder's patient and humorous discussions with them and her questions encourage their communication skills. For example, the children learn new words when discussing the toy crocodile and the childminder says she is brave. Children develop their numeracy skills through counting and learn to identify colours through activities

p.6

and outcomes for children

such as drawing and games. They are developing their understanding of mathematical language when the childminder uses terms, such as, bigger and more.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children ride wheeled toys and engage in vigorous physical play regularly, developing their motor skills by using the varied large apparatus in the garden and learning to balance and jump at activity groups. They engage in a very stimulating This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 variety of activities outside the home such as, visiting the local zoo and the museum; the childminder ensures that all the children experience exciting and varied activities outside the home that provide them with an understanding of all areas of learning. They recently visited a local public garden where they fed squirrels with nuts and observed how the squirrels buried them; this gave the childminder an opportunity to explain how animals hibernate and why they need to bury their food. Children successfully develop their understanding of safety when they take trips in the car or walk outside the home. They are well-supervised and

p.6

and outcomes for children

learn that harnesses used in pushchairs and suitable car restraints help to keep them safe when they are taken out. Children also learn how to keep safe by talking to the childminder about road safety and the dangers of traffic.

p.7

and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time with the childminder and the interesting learning experiences offered enable them to explore the play environment and build upon their skills and understanding. For example, they learn how to use resources such as programmable toys and develop a range of social skills by playing with children of varied ages. The children benefit from regular trips to collect the older children from school which promotes their understanding of the community and the progress of their own lives. They support a charity which improves the education of children in Africa, and they voluntarily agree to go without a treat some times in order to donate some money towards this. This teaches children about the lives of others in different cultures, but also emphasizes positive experiences. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

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

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.8

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

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9