Childminder in Warrington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY348805 Inspection date 14/10/2011 Inspector Jane Shaw

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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 2007. She lives with her husband, one adult child and two children aged 14 and 11 years, in the Latchford area of Warrington, Cheshire. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding purposes, along with access to the bathroom facilities on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

This childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children under the age of eight years at any one time. There are currently six children on roll in part-time places. Of these four are in the early years age range.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder receives support from the local authority and is a member of the National Childminding Association. She regularly attends local toddler and Children's Centre groups and the library.

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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

A welcoming and inclusive environment is created by the childminder, where children are valued for their individuality and uniqueness. She gathers good information about the children, knows them well, and is able to meet their individual needs successfully. As a result, they are making good progress. Children in the main are cared for in a safe and secure manner. Partnerships with parents and carers are positive and support children's placements well. The childminder has not yet fully implemented partnerships with other professionals. The childminder demonstrates her capacity to improve through self-evaluation, identifying her strengths and areas for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 carry out a risk assessment for each type of outing and review it before embarking on each specific outing (Safeguarding and welfare). 28/10/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the two-way flow of information between all other early years providers which children attend to ensure continuity of care and learning  maintain a record of fire evacuations, including any problems encountered and how they were resolved. 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 demonstrates a clear understanding of her role in safeguarding and protecting children from harm. She has a sound awareness of the indicators of abuse, what may give her cause for concern and the procedures for dealing with issues. A written safeguarding policy and a range of other written policies that show how the childminder will protect children and deal with issues are in place and shared with parents and carers, ensuring they are fully aware of how she will keep children safe and well protected. Required checks were completed prior to registration and the childminder confirms ongoing suitability.

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the early years provision

Daily checks and thorough monthly risk assessments of the premises, both indoor and outdoor, ensure children are cared for in a safe manner. However, not all outings are risk assessed. The childminder conducts regular fire evacuations with the children to ensure that they would be safe in the event of this occurring. However, these drills are not recorded. Children are developing an understanding of the need to keep themselves safe as they are reminded to be careful with resources and equipment, and are learning about road safety during walks and other outings.

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the early years provision

Warm and supportive relationships are in place and children appear to be very comfortable and at ease in the childminder's home. They are developing a sense of belonging and have good relationships with the childminder, other household members and one another. The childminder provides an inclusive, child-centred play environment, where children are developing creative imaginations and becoming independent learners, and all have equal access to resources and opportunities on offer, and therefore inclusion is well promoted. Space, time and resources are organised to meet children's individual needs. Children are able to choose resources from the range available and many are stored at low level to offer children the opportunity to self-select and become independent learners. Babies and younger children access resources placed near to them on the floor or on their high chair.

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the early years provision

Effective partnerships with parents and carers are in place and support children's placements well. They receive information about her service, along with policies and procedures and daily feedback, and they have access to their child's developmental record. They are also invited and encouraged to give their views on the quality of the setting through parental questionnaires. Placements and developmental records are reviewed with parents and carers every three months to ensure that the childminder continues to meet children's needs and that they are brought up to date with their child's progress and overall development. Partnerships with other providers are not yet fully implemented.

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the early years provision

The childminder's commitment to continuous improvement is evident. She has completed her self-evaluation and has identified the setting's strengths and areas for improvement and addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident and happy in the childminder's care and have a secure sense of belonging within the home. The childminder knows each child well, respects and values their individuality and establishes warm, trusting relationships. As a result, children are settled and included. She has developed a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements. Observation of children's development are completed and used to plan children's next steps. Each child has a developmental folder, which shows observations of children's activities, evidence of skill development and records their achievements. Photographs are supported by written comments and show the link to the area of learning. Records show that children are making good progress across the six areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder supports children well as they play and provides them with a good range of activities, both in the home and outdoors. She has managed to develop a balance between the need to keep babies and younger children safe, whilst enabling them to develop skills of independence. She joins in with their activities when appropriate in order to support and extend their learning. Children show good levels of concentration and perseverance at activities, for example, as younger children use push-button resources. Children are proud of their achievements, for example, as a child shows their writing skills as they use the chalkboard. They are developing good relationships with one another, and are encouraged to share and take turns with resources. They have a variety of opportunities to make marks, and early language skills are developing well as the childminder talks with children about their day. Good interaction, eye contact and

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and outcomes for children

conversations with younger children promote early language development.

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and outcomes for children

Younger children are able to match and sort through access to a variety of resources, and older children know their numbers and are able to use mathematical language, for example, saying how many more weeks to a special event. Children enjoy a variety of activities outdoors, such as walks to the local park to feed the ducks and outdoor play in the rear garden. Children celebrate a variety of festivals, such as Chinese New Year, and learn about different countries through access to a variety of resources. Children access technological resources. For example, younger children are interested as they observe that pushing a button leads to another action.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing good physical skills as they push buttons, use shape sorters, and hold implements as they write. They are developing gross motor skills and they use a climbing frame and slide, and as they travel through a tunnel. Children enjoy listening to music and playing musical instruments. A variety of craft activities and access to small world resources develops their imaginative and creative abilities. They also attend a number of Children's Centre and toddler groups, offering them different activities and opportunities to develop social skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing an understanding of the need to have a healthy lifestyle through good routines and practices, for example, regular opportunities for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outdoor activities, a healthy diet, and access to drinking water at all times. Good hygiene practices ensure that children develop an understanding of the need to keep themselves clean and therefore healthy. Children's behaviour is good due to good role modelling from the childminder and clear expectations. Children are developing confidence and self-esteem as the childminder provides activities which she knows they enjoy and encourages and praises their achievements. Through appropriate opportunities they are developing appropriate skills and confidence to support their skills for the future. 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 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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