Atkinson, Karan

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 227501 Inspection date 20/10/2011 Inspector Jan Burnet

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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 1999. She lives in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire with her partner, adult son and 13 year-old son. The lounge, conservatory and kitchen areas of the ground floor of the childminders house are used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a pet rabbit and a dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for six children aged under eight years at any one time. Of these, normally three may be in the early years age group but currently a variation to allow four children in the early years age group has been granted. The childminder is currently caring for one child aged over eight years and a total of six children in the early years age group. All children attend on a part-time basis. She is able to walk with and/or transport children to and from the local school and pre-school.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a level 3 early years qualification. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 childminder's understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage is strong. She promotes children's care needs effectively, meets their individual developmental needs exceptionally well and superior systems are in place to ensure their health and safety. The childminder makes sure that all children are valued and included and information obtained from parents helps her to identify and fully address children's differences. Most policies and procedures are shared with parents. The partnership with other early years providers is generally good. The childminder is aware of her strengths and areas for improvement and her commitment to continue to monitor and extend her practice within her childminding supports the development of children's care and learning extremely well.

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further?

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

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further?

 make sure that parents are informed of all required policies; with specific reference to an equality of opportunities policy (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 11/11/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 extend the links with other early years providers to ensure progression and continuity of learning and care.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides an exceptionally stimulating, warm and welcoming environment. Superior systems are in place to ensure that all potential risks are addressed in practice and identified in a risk assessment record. Necessary checks for the childminder and her family have been completed and the childminder ensures that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. She is fully aware of her responsibility with regard to protecting children from abuse and neglect. Parents are provided with comprehensive information on safeguarding procedures and the childminder makes sure that her knowledge on the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board procedures is kept up to date.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the benefits of self-evaluation. She has completed the Ofsted self-evaluation form and identifies that her current priority is to ensure that all required documentation meets requirements. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to improving her knowledge and skills so that this combines with her many years of experience to provide high quality care and education for children. She achieved a Level 3 early yeaRs qualification in 2010 and has completed recent training on first aid, social and emotional aspects of development, the childminder's role in safeguarding, and supporting young children's needs in speech, language and communication. The childminder values the support of other childminders that she regularly meets with at a local group. They share ideas on different activities and swap resources to ensure that children are continually stimulated. There were two recommendations raised at the time of

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the early years provision

the last inspection and both have been addressed extremely well. The childminder was asked to extend the range of planned activities and experiences for children and develop and update knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect. The childminder makes sure that all resources are chosen for their quality and durability and that they meet the different developmental needs of children superbly. Toys are maintained in a good state of repair. Records are kept up to date and in good order.

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the early years provision

Information provided for and obtained from parents is good. Information displayed or provided in folders includes the registration certificate, contact details for Ofsted, training certificates, Criminal Records Bureau disclosure forms and insurance details. Most required policies and procedures are shared with parents either in writing or verbally. However, a welfare requirement is not met as an equal opportunities policy is not routinely shared with parents. As a result of this, parents are not aware of ways in which the childminder promotes and values diversity and difference or how inappropriate attitudes and practices would be challenged. Parents have easy access to their child's observation and assessment records. The childminder is aware of the benefits of establishing and maintaining positive links with other early years providers, however, children's continuity of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

care is not currently maximised. The childminder has experience of ensuring that the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and English as an additional language are met. She does this by obtaining as much information as possible about each child's individual needs from parents and by agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with excellent opportunities to ensure that they make progress across all areas of learning and development. Planning is flexible, responding to children's individual interests and needs, and the childminder effectively evaluates children's different stages of development in order to plan for them as individuals. Parents are fully involved. They are continually informed of their child's progress and they share information on achievements at home. Resources are plentiful, safe, and encourage children's natural curiosity as learners. The childminder encourages children to gain an understanding of difference, for example she provides a very good variety of books and toys that reflect positive images and opportunities for children to learn about different cultures and beliefs, foods and clothes are good.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident, active learners and personal, social and emotional development is particularly strong. Children speak confidently as they express their views and feelings. They are happy, settled and secure. Fostering their self-esteem is given a very high priority by the childminder and children show kindness and consideration for others and learn to share and take turns. Children's creativity is fostered very well. They talk about the leaves, cones and feathers that they have collected on a nature walk and they create collage pictures with them. Very young children have great fun brushing glue onto their fingers and then talking with the childminder about how this feels. Children sort the leaves and talk about different colours and ones that are big or little. They talk excitedly about the squirrel that they saw and how it quickly ran up into the tree.

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and outcomes for children

Children count spontaneously and they talk about shapes as they play, for example, they create pictures of hedgehogs with collage pieces and choose circles to stick on their pictures for eyes and triangle shapes that create prickles. They sort and name farm animals. Young children count up to five with one to one correspondence and confidently tell the childminder that there are three horses lying down and having a sleep. They make the sounds that the animals make. Children sing songs that promote counting and encourage them to gain an early awareness of calculation, 'five naughty monkeys' and 'five fat sausages'. Older children are able to recognise numerals, for example, when they use scales to weigh their ingredients for cooking activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop very good manipulative skills, make marks in a variety of ways and develop exceptional pencil control as they are able to write their own name and the names of other children using their phonetic knowledge and with the excellent support of the childminder. Older children draw detailed pictures of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 members of their family, using their fingers to reflect how many people are in their family and drawing pictures to scale with regard to the size of adults and older and younger children. Younger children make marks with crayons and talk about what the marks signify. Very young children play happily alongside others or on their own. They sing happily as they play, for example, whilst playing with vehicles they sing 'The wheels on the bus'.

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and outcomes for children

Superior systems are in place to ensure that children learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about safety in the park in different weather conditions, for example, whether the slide is too hot in sunny weather or the steps are too slippery in damp conditions. Children learn how to cross the road safely and how to use the pedestrian crossing, and they gain an awareness of 'stranger danger'. They learn good hygiene practices and eat healthy and nutritious food. Children plant and grow flowers and are encouraged to sample foods by growing them themselves. They are active and develop confidence and skills as they use a variety of climbing and sliding equipment, bats and balls, a trampet, scooters, bicycles and tricycles, hoola hoops and skipping ropes. Children enjoy joining in with the actions to a range of songs and older children demonstrate excellent control as they practise ballet movements learned at home.

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and outcomes for 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 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 1

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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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