Quilters Junior School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 114801 Inspection date 10/10/2011 Inspector Alison Weaver

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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 has been registered since 2000. The childminder regularly works with her husband who is her assistant. She lives with her husband and one adult son in a house in Southwick near to schools, parks and shops. The whole of the ground floor of the property and an upstairs bathroom are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. There are steps from the hall into the playroom. The childminder has one dog, a cat and chickens.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding eight children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder attends local carer and toddler groups on a regular basis.

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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

Overall the quality of the provision is good. Children have a lovely time with the childminder as they engage in a broad range of fun and stimulating activities that help every child make good progress towards the early learning goals. In general, the good quality observations and planning help the childminder plan effectively to meet their individual needs and extend their learning. Strong links with parents and other providers also contribute to improvements in children's welfare, learning and achievements. Effective procedures are implemented that keep children safe and in good health. The childminder shows enthusiasm in her work and willingness and capacity to continually improve outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the formal planning systems so that they are more tailored to reflect individual children's learning priorities and meet their needs.

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the early years provision

The childminder shows a good understanding of safeguarding issues and how to protect children in her care. She is aware of possible signs of child abuse and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 neglect and the correct procedure for reporting any concerns she has. Her home is kept safe and secure for children through regular risk assessments and daily safety checks. This results in children playing and moving around without coming to any harm. Also only suitably cleared adults work with the children. All required documentation to help safeguard children and promote their welfare is in place and well maintained. The childminder has a wide range of safe and suitably challenging resources that she uses effectively with children to promote their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder builds very positive relationships with parents and works closely with them to meet the needs of every child, and to respect their family backgrounds. Parents expressed their satisfaction with the care provided by the childminder and her assistant. They referred to the childminder's 'reliable, consistent care' and how they like all the interesting activities she provides. They clearly feel well informed about their child's achievements and welfare. Parents have regular formal times when they discuss their child's learning records with the childminder as well as being updated daily through verbal feedback and the diary sheets. They are encouraged to share what they know about their child and their input is welcomed into the planning of suitable activities for their child.

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the early years provision

The childminder has worked hard to form good links with other providers who share the care and education of children. This has resulted in the successful two- way sharing of relevant information with most providers, which helps promote continuity for the child. It helps the childminder provide activities that are focused on meeting children's identified learning priorities. The childminder has good procedures in place for identifying a child's need for additional support and accessing help from outside agencies. This helps every child make good progress. All children are helped to understand the society they live in through planned activities, resources and valuing differences in one another.

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the early years provision

The childminder shows a realistic view of her strengths and weaknesses. She accesses training when it is available to her in order to continue to improve her knowledge and skills. She makes good use of books for ideas of how to improve outcomes for children. Since her last inspection she has made considerable effort to develop her knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implemented the learning and development requirements well to help children achieve.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled, happy and show they feel secure with the childminder and her assistant. They build very positive relationships and strong emotional bonds with the adults. Both adults are calm, caring and supportive. The childminder interacts well with the children as they play to promote their learning and development. She has effective systems for observing and assessing children's progress as they play. The information gained from children's learning records is used well to plan further suitably challenging activities for individual children although the childminder's written weekly plans do not always reflect this. She provides a very wide range of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 fun and stimulating activities that cover all the areas of learning and help every child make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from the praise and encouragement they receive from the childminder. They behave well and show good levels of self-esteem and a strong sense of belonging. They develop a good understanding of diversity as they take part in various activities where they find out about different ways of life and learn to respect others. They learn about the wider world as they go on outings to places such as the railway station and go for a ride on a bus. Children learn how to care for the childminder's pets and wild birds. They also develop a good understanding of growth and life cycles as they watch the eggs hatch into chicks. Children enjoy simple science as they make volcanoes and play with the guttering in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in the skills they need to help them in their future. They confidently solve problems and learn to use different forms of technology. As they take part in cooking activities they use different tools and weigh, count and measure the ingredients. Children become very independent as they make their own decisions about their play; they enjoy the learning experiences provided and have fun with the childminder. Children recognise numbers and count confidently as they play. They demonstrate good communication skills as they share their experiences and use their imagination in role play activities. Children go to local groups where they develop their social skills as they play with others.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of safety issues as they visit the local fire station, practise fire drills and follow the childminder's safety rules. They enjoy the daily opportunities to exercise and play outside in the fresh air, playing safely with different equipment such as tents, boxes, tunnels and trikes. Children develop healthy lifestyles as they are encouraged to eat healthy foods and drink regularly. They adopt good hygiene practices although the use of only hand gel for hand cleaning with younger children reduces the opportunities for them to learn how to correctly wash their hands. Children develop a good awareness of the importance of teeth cleaning through the planned fun activities. 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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