Childminder in Warrington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY417122 Inspection date 10/11/2011 Inspector Kath Harding

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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 2010. She lives with her husband and two children in Warrington, Cheshire. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. The family has no pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. There are currently four children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to eight years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. 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

Children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. A well- developed knowledge of each child's individual needs enables the childminder to successfully promote children's learning and welfare. She has a strong partnership with parents and a good working relationship with others. The childminder has a positive attitude to improvement and successfully reflects on her current practice in order to bring about better outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the risk assessment to ensure children's safety and well-being, with regard to the accessibility of the fire blanket.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding and knowledge of safeguarding procedures. She ensures suitability checks are completed on all adults in the household to ensure that they are suitable to have contact with children. She has attended training on safeguarding issues and has a safeguarding policy, which she shares with parents to ensure everyone is aware of her duty to protect the children in her care. The childminder is vigilant and places high priority on children's safety. Written daily risk assessments are undertaken, which include the different areas of the childminder's home, the garden, outings and specific activities. This helps to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 keep children safe and ensure effective actions are taken to manage and eliminate risks. However, the fire blanket is not easily accessible for use. The childminder knows the children very well and has a good understanding of issues relating to

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the early years provision

equality and diversity, as she provides a service that ensures all children and their families are included and treated with concern and respect. She obtains thorough information from parents about their child in relation to the six areas of learning and undertakes home visits before the children start in the setting. She completes regular, detailed observations of children's progress and this links into planning for individual children's next steps. The children's profiles contain photographs, observations and artwork and show how children make excellent progress in relation to their starting points.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are strong. Detailed information is sought from parents regarding their child's routine, care needs, and particular preferences and interests, all of which are recorded and acted upon by the childminder in a consistent way. Parents are involved in contributing their views and suggestions via questionnaires and informal chats in order to bring about future improvement. One parent requested a food diary to monitor their child's food intake. The childminder agreed to do this and offered this service to all parents. Parental comments about the service provided include: 'We are very impressed with all aspects of care as our childminder is such as a lovely, caring, professional person. I am proud and pleased to have this childminder'. Parents can add their contributions to their child's' profile, which they receive every three months, successfully promoting their child's learning, development and welfare. The

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the early years provision

childminder is highly committed to and works in partnership with others, for example, she attended a session at the school in order to help the minded children to learn to read. She demonstrates a good commitment to continuous improvement as she reflects on how to improve her service. She obtains advice from other practitioners and development workers to help improve her practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very settled, happy and confident in the childminder's well-organised home. The childminder places high priority on children learning about safety as she gives them clear and consistent boundaries. She talks to them about road safety and why certain rules apply in order for them to understand the consequences. On outings, the childminder always carries photographs of each minded child, should she need this in an emergency, and the children wear coloured sashes with the details of the childminder attached. They practise fire drills so they know how to get out of the house in an emergency. Children go for walks in the local area and play at the park and on the outdoor equipment, so they get plenty of exercise and stimulation. They have plenty of opportunities to engage in a wide range of physical and imaginative activities, such as kite flying and dancing to music. They develop a good understanding of the importance of healthy eating as they eat

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and outcomes for children

well-balanced, varied snacks and home-made, freshly prepared meals which take into account special dietary needs as well as children's preferences. They are encouraged to be involved in the shopping for their food items and to experiment with different tastes. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are secure and develop a good sense of belonging as they freely approach the childminder for cuddles when they are tired. The childminder interacts very well with children during their play and constantly chatters to them, listens to them and gives them to time think as she asks lots of open-ended questions. They freely choose what they want to play with and help themselves to the toys and resources from the well-equipped, dedicated playroom, promoting their independence. As children explore in the ice, the shiny treasure basket, the leaves and the polystyrene shapes, they are encouraged to use their senses as they play. They

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and outcomes for children

cut and roll the play dough and make different shapes. They plant peas and lettuces watch them grow and tend these, learning how to care for living things. The childminder encourages the children to be aware of plastic and cardboard items as they talk about recycling. They frequently talk about their families and they have fun when shaking and banging the musical instruments and making animal noises. They look in the rhyme bag for props to help them choose a familiar rhyme and sing number rhymes, making them more aware of numerals.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave very well. The childminder uses lots of praise and encouragement with the children, raising their confidence and self-esteem. They learn to value others as they use a good range of toys which help them to begin to understand about the wider world. They look at different festivals, such as Chinese New Year, and taste Chinese food and make rabbits. They regularly visit the library and local shops and feed the ducks, becoming aware of their local community. They visit museums and the beach and go on nature trails to gain an awareness of the wider world. 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 1 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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