Hilton, Karen Elizabeth Ann

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431848 Inspection date 06/02/2012 Inspector Ferroza Saiyed

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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 2011. She lives with her partner, adult child and two children aged 10 years in Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding purposes. The rear garden is available for outdoor play. The family has a pet dog and a guinea pig. The childminder walks or transports children in a car to toddler groups and local schools.

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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. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children on roll in the early years age range. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She provides care Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm all year round. Advice, support and training are gained from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment for all children and their families. The childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child and supports their welfare appropriately because she has sufficient knowledge of their individual needs. As a result, children make acceptable progress towards the early learning goals. Not all documentation required to promote children's welfare is in place, consequently, children's safety and welfare is compromised. She is beginning to develop some links with the local providers to support children's progress. Partnerships with parents are sufficient, although, they are not fully included in the learning and development of their child. The childminder has an awareness of areas for development and has developed procedures to evaluate and monitor her practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 take reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children are kept to a minimum, with particular reference to the pond cover (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 24/02/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 increase involvement with parents in supporting their children's progress so that learning is linked and extended within the home and gather starting points This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  promote equality of opportunity by providing positive images and resources to challenge children's thinking and help them develop respect for equality and for differences in culture, disability and ethnicity.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded as the childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibilities in relation to child protection and to keeping children safe. She is confident in her knowledge and understanding of potential concerns and in her ability to respond by following the current guidance. However, she does not have a procedure to follow if an allegation was made against her or members of her family. This is a breach of a statutory legal requirement. All other policies and procedures required to promote the safe and effective management of the setting are in place, for example, health and safety, confidentiality and medication procedures. This helps to effectively safeguard children. Detailed risk assessments are in place, along with daily visual checks of all areas and equipment. Although the childminder has risk assessed the pond in the garden, the cover on pond is not weight bearing, which potentially comprise children's safety.

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the early years provision

Opportunities for children to learn about fire safety are provided and the childminder discusses aspects of safety with children to help raise their awareness of keeping themselves safe.

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the early years provision

Children's health and welfare are promoted through appropriate implementation of childminding policies, which are shared with parents at the start of any placement. They receive written information about the setting, including relevant policies and procedures and are kept up-to-date about their child's care through verbal feedback and daily diaries. The childminder invites parents and children for introductory sessions and gathers relevant information required to meet the children's individual needs, for example, dietary and health requirements. However, the systems to find out about children's starting points in relation to their learning and development are not fully robust and they are not actively involved in their child's learning which means, they cannot contribute to their child's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an abundance of toys and activities for inside and outside play. She clearly considers how to make best use of space in order to achieve the maximum benefit for children. For example, toys are stored on low-level shelving or in boxes. This enables children to make confident choices about their learning and play. The children benefit from dedicated playrooms in the child-orientated home where colourful examples of their work, along with posters and photographs, help to promote their sense of belonging and self-esteem. However, resources which reflect our wider world and community, to help children develop positive attitudes towards others are limited.

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the early years provision

The childminder is warm and very caring and children respond to this nurturing positively. They are happy in their play and laugh and smile a lot. Although the childminder does not currently work with children with additional needs, she fully understands the importance of working with parents and other professionals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Policy statements show an inclusive, anti-discriminatory approach to the childminder's practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled with the childminder. She provides a friendly environment and is committed to providing children with a wide range of opportunities to have lots of fun and new experiences, through a variety of planned outings. The childminder has a sound understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has developed procedures to observe and assess the children's progress towards the early learning goals. This means that planning is effectively based on children's individual needs. She knows the children well and provides a wide range of activities. Children can independently access a range of age-appropriate toys and resources; these are at child level to enable them to effectively contribute to their own learning.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder interacts with the children constantly. She stimulates their curiosity and uses open questions well to encourage their language skills. For example, she asks children to reflect, 'can you remember what bird we saw? She questions further about the food they eat and children state that they like bread. Children's language is well fostered through conversation with the childminder, their vocabulary is developed, through introducing new words, such as, 'wriggle', 'piglet' and 'melon', she listens carefully and responds appropriately. Children's problem-solving skills are promoted as the childminder uses mathematical language during everyday activities. The play environment is fully used to support learning and children gain good skills for the future, such as counting how long it takes the for the 'top' to stop spinning and singing number rhymes. Children thoroughly enjoy creative experiences and use their creativity to make hand

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and outcomes for children

puppets from a range of materials. Toddlers delight in naming parts of their face. This helps build children's confidence and is combined with lots of praise and encouragement, consequently, children's self-esteem is promoted.

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and outcomes for children

Planned outings increase children awareness of the wider world, they have opportunity to socialise with their peers when attending various groups in the community, they learn about pottery and ceramics when they visit the museum. Children enjoy healthy routines throughout the time they attend, gaining plenty of fresh air and exercise each day. They are kept well hydrated through continuous access to their own drink containers and drinking plenty of water. Healthy snacks and meals are provided. Children help to plant and grow fruit and vegetables in the garden. They feel the textures and the taste of fruits from around the world. A poster is displayed about '5 a day', to ensure all food groups are included. The childminder takes the necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection, children use wipes from an early age to clean their hands and faces. Older children have their own individual towels to prevent cross infection. Appropriate action is taken

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and outcomes for children

The childminder uses age-appropriate strategies, such as distraction and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 explanations. Children are learning to share, take turns and be kind during their play. Their good behaviour is actively encouraged through positive role modelling. These measures successfully develop children's self-esteem and respect for others. Children are developing many skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being. For example, they are eager to use programmable toys as they become increasingly confident in pushing buttons and switches, which means they are learning how things work. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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