Childminder in Oldham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY432395 Inspection date 07/02/2012 Inspector Anne Crocker

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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 husband, adult daughter and eight year old child in the Failsworth area of Manchester. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding purposes. This consists of a lounge/dining room, hall and kitchen. Bathroom facilities are on the first floor and she has a secure garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register to care for six children under eight years at any one time, of these three can be in the early years age group. She is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

She operates her service all year round, Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm but is flexible through negotiation.

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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 safe and inclusive environment for children, which supports their welfare needs and ensures they are happy and secure in her care. Policies and procedures to ensure the safe and efficient management of the provision are maintained and these are shared with parents. Effective risk assessments are in place, however there is no record of aspects of the environment which are checked on a more regular basis. The childminder has an appropriate knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and her skills in observing, assessing and planning for children's learning are developing. The childminder demonstrates a commitment to ongoing improvement although she has not formally evaluated the provision to accurately reflect her strengths and areas for further improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis and maintain a record of these particular aspects showing when and by whom they have been checked (Documentation) 23/02/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop use of observation and assessment of children's progress in order to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop a system to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision to lead to the identification of targets for further improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues. She has undertaken training to support her knowledge, and has implemented written safeguarding policies and procedures which she shares with parents. She holds contact details for the appropriate agencies and would not hesitate to contact these should the need arise. All regulatory documentation is in place and is suitably organised for the effective management of the provision. Written records of risk assessments are maintained to minimise risks for the many outings the children undertake within the local area and also to maintain a safe environment in the home, both indoors and out. However, aspects of the childminding environment that need to be checked on a more regular basis have not been recorded. Despite the lack of a written record the childminder demonstrates that she does carry out these regular checks to ensure the children

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the early years provision

are safe to move freely around the environment. There is a clear procedure to follow in the event of fire or emergency which she has practised with the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder establishes positive working relationships with parents to meet children's needs. She gathers useful information about each child, such as favourite activities and interests, before they attend the provision. This means that parent's wishes and children's needs are effectively met during the settling in process. Information is shared verbally at the beginning and end of the day and parents are complimentary about the childminder's use of daily diaries detailing children's activities and giving information about children's emotional well-being and routines. The children each have an individual file which contains observations in the form of photographs and annotation. This gives parents some indication of children's progress, however these are not yet linked to the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to maintaining continuous improvement and through discussion is able to share some ideas she has for the development of her provision. However, her informal systems of self-evaluation at present are not secure enough to identify gaps in her skills and knowledge and to set targets for future improvements.

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the early years provision

The home environment is organised sufficiently to allow children to make decisions about what they want to do, as they are able to select items independently. The range of resources available is well maintained, age appropriate and covers all areas of learning. Equality and diversity are promoted through the toys, books and resources available to all children, these help to raise children's awareness of diversity and inclusion. The childminder makes good use of resources in the local community, for example attending drop-in play sessions at the local Surestart centre, visiting the park and attending a music group. As a result children have a wide variety of experiences. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is increasing her confidence and skills in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements. She has started to observe children in their play and record these in individual 'learning journals'. However, observations do not link to the six areas of learning and how children progress through these. As a result, observation and planning are not yet linked together. Parents and carers trust the childminder and are very complimentary about her care, writing testimonies in praise of her role in supporting their child.

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and outcomes for children

The children are happy and safe in the childminder's care. On arrival they greet the childminder cheerfully and are confident to separate from their parents. The childminder gets down on the children's level, sitting on the floor so that she can give eye contact and interact positively. Children laugh regularly and snuggle in to the childminder, one child rubbing noses with her and another giving a 'thumbs up' gesture to indicate he is feeling happy. Young children develop confidence in expressing their individual needs, for example, holding out a teapot and pointing to the kitchen to indicate they would like it filled with water. The children work together with the childminder to complete a jigsaw and smile and bounce up and down together showing satisfaction when they have completed it.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to develop the habits and behaviour appropriate to good learners, considering their own needs, and those of others, as the childminder emphasises the need for turn taking and sharing as the children play. As a result children work and play well together, encouraging each other to join in whilst singing songs and number rhymes.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder follows children's lead in play offering encouragement and support. One child practises his cutting and sticking skills whilst making a Valentine's card and he then considers who he would like to send the card to. Another child tests out the sounds made by the range of musical instruments. The children are encouraged to develop information and communication technology skills using the childminder's laptop to play games.

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and outcomes for children

Children beginning to use single words to express their needs, are encouraged by the childminder through repetition, this boosts confidence and they begin to test out additional new words, such as repeating 'full' when filling a tea cup with water. Children grow in confidence and independence as they make these choices for themselves, selecting resources that appeal to them and take their interest. This supports their personal, social and creative development well.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to show an understanding of healthy lifestyles. Routines when healthy habits. Children are also developing an awareness of the benefits of physical exercise as they participate in physically challenging activities during trip out in the local area to activities such as tumble tots and an indoor play facility. The childminder ensures that children regularly experience fresh air and outdoor play; they delight in visits to the park. She is fully committed to promoting healthy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 eating. Meals are often prepared from fresh ingredients and children are consulted about what they want to eat. Children develop an understanding of the importance of healthy snacks and particularly enjoy the grapes and bananas the childminder offers. They also have an interest in herbs and vegetables through participating in

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and outcomes for children

growing activities in the garden. Drinks are readily accessible and children help themselves to their individual bottles. This ensures they remain hydrated. 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 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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