Childminder in Rochdale

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY344617 Inspection date 14/02/2012 Inspector Janet Singleton

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged nine and six years old, in Rochdale, Lancashire. The whole of the ground floor and two bedrooms are 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 a pet dog.

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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 three may be in the early years age range. There are currently five 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. 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

The childminder has a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage to enable children to make good progress towards the early learning goals, considering their starting points. Through the provision of a safe and welcoming environment, children are encouraged to be active learners. The required policies and procedures for the efficient and safe management of the setting are in place. Partnerships with parents are outstanding with superb information being shared. Partnerships with others are good. The quality improvement processes are in place but are not sufficiently or consistently monitored to determine their effectiveness. However, the childminder is committed to improve outcomes for all children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the good observation and assessment system to ensure the observation and next steps for learning are consistently used to inform future planning  develop further the systems for the evaluation of the childminding practice to ensure the identified areas for improvement are implemented and monitored to determine their effectiveness in promoting good outcomes for all children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The arrangements for safeguarding are good. The childminder has a robust understanding of her responsibility for protecting children and has in place a comprehensive policy for reporting any child protection concerns, including the telephone numbers of the appropriate agencies. The premises are very safe and secure, with up-to-date and extensive risk assessments for the home and outings in place. This action means that children can play safely both in the home and when partaking in the many outings provided. All required policies and procedures are implemented, regularly reviewed and amended to maintain the safe and effective management of the provision. The childminder has a very good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She knows the children well and incorporates their interests into the activities and her planning. The childminder meets children's individual needs as she seeks good quality and

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the early years provision

comprehensive information, such as, allergies, dietary needs and likes and dislikes from parents. Good quality resources are made available to the children as these are stored securely in drawers and boxes within the lounge. This ensures the good range of resources is accessible to the children, enabling them to make choices. Children can, therefore, develop their independence and their decision making skills as they enjoy making their selection. This approach promotes an inclusive setting for all children. Through celebrating festivals and accessing quality resources, such as, books, jigsaw puzzles, maps of the world and small world resources, which reflect the similarities and differences of people, children learn about diversity in a positive manner.

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the early years provision

The childminder has outstanding relationships with parents. Through highly effective information sharing, they work well to meet their individual needs and identify children's starting points. Displays of information include the poster for contacting Ofsted, the insurance certificate and the certificate of registration, meaning that parents are informed of her practice. They are included in evaluating the provision, which supports the continuous improvement of the setting. They contribute to the daily communication book and are invited to complete the questionnaires requesting their feedback on the service provided. Parents are asked to comment on their children's learning and development requirements as they contribute to their children's assessment. The childminder has developed good links with other services, for example, the pre-school, in order to promote coherence in children's learning. She is committed to her continuous improvement

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the early years provision

and has completed her Level 3 in Childcare and Education. She has completed training in special educational needs and/or disabilities and a number of childcare related topics. Good systems to evaluate the provision, for example, her reviewing of the documentation, means she is able to identify areas for improvement. However, the ideas and information gained are not being formally recorded to enable the childminder to monitor and evaluate its effectiveness. 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's good knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to make good progress in all areas of learning. Children are happy and enjoy their time at the childminder's home as she develops caring relationships with them. She is actively involved with children and supports them in their learning as she talks and engages them in their play. She uses her good knowledge and awareness of the children to complete good observations, identifying their next steps in their learning and development. Their progress is assessed against the six areas of learning to ensure a full and rounded approach to their overall development is planned for. However, it is unclear how a consistent approach is undertaken to ensure the information gained from the good observations and assessments is used to inform future planning.

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and outcomes for children

By following the younger children's individual routines, the childminder fosters their sense of security and through cuddles and a warm and caring relationship, she attends to their emotional well-being. The well-organised lounge means that children make choices from the wide range of good quality resources as they develop their independence. The childminder has a comprehensive learning journey record for each child. The interesting folder of work, includes topics children have completed, for example, crayoning, sticking and photographs of the wonderful outdoor activities, the children have taken part in. Children's learning and development is recorded within the folder of work and shared with parents. The childminder praises children and celebrates their achievements, this contributes to them having a positive self-image and good self-esteem. The childminder reminds children of the expectations for behaviour as she explains the

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and outcomes for children

need to be careful. Children are well-behaved and are learning about the importance of sharing, listening and working together.

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and outcomes for children

The children develop their skills in communication as they sit with the childminder, talking about what they are doing. They begin to make a correspondence between sounds and letters as they pronounce H for helicopter and find the letter H for the helicopter landing. This is repeated with the F for the fire engines as the child looks on the floor mat, laughing and giggling pointing to the fire station. Children learn about mathematics and sequencing as they count the stairs from one to 10. They learn about the properties of malleable material as they play with malleable dough; cutting, rolling, squeezing and feeling it as they find out how it changes shape and can be moulded. Through attendance at toddler groups and childminder groups, children socialise and make friends. Good use is made of 'crinkly foil' and lots of soft fabrics to enable children to play with using their imagination. Younger children, especially enjoy these fabrics as they use their senses and take an

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and outcomes for children

interest in their environment. Children are very interested and motivated as they delight in exploring the home as they become active learners.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop their skills in problem solving as they make choices, complete jigsaw puzzles and decide what activities they want to take part in. They observe the childminder as she demonstrates good hygiene practices, such as wiping the table and good washing hands routines before preparing food. They benefit from This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the wide range of outdoor activities, including walks to the park, trips to the indoor ball play areas as they develop their physical skills. They learn how to keep safe as they taking part in regular emergency evacuation practises and in road safety and stranger danger topics. Healthy meals and snack are provided for children and they readily access their drinks, ensuring that 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 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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