Childminder in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY421588 Inspection date 08/08/2011 Inspector Sue Anslow

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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 and adult son in Weaverham, Cheshire. Childminding takes place on the ground floor, with access to the bathroom and a small bedroom upstairs for sleeping. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play and the family have a dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and is currently minding three children in this age group. The childminder is also registered on both parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and nurseries. She holds a childcare qualification and 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individual needs are met reasonably well and they enjoy a range of indoor and outdoor activities. General routines and achievements are monitored and recorded but not linked to the developmental milestones in order to track progress. Welfare requirements are mostly met and follow written policies and procedures, although some significant documentation is not in place. Information is shared with parents every day and contact with local nursery staff is adequate. A system for evaluating the childcare practice has been started and the childminder is keen to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 plan and provide experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development (Organisation) 22/08/2011

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further?

 keep a daily record of children's hours of attendance (Documentation) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register). 22/08/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 carry out regular evacuation drills to ensure every child is familiar with the procedure  improve the range of play resources and materials to enhance children's play and learning experiences This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  analyse observations of children's achievements to track their progress and plan for the next steps.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of her responsibility to keep children safe from harm or abuse and a written safeguarding policy is shared with parents. Correct procedures are followed if there are any concerns and contact details for outside agencies are to hand. All areas and equipment used by the children are risk assessed and recorded, including outings. However, children's safety is compromised through not keeping a daily attendance register. This is a breach of the welfare requirements under the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has devised an emergency evacuation procedure from the home, but has not yet practised it with the children to ensure they are familiar with the process.

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the early years provision

Children enjoy ample space to play in the adjoining lounge/dining room and one end of the kitchen is used for meals and creative activities. A small selection of mostly plastic toys, suitable for young toddlers, is available for children to play with during the day. Good access to a paved patio area outside provides children with fresh air and exercise as they use a selection of wheeled toys, rockers and a sand tray. The childminder holds a level 3 childcare qualification and has attended a number of relevant courses to support her practice. She is keen to provide a safe and caring environment for children and has started a system of self-evaluation to highlight areas for development.

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the early years provision

The childminder knows each child's interests and abilities and endeavours to cater for their individual needs. She follows a policy of inclusion for all and there is no discrimination on any grounds. A satisfactory relationship with parents is evident, with verbal exchanges of information every day. The childminder relates what children have been doing and where they have been during the day and is interested to know what children do at home. The childminder has some contact with local nursery staff to promote continuity of care and she has a basic understanding of the need to liaise with other outside professionals.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a basic knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and provides a range of activities and outings which cover most aspects within the six areas of learning. She records a description of children's activities and abilities once a month, but these are not linked to the appropriate area of learning which makes it difficult to track each individual child's progress. Activities are not specifically planned to provide appropriate interest and challenge for each child's stage of development, which is a breach of welfare requirements and hinders children's progress. The childminder builds close, warm relationships with the children, talking to them all the time to encourage language development. She incorporates discussions about colours, numbers and shapes into everyday This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 activities, games and songs. Children enjoy a variety of creative activities during

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and outcomes for children

the week, particularly sand or water play outside. They recently pressed their hand prints into rolled out dough and chose their favourite colour to paint them with once the dough had hardened.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from daily exercise in the fresh air, whether it is walks to the local park or playing in the childminder's garden. Physical development is promoted through riding on the wheeled toys and balancing on the rocker. They climb up and down stairs indoors and practise their hand and eye coordination through games of skittles in the dining room. Children are learning about nature and the world around them, looking at birds through binoculars and helping to plant strawberries and tomatoes in the garden. They talk about the different countries in the world and attempt to paint the flags from each country. Music and singing are part of the daily routine and children join in for a short time with the lively action songs. Young toddlers press the buttons on the music player to hear different types of music, for example, Latin American, Russian or Caribbean.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is promoted very well through good hygiene routines, fresh air and exercise and opportunities to rest or sleep in comfort. Nutritious meals are prepared the night before and children benefit from healthy snacks of fruit and vegetables every day. Dietary requirements are discussed with parents and fully catered for. Children behave quite well, however, their attention span is very low and they soon get frustrated and want to move on to the next activity. Very few toys are available for young toddlers to choose from when playing indoors and natural play materials are only used in creative play, which limits children's all round experiences. Children are encouraged to tidy up after themselves and the childminder talks about road safety when they go for walks. 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 3 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the Early Years section of the report (Records to be kept). 22/08/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the Early Years section of the report (Records to be kept). 22/08/2011

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