Sarah Gorton

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY266364 Inspection date 29/02/2012 Inspector Dianne Andrews

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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 2004. She lives in Altrincham, Cheshire with her husband and two teenage children. The whole of the ground floor, along with two bedrooms and the bathroom on the first floor of the childminder's house are used for childminding. There is access to an enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, three of these may be in the early years age group. There are currently three children in this age group on roll. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder 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 been registered for many years, but has only been caring for children in the early years age group for a short time. She is well-organised and has a good knowledge of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, although some systems are in their infancy. Through effective partnerships with parents she gathers a range of information to ensure that she understands their children's individual needs. Children are helped to make good progress because they feel safe, secure and included. The childminder has enthusiasm and a good capacity to continuously improve, making good use of advice and her childcare experience to develop her practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop plans further so that each child's learning journey is personalised to meet their individual needs and to extend their talents  develop the use of a system to record visitor's names, the purpose of their visit and the details of their arrival and departure times.

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the early years provision

The steps taken to safeguard children are robust and effective. The childminder has attended training to refresh and keep abreast of changes on safeguarding matters and clearly understands the importance of protecting the children in her care. The childminder's policies and procedures are clear and appropriate to support the care service provided and are shared with parents through her 'parent pack'. Insurance and registration certificates are prominently displayed for parents This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to refer to and the daily register and children's registration details are accurately completed as appropriate. All adults in the household are known to Ofsted and have completed checks in order to confirm their suitability. The childminder is vigilant and has effective procedures in place to check the identity of people who have been asked to collect children or those who visit the provision. However, a

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the early years provision

record of visitors is not maintained to fully promote children's well-being.

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the early years provision

The childminder supervises children well and ensures that the premises are secure to keep children safe. Risk assessments help to confirm how hazards are minimised and include changes to the property, such as, the exclusion of the garden while the area is renovated. A daily checklist is in place and is completed each morning; this also serves as a reminder about the need to maintain a safe environment to those who live in the house. Fire detection equipment is fitted where required and children practise emergency evacuation procedures so that they understand how to keep themselves safe. The emergency evacuation procedures are prominently displayed so that visitors and older children can refer to them.

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the early years provision

Children are helped to settle in the provision due to the effective, supportive partnerships the childminder forges with the parents. She quickly gets to know and understand their children's individual likes and dislikes and helps them to feel secure about the care arrangements. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires; they demonstrate complete satisfaction with the service they receive and make comments, such as '...my childminder has developed warm responsive and engaging relationships with our girls as well as with us parents. She provides fun, stimulation and an emotional supportive environment in which both children have thrived'. Parents are kept informed about the progress their children are making through the sharing of information and through access to their children's development profiles. The profiles, which are in their infancy, include photographs and document some areas of achievement.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well in partnership with other setting the children attend. She makes very good use of the information provided by the setting, which details the activities they are doing with children and the themes they are following. The childminder promotes consistency in children's learning as she plans activities which follow and develop the same theme. She is beginning to recognise the next steps for children's development within her analysis of the observations of children at play; however, she is not using this information to plan for personalised learning within activities.

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the early years provision

The childminder makes clear her commitment to inclusion and is able to recognise and cater for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She ensures that all children learn to value diverse cultures and one another's differences through activities, discussion and play materials.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a realistic view of her practice. She acts on advice offered, in particular, through the local authority's audit and from other professionals to help develop and improve her practice. She has begun to use the self-evaluation tool effectively to identify areas for improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a variety of stimulating play experiences and activities, both indoors and outside, these support their learning and development well. The childminder is able to engage them in activities and appropriately support their learning through encouragement, praise and effective role modelling.

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and outcomes for children

Children use their imaginations, creating roles and scenarios as they develop their own play. They bathe, dress, feed and comfort their 'babies', modelling practices they have observed while at community groups. Their communication skills are developing well and they enjoy activities developed from a familiar nursery story, reading book and dramatising the story. As an extension of this theme, they develop knowledge about the natural world by planting seeds to tend and watch grow into beanstalks. They have opportunities to make marks and practise writing their own names as they create labels for their plant pots and also for their development folders.

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and outcomes for children

They use mathematical language in their play, making a 'tall tower' and counting using corresponding numbers one to 10. They begin to set their own problem solving challenges as they hide objects, recognising the concept of 'one more' and 'one less'. Spontaneous opportunities within daily routines help to reinforce their learning; they create a picnic for lunch time and are encouraged to recognise colour as they make their plate selection, and to count out as they serve their sandwiches.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is encouraged through effective personal hygiene routines, such as, handwashing before mealtimes. They have opportunities to be active and to develop an understanding of the benefits of physical activity, recognising the effects of exercise on their bodies following physical education sessions. They copy body movements, shown to them in pictorial form, for instance, tip toeing, skipping and jumping. They also benefit from regular use of large equipment and open space at the local parks.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to stay safe as they discuss road safety and the potential danger of strangers. Safety messages are reinforced through meaningful stories and games. Children are secure and display a strong sense of belonging. They recognise the routines, taking responsibility to hang up their coats when they arrive back from nursery. They have good opportunities to play a part in the wider community, for instance, as they help fundraise for a local charity by dressing up and participating in a 'mad hatter's tea party'. Children behave well and are supported to share and cooperate with their peers. They are helped to deal with issues, such as loss of a pet, as they sponsor the care of a dog. Older children demonstrate their complete trust in their carer, as they discuss their concerns or share their anxieties anonymously using a 'worries postbox'. 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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