Winch, Joanne

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY406878 Inspection date 06/03/2012 Inspector Patricia Webb

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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 2009 and lives with her husband and one child aged 13 years in Stirchley, Telford. The childminder works with her husband who is also a registered childminder. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding along with upstairs bathroom facilities. There is a fully enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play. There are shops and a park within walking distance. The family has two pet cats.

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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, of whom three may be in the early years age range. When working with her co-childminder together they may care for a maximum of eight children under eight years at any one time, of whom six may in the early years age range. There are currently three children on roll in the early years age range. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. 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 made a very strong start to her practice. Children's welfare and well-being are at the heart of everything that she does in her practice. Providing a home-from-home environment, each child is supported in enjoying their time with the childminder. They are sensitively encouraged to reach their full potential as the childminder has high expectations of what children can do and learn through a range of experiences and opportunities. The childminder has begun the process of self-evaluation and has a firm commitment to continuous improvement of her practice to further enhance children's outcomes.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the evaluation system as a reflective process to build on key strengths and prioritise areas for further development ensuring that the quality of each child's learning, development and care continues to improve  recognise the opportunities in everyday activities that enable children to gain skills in problem solving and reasoning, and reflect this level of development in children's records. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder works very closely with the co-childminder to offer a home- centred environment. She is confident in her knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and the action she would take should she have any child protection concerns. All adults in the household have been vetted appropriately and parents are assured of their suitability. Very thorough risk assessments are carried out to identify and reduce potential hazards to children without thwarting their innate exploratory impulses. A varied range of toys, equipment and resources are presented effectively for the children to make selections for themselves. The stringent routines practised by the childminder ensure that equipment is clean, well maintained and suitable for the ages and stages of all of the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a very clear commitment to working in partnership with parents and carers. A very respectful two-way exchange of information ensures that children's individual needs are identified and fully met in line with parents' wishes. There is a strong emphasis on inclusive practice as each child's family background is valued and respected. Cultural differences are celebrated to promote diversity in very practical ways that are meaningful and accurate, such as sharing family customs, considering different diets and acknowledging home languages and religions. Parents are given every opportunity to express comments regarding the practice. Some state their deep satisfaction in comments, such as 'our child enjoys the time here and always wants to go back the next morning, even at weekends'. Older children are also encouraged to share their opinions through drawings and writing as one child draws some favourite board games and

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the early years provision

expresses happiness at being at the childminder's. The childminder is aware of exploring strategies to develop future partnerships with other providers as none of the current children attend other settings as yet.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear vision for the future of her provision and has engaged in the process of self-evaluation. She is aware of the key strengths of her practice but has not yet considered a wholly reflective approach to the process. This hinders how aspects for further improvement are clearly identified and prioritised. For example, children's developmental records do not fully reflect the opportunities that occur in their daily routines to promote their abilities in problem solving and reasoning. The childminder is however an enthusiastic practitioner who is eager to attend various courses to extend her knowledge and understanding of early years learning and development and utilise the skills within her day to day practice. Working with her co-childminder, she takes the lead role with regard to the maintenance of detailed documentation and policies for the safe and efficient management of the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely settled and very much at home with the childminder and her co-childminder. Their progress is effectively observed and assessed as the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder refers to the Early Years Foundation Stage 'Development Matters' matrix to plot attainment accurately. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child's progress and most do this verbally, sharing what the children do at home. Next steps are planned for individual children based on the regular summary assessments undertaken. In this way, the childminder is able to identify children's key strengths and build their interests into the planning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are supported in reaching developmental milestones as the childminder has a sound awareness of child development. Young children preparing for early walking are very ably guided through play and the clever use of resources to gain control over their bodies. For example, low-level furniture and access to resources aid a child in standing and taking first tentative steps walking round the furniture. They visit the local library as the childminder is aware of some children's love of books. On their return, they eagerly sit down to enjoy the stories and some children join in to repeat familiar words. Songs and music figure highly in the provision as some children show a delight in singing and playing the various musical instruments with gusto. This helps children to develop a sense of rhythm as they sway and dance in time to the music and some share their love of church music with others. Children's social and emotional development is effectively

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and outcomes for children

fostered. They form strong bonds of friendship with each other and seek out the childminder for support and attention, confident in her response. Great care is given by the childminder to supporting children in considering the effect their actions may have on others as they become aware of the firm but fair boundaries to their behaviour. For example, the childminder fosters children's interest in singing by using the electronic microphone to help young children to become aware of the need to share and take turns.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being are strongly promoted. Children gain an awareness of following effective personal care routines and understand why hand washing is important in keeping healthy. The administration of medication and any minor accidents or injuries are managed effectively by the childminder who holds a valid first aid certificate and shares any such incidents with parents on a daily basis. The provision of meals is discussed with parents from the outset and some choose to provide their child's food themselves. The childminder is aware of safe food storage practice and ensures that the risk of spoilage is minimised by checking refrigeration temperatures and re-heating any foods appropriately. Children are becoming aware of their own safety as they help to tidy away and reduce the risk of tripping or falling. They learn about crossing the roads with care and attention and participate in emergency evacuation drills to reduce the risk of

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and outcomes for children

upset in the event of a real emergency. 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 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 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 1 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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