Hamilton Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 137964 Inspection date 13/03/2012 Inspector Daphne Prescott

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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 1992. She lives with her husband and two adult children in a house in New Malden, Surrey. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding, with toilet and sleeping facilities in this area. There is an enclosed garden that is shared with the next door neighbours where children can play, supervised by the childminder.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children under eight years of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range and not more than one may be under one year at any one time. There is currently one child on roll in the early years age group.

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Description of the childminding

This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder attends local toddler groups on a regular basis.

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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

Children are happy, confident and enjoy positive relationships with the childminder. She strives to provide an inclusive and welcoming service for children and their families. Children make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder provides them with a wide range of activities overall. Good relationships with parents help to ensure that she is aware of children's individual needs, which she meets very well. The childminder has identified areas for development and has a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the garden area to provide a suitable range of activities across areas of learning to enable children to explore, use their senses, and be physically active.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the necessary steps to take in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. She demonstrates clear knowledge of safeguarding procedures to follow in the event she has concerns about a child in her care. Children play in a safe and well maintained environment. The childminder carries out effective risk assessments of her home and outings to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 help ensure all hazards are minimised.

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the early years provision

Children have ample space to enjoy and explore the play materials provided. They have independent access to a good range of toys and play materials. The childminder plans a flexible daily routine. This provides a well-balanced day for the children with a wide range of experiences, both in the home and the local community. The childminder welcomes children and their families into her home and works hard to provide an inclusive environment. She promotes equality and diversity appropriately, with an evolving range of resources and activities. She uses age-appropriate explanations with the children to help them understand differences between people and challenges any discriminatory comments.

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the early years provision

The partnership with parents is good. The childminder works effectively with parents to help make sure she meets their child's individual needs. At the start of the placement, she gathers good information about children's care routines and starting points. The childminder also shares her policies and procedures with parents, so they have a clear understanding of how she operates her service. There are currently no children in the childminder's care who attend other early years settings or who need support from other agencies. However, the childminder is aware of the need to work in partnership with all other parties if the need arises.

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the early years provision

The childminder shows a positive approach to her self-development. She keeps up to date with good childcare practice and training through the local authority. The childminder is aware of her strengths and can discuss areas in which to improve her service. She has addressed the recommendations made at the last inspection. The childminder demonstrates good capacity to maintain continuous improvement to promote positive outcomes for all children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and content in the childminder's care and obviously enjoy her company. They demonstrate a strong feeling of security as they have formed positive relationships with the childminder. Children demonstrate this through their body language as they snuggle into her for comfort. They also respond well to her communication with smiles and laughs. The childminder has a good awareness of how children learn through play and provides activities, which support their development. She carries out observations on the children and assesses her findings. In order to identify their stages of development and next steps in each area of learning. The childminder is beginning to discuss with parents their child's progress to enable them to support their child's learning at home.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps set the foundation for children's future life skills through the many activities that support their numeracy, pre-reading and writing skills. The childminder encourages their interest in books through regular visits to the library. Children begin to solve simple problems during everyday activities as they find the right piece for a puzzle. They excitedly work out which button to press on a musical toy to make a particular sound. Children enjoy singing along to nursery This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 rhymes as they play happily with the childminder. They increase their hand eye coordination as they put together and build with bricks. Children are learning about the community they live in. As they widen their experiences and socialise with others as the childminder takes the children to toddler groups.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good appreciation of healthy lifestyles. They enjoy frequent opportunities for exercise and fresh air, as they enjoy playing football in the garden. However, the childminder has yet to extend the garden to provide children with additional challenges and experiences across all areas of learning. Children enjoy healthy foods, which meet their individual dietary requirements. The childminder demonstrates how she talks to the children about road safety when they are out in the local community. This helps them to begin to learn about the importance of keeping themselves safe. She provides opportunities for them to participate in evacuation procedures, so they will know what to do in an emergency situation. The childminder fully engages with the children at all times and makes them feel valued as she listens and responds to their requests. As a result, children behave well. They are encouraged to be kind, considerate and

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and outcomes for children

caring, which in turn enables them to develop a sense of security and feeling safe. 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 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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