Childminder in Stockport

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY361209 Inspection date 09/03/2012 Inspector Rebecca McGrath

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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 2007. She lives with her husband and children aged 12 and eight in the Cheadle area of Stockport. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre- schools. The family has no pets.

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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 no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently two children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. 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. The childminder receives support from the local authority. 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 provides a very welcoming and inclusive environment where children are extremely happy, secure and settle well. They make good progress towards the early learning goals, as the childminder provides a range of activities and play resources in most areas. The childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child well, thus ensuring their individual development is met in most aspects. Partnerships with parents and the local school are effective in supporting children's care and development and ensure continuity of learning. The childminder is aware of her strengths and areas for development and formally evaluates the quality of the service she provides. She has enthusiasm, a commitment to her role and a good capacity to improve

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further?

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

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further?

 develop and strengthen links between the observation, assessment and planning of children's next steps to ensure children reach their full potential  develop activities and learning opportunities in order for children to make progress in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded and well protected in the setting because the childminder is very knowledgeable about the local safeguarding policies. She has effective procedures in place to manage any concerns she may have about children in her care. The childminder has a detailed range of clear policies and procedures and these, alongside well organised documentation, underpin the effective management of the service. The childminder is extremely vigilant about safety around the home and hazards are minimised through detailed risk assessments which are regularly reviewed.

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the early years provision

The environment is clean, warm and welcoming. The children have continual access to a wide range of resources, through open tubs and baskets at a low level. This supports children's developing independence, as babies confidently select the toys they want to play with. Children move freely around their environment extending their exploratory senses. The childminder makes clear her commitment to inclusion. She ensures that all children learn to value diverse cultures and one another's differences through planned activities and discussion. For example, costumes from different cultures and books depict different parts of the world.

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the early years provision

The childminder establishes caring and supportive working relationships with parents. She provides them with verbal and written feedback of their child's routine and daily activities. Parents know about the progress their children are making through the sharing of their children's learning journals. The journals are very informative as they include photographs and anecdotes as well as documenting children's achievements. The childminder organises and leads childminder groups within the local Children's Centre. This increases children's experiences as it encourages them to interact with other children. Partnerships with external agencies are established and the childminder effectively links her activities with school to ensure the transition between the settings is highly supported for the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder has taken positive steps towards improvement through completing a self-evaluation form and recognises her areas for future development. She gains feedback from parents to enable her to improve her services and regularly attends training to keep up to date with current guidelines and practice. As a result, she is consistently developing and improving outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and well settled. The childminder's warm and caring approach enables her to build trusting relationships with children. This successfully promotes children's emotional well-being and they feel secure in her company and home. The childminder has a good knowledge of the six areas of learning and provides varied experiences on a daily basis. Consequently, children make good progress This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 towards the early learning goals. Despite this, progress in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy is not as developed as other areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Close observations of children's play and development is taking place and the childminder has a good understanding of each child's development stage. However links to learning from observations are not yet developed in order for planning to be progressive and ensure each child reaches their full potential.

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and outcomes for children

Children's progress is recorded in their development files, which are shared with parents.

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and outcomes for children

Children practice early writing skills as they use pencils successfully to make marks and have access to a wide variety of books. The children are very confident in handling books and take great interest in early reading skills. The childminder fosters this love of books through sharing stories on a daily basis, as they cuddle up and enjoy this quiet time. As a result the children have good speaking and listening skills for their stage of development and they confidently point to key objects. Children attend rhyming sessions within the local community and enjoy singing songs. Numbers are displayed in different ways for the children to identify and the images promote their recognition of different shapes and colours. They use number games and activities to sort and match objects. Children enjoy the role play and small world activities where they can express themselves and develop their imagination well. Children have good opportunities to explore their

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and outcomes for children

surroundings, to grow seeds and visit local places of interest, further developing their knowledge and understanding of the world. They learn to express themselves creatively through the many activities offered using a variety of different media. Paint and colourful collage materials are used to create pictures by the children. They make dragons at Chinese New Year and the children enjoy tasting foods from other countries. These experiences develop a very positive understanding of the wider world. Children are also gaining good skills in using technology as they access electronic toys and take photographs using a digital camera. This means that children are developing good skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good and this is promoted very well by the childminder, who provides lots of positive praise and encouragement. Children are kept healthy as they adopt good personal hygiene routines; washing hands before and after their food. They access regular drinks to ensure they are well hydrated and the childminder provides well balanced snacks so their individual needs are met effectively. Children enjoy the benefits of fresh air and physical exercise as they regularly visit local parks and play centres. They benefit from a wide range of different outdoor environments as they visit other early years settings on a regular basis. This has a positive impact on the children as they develop a sense of belonging and play a part in the local community. Emergency evacuations are practised regularly with the children to enhance their ability to cope in an 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 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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