Childminder in Manchester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY279578 Inspection date 29/03/2012 Inspector Julie Firth

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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 with her husband, who is also a registered childminder, and one child aged seven years, in the Openshaw an area of Manchester. The home is close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, including a lounge and a playroom. There is an enclosed yard for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

When working alone, the childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time. When working with another childminder, she is able to care for seven children under eight years. There are currently 6 children on roll, of which three are in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is an accredited childminder who is supported by Manchester Sure Start 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and are cared for in a safe, homely and inclusive environment. The childminder plans exciting learning activities for children. Tracking systems are used to indicate the good progress children make, although these lack some detail. The childminder is developing positive partnerships with parents, and is begining to work well with others; although systems for this are not yet fully developed. The childminder understands her strengths and uses self-evaluation to monitor her practice. She is committed to regular training and improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 review and extend assessment systems to more accurately track children's progress as they develop across all areas of their learning  develop further systems to improve continuity of children's care and education when children attend other settings.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding children and keeps up- to-date with child protection training. She has a sound knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow should she be concerned about a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 child's welfare. A record of visitors to the setting is maintained, and all other aspects of documentation relating to the welfare of the children is in place and stored to respect confidentiality. Children know where to find resources to extend their play ideas and follow their own interests. Defined areas in the playroom, such as writing, investigation and construction, enable children to consolidate their learning well. Children sit and concentrate with table top puzzles and chat together during a snack. Regular attendance at workshops and training courses, on such things as mark making, planning and risk assessments, reflects really well in her

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the early years provision

practice. In addition, the childminder is part of an accredited quality assurance childminding network.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well to promote a good and inclusive service to children, parents and carers. She is very committed and enthusiastic, and alongside her husband who is also a registered childminder, she continually strives to improve the service she offers. Comprehensive documentation, policies and procedures are in place, and copies are available to parents and regularly discussed, to ensure they are kept fully informed of her childcare practice. She also maintains a very informative notice board and uses questionnaires to inform and gather the views of parents. Furthermore, she offers a flexible service to suit their family needs. Parents are becoming increasingly well informed about the Early Years Foundation Stage principles, and there is good involvement in their children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder work works well with the local Sure Start centre and speaks to the staff as she collects children from school each day. However, many of the children in her care are approaching school age, and there is room to do more to work more closely with the other settings children attend in order to fully support continuity in children's care and education.

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the early years provision

Self-assessment procedures are in place to monitor and evaluate the provision, and these take into consideration the views of both children and parents. Future plans for the service are well targeted to further promote positive outcomes for children. For example, the childminder hopes to refurbish her back yard to improve outdoor play experiences and, as her husband has recently become registered, she has new ideas on how to enhance the planning of learning activities and outings.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good knowledge of the Early Years Framework, which enables her to meet the requirements well and promote outcomes for children. The childminder uses the information she receives from parents to observe children at play, and plan around children's individual needs and interests. She identifies suitable next steps to help children progress in their learning and plans interesting and stimulating activities to help the children make progress across all areas of learning and development. Photographic evidence indicates that children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 take part in fun activities and the childminder is clearly able to demonstrate how quickly the children make progress. Furthermore, both the childminder and her husband know the children well and understand their likes, dislikes and how to challenge their learning through focused activities. However, systems used for

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and outcomes for children

tracking children's progress are new and lack detail in some areas.

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and outcomes for children

The environment is stimulating and children can freely move around the ground floor. The childminder has developed a good range of accessible resources to help children to explore, investigate and develop an understanding of diversity. Baking activities allow the children to sample foods from different origins and talk about different countries. They enjoy celebrating the Jewish faith, African culture, Chinese New Year and other celebrations. There is a strong emphasis on independence, and children are encouraged to access their own drinks and learn to dress themselves. A family friendly ethos helps the children gain an extreme sense of belonging in the setting. Pictures in the play room of different emotions, encourage children to point and describe how they are feeling each day. Photographic documentation also shows the children have a lot of opportunities to express their own thoughts and ideas, using a variety of creative materials. They

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and outcomes for children

become engrossed in dressing up and participate in role play. Children enjoy painting, glueing, sticking and making a collage with the childminder, who supports them well and only intervenes when they need help.

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and outcomes for children

Children are given a wealth of first hand experiences as they visit the park, seaside, museum, or local groups. They take great delight in watching their plants grow from seed. Children have good opportunities to see examples of everyday print and to learn that print has meaning. All toys are labelled and enable children to freely choose what they want to play with. They use language very well and are encouraged to make marks, recognise letters and use sounds. Children learn to count well and recognise numbers through lotto's and various puzzles. Their physical skills and coordination are developed well, because the childminder encourages and promotes outdoor play and exercise. Children take a walk in all weathers and use bats, balls and bikes in the local park. Indoors, they use musical instruments and dance around to songs and rhymes.

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and outcomes for children

Good behaviour is displayed and the frequent use of praise helps children feel good about themselves. The childminder is a good role model to the children and ground rules, displayed as pictures, encourage and remind children of how to play safely. Children benefit from being cared for in a home which is clean, warm and well maintained. For example, stringent nappy changing procedures are in place and children are fully aware of the importance of hand washing after activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well nourished and develop an awareness of healthy eating. The childminder uses home made foods and a nutritious diet to aid children's growth and development. Drinks are available at all times of the day. They are involved in activities to remind them about the healthy benefits of fruit and vegetables. The premises are safe and secure and both indoors and outside are subject to rigorous risk assessments. Furthermore, the childminder arranges for the fire service to undertake yearly checks of the premises. These ensure that risks to children are minimised. Safety outdoors is well promoted. Trips are well thought-out to enable This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children to have fun in a safe environment, and they participate in a large variety of topics, such as 'stranger danger'. Children wear high visibility jackets when out walking and they walk in a line, holding a safety rope, when crossing busy roads.

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and outcomes for children

Furthermore, the older children, who attend the setting after school, are very aware of the importance of keeping tiny objects away from the younger children. 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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