Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY314556 Inspection date 20/03/2012 Inspector Sue Heap

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged, 21 and 12 in the Oswaldtwistle area of Accrington, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the ground floor and bathroom upstairs are used for childminding. The rear garden is used for outdoor play. There is a step to the rear of the property.

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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, no more than three of whom may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. She is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder also cares for children aged five to 11 years. The family has a dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has a Foundation Degree in Young Children's Learning and Development.

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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 make good progress in their learning and development and receive excellent support from the childminder. A key strength is the highly positive way in which children learn to respect each other and develop high levels of self- confidence and self-esteem. Most aspects of observation and assessment are good. Children are safe and secure at all times because effective measures to promote their safety are in place. The childminder shows a good level of commitment to improvement through self-evaluation, attending training and reflection on her daily practice. She prides herself on having quality working relationships with parents at all times and other professionals when applicable. This means that children's individual needs are fully met and are reflected in practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 implement a system to monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals to ensure that any gaps in their learning are identified.

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the early years provision

The childminder is well informed about child protection issues and the procedures to follow if she has any concerns about a child in her care. She has recently This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 attended training on both safeguarding and first aid to ensure her knowledge and understanding is up-to-date. All adults in the home have completed the required vetting procedures. Children are extremely well safeguarded because the childminder places high emphasis on children's safety both within the home and on outings. This is achieved through the completion and recording of good quality written risk assessments, both daily and weekly, and the practice of weekly fire drills.

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the early years provision

The childminder is enthusiastic and highly professional in all aspects of the care she provides for each child which means inclusion is fully reflected in practice. Through being a reflective practitioner she accurately identifies her strengths and successfully identifies the areas for improvement which will have the most significant impact on the outcomes for children. She has completed the recommendation from the last inspection which has improved children's health and hygiene. Children now have individual wash bags for their personal hygiene needs to develop self-care skills and minimise cross infection. The childminder is enthusiastic about developing her knowledge and understanding through training. Since her last inspection she has completed an early years qualification at level 3 and a Foundation Degree in Young Children's Learning and development as well as other short courses.

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the early years provision

Toys and equipment are attractively stored and are frequently rotated which helps all children benefit from the full range of resources. A good balance of activities are organised in the home and within the community. For example, children are taken on a wide variety of trips and outings. This helps them learn in different ways and through a range of rich experiences. Positive images in toys and equipment, posters and photographs all contribute to children learning about diversity and the wider community.

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the early years provision

The childminder fully understands the importance of working closely with other professionals to ensure children's needs are met effectively. For example, she liaises effectively with school to support and extend children's learning. The childminder works extremely closely in partnership with parents, sharing children's progress both verbally, in daily diaries, via text messaging and through children's individual learning journeys. This communication ensures that parents are well- informed about their child's daily routine and activities and contributes to children's achievements, care and welfare. The childminder actively seeks parents' and children's views of her service at regular intervals through questionnaires to drive further improvement. Parents and carers comment positively on the good quality care, support and learning offered to them and their children, for example 'you are fantastic'. 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 good range of activities which promote their all-round development. These keep children actively engaged and well occupied. The childminder regularly makes good use of local facilities and visits to places of interest to extend children's play, learning and development. Activities are provided to help children develop effective listening and language skills. For instance, stories and rhymes are regularly shared with children. The childminder makes this highly interesting by the good use of visual aids which children have made. Effective questioning at this time helps children concentrate and be involved. Children enjoy using technology in their role play and demonstrate a good understanding of how things work. For example, they confidently talk on mobile phones, telling 'mummy' or 'daddy' to 'phone back later, I am busy'.

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and outcomes for children

Through her observations and assessments, the childminder successfully identifies the next steps in each child's learning and development. These are recorded in their own books along with photographs of their play which give a pictorial record of their development. However, these are not always consistently managed as she has trialled different systems. There is no system to track children's overall progress to ensure any gaps in their learning are easily identified.

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and outcomes for children

The organisation of the home fully supports children learning to move around the space safely and confidently. The premises are maintained to a high standard and children benefit greatly from accessing a dedicated play room. Younger children particularly benefit from consistent routines, such as time to eat, relax and play, which develops their sense of belonging. Particular attention is given to children learning how to keep themselves safe. This is built into the daily activities and their discussions. They learn well from a young age how to cross the road safely, not to run off in the park and practise weekly fire drills.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides healthy, nutritious meals and snacks to support children's daily diet. These are all home made from fresh ingredients. Children demonstrate high levels of understanding of their own needs, likes and dislikes. They learn to take responsibility as they help prepare fresh fruit at snack time and help themselves to strawberries, bananas and grapes. There are frequent opportunities for fresh air and exercise. They enjoy going for walks and to the park to play on large climbing equipment or tunnels. Visits to a local farm to see the peacock and goats are a favourite activity. Children learn to treat animals with respect and know not to put their finger near the peacock's mouth because 'it might peck'. They are able to access a good range of physical equipment in the garden, such as slides, see saws and wheeled toys. All these aid children's physical development and develop their knowledge of the local and wider community.

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and outcomes for children

Children's efforts and achievements are recognised through the extremely positive role model and example set by the childminder. All children are encouraged to clap their hands and give verbal praise when a child has achieved something. For example, when correctly counting the number of legs on a spider, naming colours, or for beautiful singing and good sharing. Consequently, children demonstrate This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 extremely high levels of respect for each other and value each other's needs. They develop excellent levels of self-esteem and confidence. They are extremely caring, nurturing and helpful to one another. As a result, children's behaviour is exemplary. 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 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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