Elford, Elizabeth

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY437241 Inspection date 09/05/2012 Inspector Jenny Read

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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

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 registered in 2011. She lives with her husband and two school- aged children in the Bowerhill area of Melksham, in Wiltshire. The whole of the house is registered for the childminding. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and may care for three children at any one time. She currently cares for five children on a part-time basis.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy, content and settled because their health is promoted effectively and sufficient safety arrangements are in place. However, they do not learn fully about how to evacuate the premises safely. They make steady progress, although, systems to use observations to inform planning are not fully established. The childminder enables parents to be involved in their children's learning. She works in partnership with other settings but does not share information with them about children's progress. She takes some positive steps to secure future improvement to enhance outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 carry out regular evacuation drills with children to help raise their awareness of the appropriate action to take in an emergency  develop further systems to maintain a regular two-way flow of information with other providers, with particular regard to sharing information about children's learning  develop a systematic and routine approach to using observations and assessment to plan the next steps in a child's developmental progress.

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the early years provision

The childminder has sound safeguarding arrangements in place. She is confident in identifying any child protection concerns and liaising appropriately with the relevant child agencies. Children play in a safe, secure environment because the childminder supervises their play and daily routines, and maintains adequate risk assessments. The childminder implements daily visual safety checks before children arrive. She checks that stair gates, socket covers and entrances are secure This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and takes appropriate steps to minimise any hazards that she identifies.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from ample space in which to play and learn. They confidently move between the different rooms to support their play and use a sufficient range of resources each day. The childminder is currently working to increase the selection of toys available for children and has started to introduce some natural, sensory materials to promote sustainability. She finds out about children's backgrounds and needs through discussion with parents and tailored settling-in sessions. This enables her to meet their individual care and learning needs appropriately and to support their inclusion in the setting. Children begin to gain awareness of diversity and people's similarities and differences through the occasional use of relevant books.

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the early years provision

The childminder is beginning to establish links with other providers supporting children. She routinely shares information about children's general care and welfare. However, she does not exchange information about children's progress and next steps to support a more consistent approach to their learning and development. Parents value the informative parent pack, daily diary and regular communication with the childminder. This keeps them informed about the setting and their children's general care. They receive sound information about their children's progress through termly viewing of their learning journal. The childminder has started a self-evaluation process to help review her practice and improve outcomes for children. She is beginning to identify some strengths and areas for development. She has developed her systems for completing children's records of progress. This has improved the information that she gives to parents

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the early years provision

and enabled her to begin to track children's learning more closely. This demonstrates her ability to secure some improvements.

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and outcomes for children

Children are content and happy because the childminder meets their health, physical and dietary requirements well. They enjoy a good balance of healthy, wholesome food and feel safe to snuggle and have cuddles with the childminder when having their bottle. They are active and eagerly participate in daily physical activities. This encourages them to maintain a healthy lifestyle while challenging their coordination and physical skills. They frequently practise their early walking skills by holding the childminder's hands and excitedly exploring their surroundings and the resources. Children develop good independence in their personal care as they use a step, liquid soap and paper towels when washing their hands. They are secure, settle quickly and begin to develop a sense of how to stay safe. They become familiar with road safety through discussion about the dangers of cars. However, they gain little awareness of how to stay safe in an emergency. They

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and outcomes for children

have few opportunities to practise the escape plan and discuss which exit they need to take.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop appropriate skills for the future. They generally display confidence This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 as they play. They smile as they successfully bang the drum and make sounds on the xylophone, clapping and babbling to express their enjoyment. They laugh excitedly as the childminder taps the balloons around the room and show interest in the chimes. Children are beginning to learn about caring for their environment and sustainability. They help to plant strawberries, lettuces and sunflowers, watering them and watching as they grow. They learn to use their senses as they begin to pull, scrunch and explore the shiny foil ribbons. The childminder extends children's learning appropriately. For example, when playing with the farm, she identifies the different animals and makes their sounds. She talks about what children are doing and introduces new vocabulary. She offers support, such as

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and outcomes for children

helping children to operate the roller on a toy, which helps them to develop some new skills. Children are beginning to experiment with different materials, such as occasionally investigating paint using their hands and feet.

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and outcomes for children

Children are active learners because the childminder positively encourages them to initiate and lead their own play. The childminder completes regular observations of children's learning to identify their interests and some targets in some areas of learning. She keeps an individual learning journal for each child, which includes photographs and examples of the children's work. She includes clear descriptions of the activities, links to the different areas of learning and suggested ways to extend children's learning. However, she does not consistently use the information gained to identify individual children's next steps or help guide future planning. As a result, planning does not consistently provide purposeful activities or challenge individual children's learning. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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