Childminder in Warrington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY438002 Inspection date 23/05/2012 Inspector Jan Linsdell

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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 2011. She lives with her mother, who is also a registered childminder, her father and her adult brother. The family lives in the Appleton area of Warrington. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding purposes. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for six children under the age of eight years at any one time. When working with a co-childminder, she is registered to care for a maximum of nine children under the age of eight years. She is currently minding three children, one of whom is within the early years age group. Children attend on a part-time basis. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She holds an appropriate early years qualification at Level 3.

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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 have fun in the very stimulating and well-organised environment. They take part in a wide range of experiences to help them make good progress in their learning and development. Partnerships with parents, carers and other settings are developing appropriately. Most of the records to promote children's welfare and ensure the safe management of the setting are in place. The childminder meets children's individual needs well. She is beginning to introduce systems to support self-evaluation and she is keen to develop her childminding skills in order 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?

 obtain written parental permission for all children to take part in outings  develop self-evaluation systems that take into account the views of parents, carers and children, in order to effectively identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development.

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the early years provision

The childminder has secure knowledge and understanding of the procedures to safeguard children from harm. She knows how to recognise possible signs of abuse and how to refer any concerns to the relevant authorities. Detailed risk assessments are in place to promote children's safety on the premises and on outings. Children are well supervised and all visitors are requested to sign in on This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 arrival. Most required records to promote children's safety and welfare are available and well organised, although written parental permission is not obtained for all children to take part in outings.

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the early years provision

The childminder is knowledgeable about children's needs, preferences and abilities, which enables her to meet their individual needs well. She organises cultural activities so that children develop a positive attitude towards diversity. The environment is very child-centred, inviting and stimulating for children and they have easy access to a wealth of resources to support their learning and enjoyment. Improvements have been made to the ground floor of the property, to include a new downstairs toilet. This enables children to be more independent when carrying out personal tasks.

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the early years provision

The Ofsted self-evaluation form is being introduced to support the childminder in reviewing her practice and considering where improvements can be made. However, parents and children are not yet involved in the self-evaluation process, which limits their ability to contribute to improving the setting. Working alongside her mother as a co-childminder, she benefits from the wealth of experience and professional knowledge that her mother brings to their childcare practice. The childminder is committed to developing her skills and shows strong ambition and drive to improve. She has attended a number of additional training courses since registration, including the new Early Years Foundation Stage briefing, preparation for inspection and food hygiene, all of which enhance her practice.

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the early years provision

The childminder is beginning to build partnerships with other settings the children attend, such as nursery. For example, she talks to the children's teacher and passes on relevant messages between nursery and home. She is developing suitable partnerships with parents and carers. She follows their wishes and she talks to them about the children's day. Parents receive copies of written policies to read and sign, which means they are kept informed about the childminder's procedures.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder interacts positively with the children to guide their play and learning. She organises a good balance of home-based play and outings to help children make good progress towards the early learning goals. This includes attending various groups, where children have opportunities to play, sing and dance. Children's interests and suggestions are taken into account when organising activities and the childminder is beginning to use systems to observe children and plan for their next steps.

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and outcomes for children

Sand and water is freely available for children to explore. They play imaginatively with the tea set and they demonstrate their creativity, such as when they build their own aquarium. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is developing well because they take part in special events throughout the year. For example, they make paper chains in preparation for the Queen's Jubilee and they eat ethnic foods during Chinese New Year. They enjoy many outings to various This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 places of interest, such as the farm, beach and zoo. They also plant sunflowers and create their own bird feeders for the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good skills for the future. They demonstrate their mathematical awareness, when they line up the cups and count how many sugars they add with the spoon. The childminder also introduces simple calculation when she encourages children to work out how many cups they have when she adds two more. Children's writing is displayed on the walls and they access a wide range of books to encourage their interest in reading. They also use some electronic equipment and mobile phones to support their understanding of technology.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and confident in their environment. Plenty of photographs and children's work is on display, which gives them a strong sense of belonging. The childminder models respectful behaviour and encourages children to try things for themselves, such as putting on an apron. This means children become independent. They also learn to share and they often use good manners without the need for prompts.

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and outcomes for children

Children adopt good hygiene habits, such as washing their hands and drying them on paper towels, which helps to reduce the spread of germs. They enjoy healthy snacks, such as breadsticks and crackers, and they are reminded to drink water to stay refreshed. Children develop good physical skills when they play in the garden, where they ride on wheeled toys, crawl through tunnels or explore the new climbing frame. They show skill when using the slide and there is much excitement when the childminder introduces the bubble machine. 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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