Weston Favell Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 136948 Inspection date 15/06/2012 Inspector Daphne Prescott

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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 registered in 2001. She lives with her husband and three adult children in Biggin Hill, Kent. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding with toilet facilities downstairs. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a rabbit and tortoise as pets.

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Description of the childminding

This provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time; of these, three children may be in the early years age range. There are currently two children on roll, of these one is in the early years age group.

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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 offers a welcoming family environment for children and they are settled and happy in her care. She offers an inclusive service as she respects the individual needs of all children. Overall she meets their developmental needs well, as they benefit from a wide range of stimulating and interesting activities. The childminder has good working relationships with parents. She generally monitors her safety procedures well. The childminder reflects upon her practice, and identifies areas to develop through self-evaluation. She demonstrates a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement to benefit the children in her care.

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further?

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

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further?

 monitor the effectiveness of evacuation drills, for example, by including details of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  create an environment rich in print where children can learn about words, recognising that print carries meaning.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her role and responsibilities towards safeguarding children. She is fully aware of her duty of care to help protect children and of the procedures she must follow if she has concerns about their welfare. The childminder completes visual safety checks each day for the premises to identify and reduce hazards and maintains a record of these. This helps to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ensure the children have the freedom to explore and develop skills in a safe and secure environment. The childminder has clearly defined procedures for the emergency evacuation of her premises, which she practices with the children. However, she does not log these details to help her further monitor their safety.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her home and play resources well, which effectively supports children's learning and development. They choose from a good range of age appropriate toys that are stored at a low level to foster children's increasing independence. The childminder offers an inclusive service and welcomes all children into her care. She promotes equality and diversity appropriately, with an evolving range of resources and activities to help them understand differences between people.

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the early years provision

The childminder establishes good links with parents and the information that they share helps to ensure children are settled and secure. She keeps parents well informed of their children's daily activities through feedback at drop off and collection times. The childminder also shares a record of children's achievements with parents, which enables them to be involved in their child's learning. Written comments made by parents demonstrate that they are very happy with the care provided. There are currently no children in the childminder's care who attend other early years settings or who need support from other agencies. However, the childminder is aware of the need to work in partnership with all other parties if the need arises to help promote children's continued progression of care, learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder evaluates her provision well. She identifies the strengths of her practice and any areas for development. The childminder welcomes parents' suggestions. She uses questionnaires to seek parents' views in order to make improvements to her service. The childminder is committed to the continuous improvement of her provision. She has successfully addressed the recommendations at the previous inspection. For example, the childminder displays her registration certificate and she gives parents information about her complaints procedures. Parents are, therefore, continually informed and this improves outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy in the care of this childminder and obviously enjoy their play and learning. They receive constant attention from the childminder and have a strong attachment to her, which increases their sense of well-being. Children demonstrate this as they freely approach the childminder, showing that they feel safe and secure in her care. The childminder undertakes observations while the children engage in their play. She uses photographs and samples of the children's artwork to support her evidence on how they are progressing and enjoying their activities. The childminder knows the children's individual abilities well and provides activities, which interest them and encourage their next steps in their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning. She effectively promotes inclusive practice as activities are adapted and all children are encouraged equally to be involved in activities.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps set the foundation for children's future life skills through the many activities she provides. Children thoroughly enjoy cooking activities with the childminder. For example, they make ginger and cinnamon biscuits and learn about numeracy, such as counting and comparing when weighing the ingredients. During the activity, they use mathematical language using the names for shapes, as they cut out different shaped biscuits. Children have good opportunities to participate in a range of creative activities, such as making a model tortoise out of paper and tape. They are developing their early writing skills using a good range of writing materials, such as small paintbrushes, chalks, pencils and paper. The childminder is knowledgeable about the importance of developing children's interest in books from a young age to support children's communication, language and literacy skills. However, written print in the environment, encouraging

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and outcomes for children

recognition of simple words to promote children's pre-reading skills, is not fully available. Children are showing an understanding of technology as they press buttons on interactive programmable toys. They thoroughly enjoy dressing up as they use a variety of role-play resources, which nurtures their imagination.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder gives children's health and well-being good attention. She takes effective precautions to help ensure the children in her care remain healthy and free from cross-infection. The childminder encourages independence in relation to personal hygiene as children wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Children receive balanced and healthy snacks supporting them to learn about foods that keep them healthy. They thoroughly enjoy learning about planting different vegetables in the childminder's garden and go strawberry and blackberry picking with her. Children participate in plenty of outdoor activities on a daily basis. These include visits to the park and walks to feed the horses, as well as a good range of physical activities, using her garden. While they are out, children learn to keep themselves safe as the childminder reinforces safety rules and helps them develop a good awareness of possible dangers. She knows the

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and outcomes for children

children well and ensures methods used for behaviour management are appropriate to each child's age and understanding. Children respond very positively to the praise and encouragement the childminder gives them throughout the day. 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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