Home Childcarer in Sheffield

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY395979 Inspection date 02/07/2012 Inspector Angela Howard

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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 2009 and she works from her daughter's premises in Shiregreeen on the outskirts of Sheffield. Local shops, schools and parks are within walking distance. Children are allowed free access to all downstairs rooms, along with the bathroom facilities on the first floor. There is a secure area to the rear of the property for outdoor play. The premises are accessible via a small step to the front door. Children are escorted to and from local schools. Care is offered Monday to Friday all year round, excluding Bank Holidays.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, three of whom may be in the early years age range. She is currently caring for eight children in this age group. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 provides a welcoming, stimulating and fun environment where children make good progress in their learning. She is very inclusive in her practice and gives each child the opportunity to learn through play. The implementation of good quality policies and procedures ensures the very safe management of the provision to promote children's welfare, learning and development. However, there is a breach of regulation with regard to the risk assessments. The strong partnership with parents is a key strength and significantly contributes to ensure that the needs of all children are well met. There is a clear commitment to the further development of the provision and to working in partnership with other professionals to enhance children's care.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 keep a record of the risk assessment for the premises, clearly stating when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following any review or incident (Documentation). 16/07/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the use of observations and short-term planning to monitor how activities are tailored to deliver personalised learning  review and extend the ways in which both children and parents are involved in reflecting on practice and identifying areas for improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder ensures her practice is underpinned by good knowledge of child protection procedures and the possible signs of abuse to ensure her arrangements for safeguarding children are robust. She knows who to contact regarding concerns and has robust systems in place for recording this information. Children's safety is a high priority in the setting. The childminder is very careful in assessing potential risks and takes effective steps to prevent accidents. Clear detailed records, which are regularly reviewed and updated, help to monitor this. However, the risk assessment documentation does not contain all the required information because the childminder has omitted to record the date and by whom the risk assessment was completed by. This is a breach of requirements. The childminder has strong systems in place to ensure people who have regular contact with children are suitable to do so.

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the early years provision

Space is used effectively to create a child-friendly environment in which children can move around freely and safely. Furniture and equipment is of a very high quality and the free access to an extensive range of toys and equipment ensures the children enjoy activities that stimulate and maximise the opportunities for informal learning. Many of the resources have labels and the good amount of signs and posters around the play areas help children's literacy skills. The childminder creates a welcoming, inclusive environment for children making simple, but effective, adjustments to her planning to enable all children to take part and achieve their full potential. Where children are learning English as an additional language the childminder finds out about their families and traditions, learns some basic words in their home language, and uses signing, picture and written labels on resources to aid communication. This shows children that they, and their

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the early years provision

families are valued and helps to develop their language skills. Children have a strong sense of belonging and have a deep bond with the childminder, helping them to feel settled and valued.

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the early years provision

The childminder's key strength is her communication with parents and how she makes everyone feel valued and welcome. She spends a great deal of time gathering information from parents. They are consulted every step of the way and their views are responded to positively. The systematic approach to reporting on children's progress ensures parents are fully informed. Daily diaries are used very well to ensure a two-way flow of information, which develops a strong link with home and ensures children's individual needs are met continually. The childminder has been very proactive in developing strong relationships with other providers. This helps to promote cohesive working in order to successfully meet children's individual learning, development and welfare needs. Many aspects of leadership and management are strong, with a firm commitment to continuous improvement and to the promotion of quality care and education within the setting. Targets the

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the early years provision

childminder has identified for future improvement are realistic and are based on accurate self-evaluation. However, parents and children are not fully involved in reflecting on practice or identifying areas for improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enthusiastically enjoy a broad range of interesting and stimulating activities and are making good progress in their learning as they are eager to participate in a varied range of experiences, which enrich their overall development. Assessment is good and achievements are recorded well. However, the link between observations and short-term planning does not clearly evidence how the themes are tailored to deliver personalised learning. The childminder knows the children very well and uses this knowledge to help them feel nurtured and highly valued. This results in children feeling confident to explore, make decisions and relate well to others. The relationship between the childminder and children is very warm and caring. Children are very happy and content and show lots of pleasure, laughing, smiling and inviting the childminder into their play. The childminder has good listening skills and gives children time to express their views

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and outcomes for children

and opinions. As a result, children are clear communicators. They clearly enjoy mark-making activities and looking at books. Letters, colours and numbers are integral to all the childminder does so that children begin to understand that they have meaning. As a result, all children develop a wide range of skills needed for their future success.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about living things and to appreciate the natural world around them. They cultivate plants and learn to nurture them and they are able to experience the complete food chain as they eventually pick and eat their home- grown produce. When out on visits in the community they feed animals and explore the local woods. They regularly handle natural materials and enjoy sand and water play on a daily basis. Children are taking part in a whole host of activities linked to the Olympics. They make flags, researching on the internet the colours of the different flags before they paint the templates, and shop for ingredients to make foods from different countries. This is the lead up to Olympic- style games with other childminders in the area. This results in children being engaged in purposeful play, which helps to develop strong skills for future learning. Consistent, positive interaction enables the children to feel safe and helps them

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and outcomes for children

thrive and make good progress in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning through practical experiences about sustainability and how to eat healthily. The childminder cooks all meals from fresh wholesome ingredients and plans the menus carefully to suit all children's needs. For example, they enjoy wheat flour wraps with turkey and chilli con carne with brown rice. Children help with the preparation of meals and know why some foods are healthy and others are not. This helps them to understand how to keep themselves healthy from a very young age. The childminder is highly proactive in encouraging children to learn about being safe and what is dangerous. Documentation shows children learn about fire evacuation, stranger danger, safety in cars and road safety. Children feel very safe in the setting and know what is expected of them, so behaviour is good. They feel very good about themselves, show respect for others and resolve potential conflict easily. The childminder is an extremely calm, caring

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and outcomes for children

role model and this setting is a very happy place for children. All the efforts of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder go into ensuring that every child is given good opportunities to achieve to their full potential. 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 1 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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