Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY419113 Inspection date 10/08/2012 Inspector Lynne Naylor

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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 2010. She lives with her two children aged seven months and two years in Claughton-on-Brock, Preston. The whole of the ground floor and two bedrooms on the first floor are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take children to and collect them from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than one may be in the early years age range. There are currently two children on roll in this age group, who attend on a part-time basis. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She also offers care to children over five to 11 years.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and receives support from the local authority.

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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

Each child's unique needs are effectively met and they make good progress in their learning and development. Children enjoy a wide range of outdoor and indoor experiences, of which some promote respect for diversity. Systems to plan and monitor children's learning are mostly effective. Partnerships with parents purposefully support children's continued learning and development. The childminder understands the benefits of developing links with the other settings when the need arises. She has an accurate understanding of her strengths and a good capacity to build on her existing high standards.

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further?

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

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further?

 use systems more clearly to know what children are to learn from planned activities in order to make best use of experiences to promote children's further development  introduce children to a range of cultures and beliefs of others through a wider variety of ways, for example, through music, dance, food, stories and role play  develop the systems to monitor that the curriculum is consistently balanced for each child. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in a home that is well organised to be inclusive, accessible and safe. The childminder is fully aware of her responsibility to safeguard children as well as the procedures to follow should she have any concerns. This is because she regularly updates her knowledge of child protection issues and how to work with other agencies. The childminder carefully maintains all the required records to keep children safe, protected and supported in her home and on outings.

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the early years provision

Children flow freely between indoors and outdoors choosing where they wish to play. The home is made very welcoming with a broad range of accessible toys and books that match each child's interests. It is enriched with children's artwork, posters and photographs on the walls. Some books reflect difference and diversity and help children learn about the wider world. However, opportunities to promote positive images of gender, culture and disability are not fully extended to role play, music and art. This limits children's opportunities to recognise differences. The childminder holds a recognised childcare qualification and uses her professional childcare experience to ensure that all children are well integrated. She has not yet cared for any children who also attend other early years provision and therefore has not had the opportunity to work in partnership with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage for a child or group of children. Consequently,

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the early years provision

her systems to ensure progression and continuity for individual children are still developing. The childminder has a clear knowledge of the children's individual needs, including health and dietary requirements. She plans and cooks healthy meals, such as cottage pie from fresh ingredients.

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the early years provision

Parents access very good quality information about the setting through informative policies. They receive plenty of information about their child's care and daily activities verbally and written in a daily diary. Good opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's learning and development, planning and assessments have been implemented. They are very well utilised by some parents and are generally effective for others. Since registration, the childminder has made strong progress to develop a good service. She reflects on her practice, is open to the views of parents and other professionals, and has identified plans for further improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder clearly understands how children learn through play and effectively challenges them during self-chosen activities. This enables children to make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder closely observes and accurately assesses each child's progress. She appropriately identifies the next steps in their learning and agrees these with parents. She plans activities that clearly take account of children's interests. However, the learning intentions are not always clearly identified in the planning of activities and a system to consistently track children's progress is not yet fully implemented. This This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 means that the childminder's ability to monitor that the planned activities effectively build on children's previous learning or that the curriculum is balanced for each child is not always consistent.

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and outcomes for children

Organised practices help young children become secure and confident at the childminder's home. Toddlers demonstrate they feel safe as they confidently interact with each other, the childminder and visitors. They behave well, reassured by the childminder's attention and support. They take responsibility for tasks, such as carrying the bowls and spoons from the kitchen to the dining room at lunch time. They learn about their local community as they watch events, such as a procession of floats, and visit facilities, such as the library. Children's awareness of health and safety issues is promoted particularly well. For example, they learn about healthy food choices and how to use tools safely as they plant and care for strawberries and are involved in many food activities. Children acquire safe pavement skills when on outings in the local area. Children wear helmets when riding bicycles in the garden, which reinforces their awareness of safe procedures.

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and outcomes for children

They maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, such as walking, and develop good coordination as they practise climbing skills on equipment at the local park and the soft play centre.

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and outcomes for children

Children acquire a good understanding of their world through enjoyable first-hand experiences on a range of outings. They feed the ducks at a park, handle small animals at a farm and look at large animals at the zoo. Children show curiosity and a desire to investigate as they play. They explore colour, texture and smell as they make dough scented with strawberry and lavender. Young children demonstrate a good understanding of technology as they push buttons on toys to activate lights and sounds. Children acquire good skills for the future. Opportunities to develop children's communication, language and literacy skills are strong. Children interact well with the childminder, which positively promotes their self-esteem and successfully extends their vocabulary. They refine their listening skills as they shake and bang musical instruments and sit closely with the childminder to look at books.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop early writing skills as they make marks with brushes dipped in water on garden fences and flags. They also doodle on magnetic boards and chalk on garden flags and chalkboards. Children's mathematical skills develop well as they count how many times the ball bounces on the bat and as they weigh ingredients during baking activities. They appropriately use simple mathematical language, such as 'up' and 'down' to refer to the position of the ladder on the toy fire engine. Children enjoy a range of creative activities. For example, they make cakes and cards for Easter, and make plant holders and cards for Father's Day. Children are reliably informed about environmental issues. They learn through gardening activities to value the Earth's resources, for example, they make compost and use rainwater to water their plants. 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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