Ansell, Dawn Patricia

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/05/2013 19/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has a secure understanding of how children learn best through play. She purposefully plans fun activities and makes good use of spontaneous opportunities to promote each child's learning.  The childminder encourages children to be active, independent learners. She provides a range of experiences in a variety of spaces, indoors and outdoors, which support children's all-round development.  The childminder's commitment to meeting every child's needs is evident in her attitude, everyday practice and organisation. She interacts and communicates well with babies and children and successfully promotes their emotional well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the range of music playing to include songs in other languages, and to sing rhymes in other languages that include number and counting. This is to raise children's awareness of similarities and difference from an early age and extend their interest in number.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors and lunch time in the kitchen.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records and learning journeys, planning documentation, the childminder's self-evaluation form and policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector also took account of parents' views expressed by letters.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, adult child and three children aged 13, nine and seven years in a house in Weeton Village in Lancashire. Her mother-in-law and father-in-law also live on the property. Sometimes, her husband or mother-in-law work as assistants. Most of the ground floor of the home is used for childminding. Children have access to an outdoor play area, court yard, two grassed areas, a field and woodland. The family has two dogs, two cats, a ferret and seven chickens.

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Information about the setting

The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualifications at level 6 and has Early Years Professional Status. She attends 'stay and play' groups and activities at the local children's centre. She takes children to and collects them from the local school. There are currently 15 children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides funded early education for three- and four- year-old children. There are 10 school-age children who attend before and after school. She operates from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday during term time and Wednesday to Friday during school holidays.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 make greater use of music and songs in other languages to raise children's awareness of similarities and differences from an early age; and enhance children's mathematical development by including number and counting rhymes in other languages.

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who attend

The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how children learn through play. She listens to and carefully observes each child. The quality of her teaching is good and she uses her knowledge of their abilities to plan suitably challenging experiences. Children are keen to learn and are working securely within the typical range of development expected for their age. They help themselves to a range of readily available pens, crayons and chalks. They enjoy painting, writing and drawing, which effectively promote their early writing skills and their creativity. They enjoy a wide range of interesting experiences that help them make good progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder skilfully questions children during activities in order to re-shape tasks to improve their learning. Children develop good communication and language skills and make good progress in their physical, personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

This ensures they have the key skills needed for the next steps in their learning, such as moving on to school.

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who attend

Parents contribute to initial assessments of children's starting points on entry and they are kept fairly well informed about their children's progress. The childminder shares the children's learning journals. She sometimes sends photographs of children to their parents during the day so they can share achievements and special moments. Parents are encouraged to support and share information about their children's learning and development at home. They mainly do this verbally, although, some parents also use a daily diary and some use text messaging.

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who attend

Children move freely around the childminder's home and courtyard helping themselves to equipment. They choose to sit in dens made of draped silks to look at books. They show good levels of concentration and perseverance on self-chosen tasks, such as scooping up sand in the sand tray. Babies play and actively explore what they find. Older children operate toys with cogs and are helped to apply their technological knowledge to look at how bicycles work. They also refine their mouse skills as they operate computer programmes.

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who attend

Experiences are purposefully planned to encourage children to use all their senses when learning. For example, children are encouraged to use their hands to feel the flour when making dough. Children develop good physical skills as they manipulate, roll and cut dough. When a two-year-old child comments that the dough is sticky, an older child quickly identifies the reason and explains, 'it is sticky because we have put too much water in it'. Children play well with each other. For instance, a young child fetches some rolling pins for use with the dough and happily passes the red one to an older child who requests it. The childminder provides a verbal commentary during activities, which enables babies to link words with actions. She gives meaning to their non-verbal signs and babbles. This successfully encourages babies to practise and develop speech sounds; and encourages older children to understand the needs of babies.

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who attend

Children develop a particularly good understanding of the natural world. They collect eggs from the family's chickens, enjoy nature walks in the grounds of a nearby Hall, feed the ducks at the park and enjoy visits to zoo. In addition to enjoying nature in the family woodland, they develop skills in other areas of their learning. They refine their listening skills as they identify different sounds. They have fun practising early writing skills as they use mud to make marks on fabrics. They learn to recognise different leaves and count them, which successfully increases their mathematical skills. They socialise with other children and childminders who join them for bug hunts.

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who attend

Children enjoy experiences, which relate to their own culture and raise their awareness of the culture of others. For example, at Diwali, children dress in Indian clothes and they colour Rangoli patterns and decorate them with glitter. Resources are varied and some books and toys raise children's awareness of similarities and differences. Sometimes, children listen to songs from a range of cultures. There is scope to extend the range of music to include songs in different languages and to sing number and counting rhymes from a range of cultures. This is in order to enrich children's cultural awareness and mathematical ability.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children recognise and manage their personal needs increasingly well, relative to their ages. For example, they independently go to the toilet, wash and dry their hands. The childminder is aware of each child's individual health or dietary needs and meets these appropriately. Some children bring a packed lunch and some eat nutritious meals cooked by the childminder from fresh ingredients. Children gain an awareness of healthy foods as they enjoy experiences, such as making their own snacks. They identify fruits, such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, kiwi and satsuma as they pierce these on to sticks before eating them.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children develop healthy lifestyles as they gain an understanding of the need for physical exercise. Babies have ample space to roll and crawl. Older children demonstrate increasing balance and agility as they climb up the ladder on the outdoor frame and manoeuvre sit and ride toys in the garden. They also go on walks through the woodland and practise climbing skills on equipment at the park. Routines are familiar and comforting and enable babies to feel secure and settle well.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Good use is made of space to create a stimulating and welcoming environment, both inside and outdoors. Therefore, children move freely around and access a broad range of experiences that develop their growing independence and emotional well-being. A sheltered area of the courtyard enables children to play outside in many types of weather. The childminder allows children time to investigate on their own but knows when to offer help. Children receive praise for achievements and positive behaviour, which promotes their self-esteem and confidence. They develop good social skills, for example, they behave well and show kindness and consideration to each other. The childminder sometimes works with one of her assistants to meet children's needs. Children gain an understanding of risk as they explore their environment. They listen to stories about the emergency services and play imaginatively with toy fire engines on 'International

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are well supported by the childminder to move on to other settings and to school. In preparation for school, she takes them to the 'stay and play' sessions in the school hall. When they attend school, they settle quickly because they are familiar with the building and feel comfortable and secure. The childminder actively encourages partnerships with other the providers of other settings that children attend. She invites providers of other settings to visit children in her home.

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provision

The childminder is well qualified in childcare and extends her knowledge, understanding and skills at regular training events. Forest school training has improved her ability to provide a range of outdoor learning experiences. As a result, children enjoy regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment.

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provision

The childminder understands her responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Arrangements for safeguarding children within the home and through work with outside agencies are good. The childminder updates her training in safeguarding regularly. She has a secure knowledge and understanding of what to do if she has concerns about a child. She is also registered with the Information Commissioner Office and has approval for safely storing photos. When a recent serious incident occurred, the childminder dealt with it immediately to make sure children were safe. However, the childminder is required to notify Ofsted of significant events within 14 days and she failed to do so. Consequently, Ofsted took action to rectify the breach by sending a low-level warning letter. Records regarding children on the Childcare Register are not consistently kept up-to-date to fully

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provision

The childminder is open to the views of parents and regularly meets with other childminders to discuss childcare related issues. She reflects on what she provides, identifies areas where she can develop and has appropriate plans to build on her success. She is clearly committed to working in partnership with parents and others to support children's continuity of care and learning. Parents are well informed about the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and articles on a range of childcare related topics are available for them to borrow to extend their knowledge. She is building on her good partnership with parents to extend the way she exchanges information about children's learning and development.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 keep records of the following and retain them for a period of two years: the name, home address and date of birth of each child who is looked after on the premises and the name, home address and telephone number of a parent/guardian/carer of each child who is looked after on the premises (Records to be kept)(compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for a period of two years: the name, home address and date of birth of each child who is looked after on the premises and the name, home address and telephone number of a parent/guardian/carer of each child who is looked after on the premises (Records to be kept)(Voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 308660 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 913986 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 9 Number of children on roll 15

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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