Childcare on Domestic Premises, Full day care in Cheshire East

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/07/2013 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

p.1

This provision is good

 A broad and interesting range of activities are provided which include all seven areas of learning to engage children and make them eager to learn.  Children are well supported for their transition to school with information being shared and teachers visiting the setting.  There are strong and effective partnerships established with other agencies and parents which ensure that children's needs are met.  There are effective systems in place to monitor and evaluate staff performance and practice with regular training being received.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's next steps in learning and development are not always accurate or fully utilised in future planning.  Children are not always encouraged to use their imagination and creative thinking to full potential during their play.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the two play rooms and in the outdoor area.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises accessed by the children and the outside area.  The inspector had discussions with the provider and staff throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including children's assessment records, planning and evidence of staff qualifications.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account parent's views spoken to on the day and from parent's written comments.

p.2

Information about the setting

ABC Childcare Services was registered in 2005 and re-registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a house in Crewe, Cheshire, and is privately owned. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

p.3

Information about the setting

The setting employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional status.

p.3

Information about the setting

The setting opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.15am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 29 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 encourage children use their imagination and creativity more widely in their play so that they make the most of all their ideas and creative thinking

p.3

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

 monitor children's identified next steps in learning more effectively to ensure these are accurate and are used consistently to fully promote children's learning needs.

p.3

who attend

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the seven areas of learning and provide a broad range of activities that interest and stimulate children. They are seen to be engaged in their play and are keen to participate, demonstrating the characteristics of effective learning both within their play and daily routines. For example, children are keen to help adults tidy away resources throughout the day and will happily assist their peers. The environment is used effectively both inside and outside the home. There is a good range of toys available, to promote all areas of learning, with an age and stage appropriate selection provided at low level so that children can access these independently.

p.3

who attend

Children are well supported by adults in the environment. Staff are seen to regularly support children's play, by getting down to their level and offering care and attention to support children's emotional well-being. However, adults sometimes over-lead children's play and activities by offering suggestions and ideas, rather than allowing children to use their own imagination. This does not allow children to maximise on the full potential of their own ideas and creativity. All staff effectively encourage speech by talking to children as they play and modelling vocabulary. Children enjoy choosing books to read, which helps to foster their interest in reading and understanding that print carries meaning. Pre- school children are encouraged to write their name on their art work, supported by adults sounding out letters as necessary.

p.4

who attend

Regular observations are carried out as children play and their achievements are recorded. However, the information gathered from these observations is not always consistently used to inform next steps in learning. This means that occasionally any gaps in children's learning and development may not be swiftly identified and addressed. Staff carry out effective progress checks on children aged between two and three. These clearly identify children's age and stage of development to assist in supporting their future learning.

p.4

who attend

Positive relationships with parents and carers and other settings, such as the local school, help the staff to fully understand and provide for children's learning and development needs. Parents are encouraged to contribute their views about their children's interests, abilities and achievements from the time their child starts, which helps staff to get to know, settle and plan for each new child. Thereafter, parents and staff regularly discuss how well children are doing, including more formal feedback about their progress, with written progress summaries. They are also invited to different events which focus on how to promote learning at home, such as learning letter sounds. This promotes a consistent approach to supporting children at home and at the setting.

p.4

who attend

Staff are proactive about contacting other providers about a child's care, learning and development, when the child attends other settings. There are also well-established links with local schools to support children's smooth transition into full-time education. This includes information sharing about children's development, visits to the school and teachers visiting the children in their setting.

p.4

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

Staff are approachable, kind and caring, and receptive to children's needs in the setting. Staffs' sensitive support for children, appropriate deployment throughout the day, and regular contact with parents, helps to ensure children and their families get to know the staff well. There are positive relationships demonstrated between adults and children and their peers. They are eager to help one another and show a caring nature, for example, by locating a child's missing hat outside. Children also feel at home because the layout of all rooms and activities are inviting and child-friendly. This provides children with a variety of designated activity areas for child initiated play, with sand, water and construction resources readily available. They look at animals in the 'rainforest' and use their imagination to create shelters and houses for the animals using building bricks. Children readily make choices because they have easy

p.4

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

access to toys, games and books. They build strong and trusting friendships within the setting, initiating activities and negotiating roles and responsibilities. This helps children to develop the confidence they need when they are ready to transfer to new settings and situations.

p.5

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

Children of all ages show an awareness of good hygiene routines, for example, by saying they need to wash their hands after messy play or before snack time. They are given appropriate responsibility for managing their personal care as they wash and dress themselves independently, with little support needed. Children's safety is given a high priority and they are consistently reminded not to go outside without an adult. Staff undertake regular checks of the outdoor area prior to children accessing it and this ensures the area is safe for children to enjoy. Risk assessments are also carried out prior to children undertaking any visits to the supermarket or library.

p.5

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

Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks and benefit from regular fresh air and exercise outdoors. Adults discuss with older children about the vegetables they have grown on the allotment which they regularly visit. This helps children to adopt positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle.

p.5

provision

The setting was recently re-registered and the provider has implemented systems to monitor and evaluate practice following previous recommendations and feedback, in order to continuously improve the setting. The evaluation process includes working in partnership with the local authority and listening carefully to the views of parents and staff. Staff receive ongoing support from the local authority and attend a range of relevant training courses. Planning and assessment are monitored to make sure they are consistent and precise, and these display a generally accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress Overall, the quality of teaching is good, with children receiving effective support from staff.

p.5

provision

There is a clear awareness of safeguarding issues among the staff who work with the children. The policies and procedures have been updated to reflect the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting, so that staff are aware of the procedures to further protect children. The provider holds regular in-house training sessions to disseminate new information and also to check understanding of current information.

p.5

provision

Staff have annual appraisals and regular supervision meetings where their ongoing suitability is checked and they are made aware of the impact their personal conduct may have on their professional role. Thorough recruitment procedures are in place for ensuring that children are cared for by staff who have completed appropriate checks. The security of the premises throughout is well maintained. To eliminate hazards, risk assessments and daily safety checks are carried out in all areas and for projected outings.

p.5

provision

Staff liaise with external agencies or services to ensure children get the support they need. The partnership with other providers is effective in respect of promoting children's learning and well-being. Staff invite local school staff along to discuss individual children in order to fully promote continuity and progression. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in their children's learning by attending information sessions to continue learning at home. Children's development records are also sent home regularly for parents to add comments and ideas regarding their child's progress.

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY456041 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 903259 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childcare - Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 29

p.8

Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10