Childminder in Leicestershire

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 225395 Inspection date 26/02/2009 Inspector Alison Edwards

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Type of setting Childminder 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 report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration whichever is the later, which require Ofsted or the provider to take action in Annex C.

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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. 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 1997. She lives with her husband, who is registered as her assistant, and her three children aged 14, 12 and nine years, on a residential road in a large village in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of six children under the age of eight including three in the early years age range. She is also registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register to care for children aged eight and over. There are currently nine children on roll including three in the early years age range. Children use the ground floor of the house for play, with access to the first floor of the house as needed. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. Three cats and two hamsters are kept as family pets.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good. The experienced and well-qualified childminder gives very high priority to ensuring she knows children very well as individuals. This promotes their welfare because it helps them to feel included, secure and valued. Consequently they are confident in their relationships and actively engaged in their play, so enabling them to progress well in their learning. The childminder encourages parents and carers' meaningful involvement in her self-evaluation processes by actively seeking their views and suggestions regarding her practice and incorporating consideration of these views in her monitoring.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the arrangements to share relevant development and learning records with other early years providers to more fully promote continuity and progress for children  review risk assessments to cover everything with which children may come into contact, with particular regard to managing children's access to widely spaced stair banisters and to the trampoline in the garden  develop further the existing planning and provision of first-hand experiences to actively promote children's purposeful exploration, experimentation, critical thinking and prediction to further promote their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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provision

The childminder uses systematic self-evaluations to help her identify the many strengths of her provision in promoting children's care and well-being, and to identify some further ways to build on her existing high standards of practice. She demonstrates a strong commitment to furthering her considerable knowledge, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 skills and understanding by participation in degree level study. She is very well organised, and essential records such as children's health and contact details and attendance records are accurately kept, so effectively underpinning children's care and welfare. The childminder has a thorough understanding of what child abuse and neglect mean, and of how to implement her comprehensive written procedures to safeguard children from abuse in the event of any child protection concerns.

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provision

The childminder gives high priority to liaising with prospective parents and carers to ensure she is fully informed about children's individual needs and preferences, and to ensure that there is a shared understanding of arrangements for children's care. In addition to informal daily discussion, she uses daily diaries to keep parents and carers of younger children well informed about their daily routines and experiences, and enables parents and carers to freely access records of their children's 'learning journeys' to help ensure there is a shared understanding of children's achievements and progress. The childminder is in the early stages of exploring ways of working with other early years settings which children attend to systematically share children's development and learning records.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

There are excellent arrangements to help children develop a healthy lifestyle. Children are energetic and rhythmical as they dance to a variety of action songs, and show understanding of how their bodies work as they talk afterwards with the childminder about feeling their heart beat and whether they feel hot and tired. The childminder is very effective in helping young children develop high levels of awareness and independence in their self-care skills, for example as they carefully put on their own hats and gloves because they want to stay warm outdoors. Children benefit from a very wide range of experiences and activities both inside and outside the home to promote their movement skills and their dexterity. For example, younger children build on their existing confidence and agility by crawling through play tunnels, or develop their hand-eye coordination by manipulating a wide variety of natural and man-made materials in a 'treasure basket'. Children

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

enthusiastically enjoy choosing and eating a mid-morning snack of fresh fruits and bread sticks, and spontaneously use stickers on a wall chart to record what healthy foods they have eaten.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder offers consistently high levels of supervision, ensuring that children remain within her sight or hearing at all times. She encourages children's awareness of safety within their daily routines, for example by teaching them about road safety. She acknowledges and builds on their own understanding of how to stay safe, for example as they talk about how to use a toy iron safely in pretend play. There are very careful arrangements to manage any emergency, for example ensuring that all children become familiar with what to do in the event of a fire, and having clearly identified contingency arrangements in place to manage any accident or sudden illness effectively. Detailed risk assessments underpin the many sensible precautions which are taken in the home and on outings to prevent accidents. However, these assessments currently omit consideration of how to best manage children's access to widely-spaced vertical banisters on the stairs, or to a

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 large trampoline in the garden, in order to fully minimise potential hazards to children.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The childminder is establishing effective use of 'learning journeys' to help her assess children's progress towards the early learning goals specified within the Early Years Foundation Stage, and to identify the next steps in their learning. She has a thorough understanding of the main areas of learning, so helping her to effectively support children's overall development. For example, children talk about who has 'more' plastic swords as they play 'pop up pirate' so using their mathematical and reasoning skills. They enjoy using their creativity when making different colours by mixing different crayons together. They enjoy a wide range of books and stories, and confidently begin to make their own purposeful marks and symbols. They participate in a variety of worthwhile activities and experiences helping them to learn about the world around them, such as visiting local country parks or handling baking ingredients or play dough. However, these are

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

occasionally not planned to best effect to fully extend children's independent investigation and critical thinking.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's personal and social skills are developing extremely well. They are very confident and relaxed in the childminder's care because she is extremely caring and responsive in her dealings with them, so helping them to feel fully recognised and valued as individuals. They are helped to develop an excellent understanding of each other's similarities and differences because the childminder incorporates use of an extensive range of high quality books and resources, reflecting positive images of different lifestyles, abilities and culture, into their everyday experiences. The childminder is extremely effective in supporting children in negotiating and cooperating with each other. She actively involves children in establishing positive and consistent expectations for their behaviour, helping them to show high levels of care and concern for each other and for their surroundings. From a very early age, children make purposeful and independent choices from the wide range of

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

stimulating play resources readily accessible to them. They consistently show excellent levels of concentration and perseverance, so showing a very positive attitude to learning. Consequently, they are establishing excellent habits for their future development and learning. 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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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 2 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 1 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

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 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

This section of the report includes details of any complaint/s made to Ofsted when:  we took action for the provider to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  we asked the provider to take action in order to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  the provider had already taken any necessary action to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register.

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

We will not report on any complaint where the provider met the requirements of the Early Years Register or did not require any action by Ofsted or the registered provider.

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Detail of the complaint/s

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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Detail of the complaint/s

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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