Childminder in Bedford

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 259861 Inspection date 23/03/2009 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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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 was registered in 1994. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Bromham, Bedfordshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding and there are two first floor bedrooms for children requiring undisturbed rest. Children have access to the fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The property is accessed by several steps and facilities are located on the ground floor.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term-time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

Children on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register share the same facilities as those on the Early Years Register. There are currently six children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age range.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is good. The childminder supports children in activities to ensure that they are fully included and benefit from the opportunities provided. Her skill in providing appropriate resources and her confident approach in enabling children to develop their own play means that children are secure and develop the confidence to explore, try new activities and become active learners. The childminder's positive approach to evaluating her practice and her implementation of appropriate plans for the future enable her to provide a service which remains responsive to children's needs.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve further the procedures for assessing children and planning the next steps to feed into activity planning  develop methods for self-evaluation so that progress is monitored.

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provision

The childminder has thorough procedures for the evaluation of her daily practice, seeking feedback from parents and children and participating in additional training to help inform and review her work. She identifies weaknesses and develops clear plans for the future, to lead to the potential to improve outcomes for children. Recent changes have included the introduction of tracking procedures to use alongside children's assessments, therefore ensuring that their individual needs are recorded and their development is promoted. However, the self-evaluation procedures do not have sufficient detail, meaning that it is difficult to monitor the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 impact of changes.

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provision

The good partnership with parents and carers promotes the exchange of information and helps to ensure that the childminder is able to provide consistent care and support children to participate in activities. Parents are well-informed of their child's progress and activities through regular discussions, daily diaries and the sharing of children's records. The good relationships with others providing care for the children mean that they receive consistent care and their development is promoted. The childminder ensures that she is aware of plans and targets set by pre-school, enabling her to provide complementary activities and play experiences.

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provision

The daily implementation of clear safety policies and safeguarding procedures ensures that children are cared for in a safe environment and their welfare is promoted. Children gain a good understanding of safety issues through ongoing explanations and good daily practice. For example, they understand the importance of wearing seatbelts in the car. Children's safety is further promoted because the childminder has carried out comprehensive risk assessments of all areas of her home and outings.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are offered a wide variety of activities that help them to make good progress in all areas of learning. The childminder's clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and her good knowledge of each child mean that she is aware of their individual interests and current developmental stages. She informally uses this information to influence daily activity planning. However, children's development is not fully promoted because assessment procedures do not clearly show how the next developmental steps are fed into planning.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are encouraged to explore, through sensitive support offered from the childminder. This promotes their development and enables them to become confident and enquiring learners. For example, children exploring a book talk and with the childminder about the songs they sing together as they look at the illustrations, moving on to name the different vehicles and plants and to compare the number of items illustrated, discussing simple concepts such as 'more' or 'less than'.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are encouraged to be active in their learning, to think critically and experiment. For example, they discuss how plants take up water, conducting their own experiment to explore this further by placing cut flowers in dyed water to see if they change colour. The thoughtful planning of additional activities means that children are offered an extended variety of opportunities to gain a greater understanding of their local environment. For example, they enjoy visits to the museum and other historical places of interest.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Regular visits to the library and the good planning of activities means that children are gaining an appreciation of books and have many opportunities to extend their language. For example, children thoroughly enjoy an activity to identify letters and words, eagerly naming these and thinking of additional items beginning with these This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 letters. The inclusion of realistic activities means that children are encouraged to explore and their awareness is increased. For example, they gain a greater understanding of other cultures and ways of life through discussing their various holiday destinations, researching these further to identify them on maps and find out about customs and climates.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The interesting environment and generally accessible resources encourage children to explore and extend their understanding. They are well-supported in this by the childminder. For example, young children confidently choose puzzles to complete independently and books to share with the childminder. Children's development is further promoted and their enjoyment enhanced because the childminder makes resources specifically for individual children, such as card games to encourage letter and number recognition. 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? 2 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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