Childminder in East Riding of Yorkshire

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 EY101688 Inspection date 04/06/2009 Inspector Elizabeth Patricia Edmond

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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 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 has been registered since 2002. She works at the home of another registered childminder; they care for the children together, along with an assistant. Both childminders have overall responsibility for the childminding practice. Her co-childminder lives with her partner and two children aged ten and seven years in Driffield. The childminding premises are near to the local park and other amenities for children including primary and pre-schools. Children are transported regularly in a car for outings and the school run. The facilities are easily accessible being on the ground floor and there is directly adjacent a rear garden for outside play. Three cats are kept on the childminding premises.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a recognised Level 3 qualification. She is also a member of the childminding network as well as local and county childminding support groups. The childminder is registered with the local authority to provide funded nursery education places for those children of eligible age. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, along with her co- minder, and currently has 17 children on roll in this age group.

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Description of the childminding

At the time of inspection there were 18 older children attending the joint setting in relation to this part of the registration, some of whom attend only occasionally.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding. The childminder works closely with her co-minder and others to provide an individualised care and learning programme for all children. She provides a highly inclusive learning environment where children can usually access an exceptional range of learning opportunities freely as they play according to their age and ability. The childminder works closely with her co-minder to continually monitor and improve the quality of the provision; this is, on the whole, highly effective.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 further develop knowledge and understanding of how children learn through their self-initiated play, for example, by covering 'schemas' within the ongoing programme of study; consider the benefits of them sharing this with co-workers and parents  ensure that the important, 'stage one' part of the 'letters and sounds' strategy is effectively shared with co-workers and parents to ensure increased enphasis and consistency in children's language development, relevant to their age. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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provision

The childminder is developing an excellent knowledge of child development and how children learn through self initiated play. She continues to attend a broad range of training and work towards higher levels of qualifications. This enables her to work with her co-minder to make highly relevant plans for continued improvement to the provision and to children's learning and development. She has expressed an interest in including children's individual 'learning schema's' into her programme of study to further benefit children's learning and development. Although the development plans for the garden are well thought out, the various monitoring systems do not fully include the physical learning environment and how it is being accessed by all children. Team work is a key feature of this highly successful early years setting. The two childminders slot easily into role to support children's learning and to guide the assistant.

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provision

The childminder contributes effectively to all aspects of the organisation including record keeping. She helps to make sure that all documentation is exceptionally well organised and used effectively to monitor children's welfare and learning. Records are maintained in a highly professional manner, signed by parents and confidentially stored. Training levels and exceptionally well organised guidance means that children are very well protected and their well-being safeguarded. Partnership with parents and others are exceptional and highly effective settling in processes ensure that children are very confident and settled, even during their first days. The childminder develops extremely successful relationships with parents and provides them with clear detailed information about business matters, children's individual care routines and their daily progress. In addition to the daily discussions, formalised parents evenings and informal social events further

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provision

strengthen the effective three way relationships that children enjoy with the childminder and their parents together. Parents are overwhelmingly pleased with the standards of care and education provided; they feel their children have had the very best start to their learning and they appreciate the dedicated approach to meeting their children's individual needs.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children operate confidently and freely in an exciting, motivating learning environment. They flow freely between the various activities in the indoor and outdoor areas using the resources with great imagination in their play. For example, they are sometimes exceptionally active and creative in their role play, moving furniture and resources around as they use the balls from the ball-tent to pretend to feed the animals. They enjoy dressing up as animals and trundling the balls around in the trailers. The childminder willingly fetches water for the sand play when older children very confidently explain that there is no water. They then spend more time exploring and investigating what happens as they design interesting water falls in the sand tray. Children become extremely confident motivated learners in all areas of learning. Older children use their developing skills with great confidence to label their own work as they paint and to handle the

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

money or credit card machine as they use the till. Younger children also This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 concentrate exceptionally well as they investigate the size, shape and texture of broad range of natural resources and household items with their fingers or mouths. The childminder is vigilant in making notes about children's learning as they play and passing it on to her co-minder to include in the planning so that children's individual learning needs are fully promoted. The childminder is skilled in promoting children's language and has attended training on the government's 'Letters and Sounds' initiative. However, this is not yet shared successfully with the co-minder and parents so that there is a degree of inconsistency in information going to parents about this area of learning. Parents do have access to extensive information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and how they can support

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

their children's learning through all areas of learning.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children develop exceptionally warm, positive relationships with the childminder and her co-workers. Younger children snuggle with any of the adults for emotional support and older children emphasise that they do not just have one childminder; they have 'two' very nice childminders. Their faces light up when they see her as they wake from their nap and they chat happily as they have their nappy changed. Social learning is a key factor to the success of the setting, older children are exceptionally caring and supportive of the younger ones. They often mimic the childminder's caring approach as they remind each other to say 'please' by coaxing them with 'pl… pl…?' until they remember. Supported effectively by warm praise and encouragement, children's behaviour, confidence and self-esteem is impeccable. Access to the outdoor environment is used with great success to promote children's learning and development. The childminder contributes

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

effectively to the risk assessment processes so that children are able to learn a great deal about how to keep themselves safe as they access the co-childminder's allotment regularly, they learn how the healthy fresh fruit and vegetables that they grow for their lunch benefits their health and they learn about all the processes involved. They enjoy helping her to prepare and serve the snacks. Children enjoy being active in the outdoors. tired yet exuberant from their exciting outdoor play, children have excellent appetites and they relish the home cooked meals and healthy snacks. Well nourished and efficiently hydrated, younger children sleep or rest peacefully in the fresh air, wake refreshed and are good humoured throughout the day. 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? 1 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? 1 How well are children helped to be healthy? 1 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 1 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

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