Childminder in Dudley

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 EY374320 Inspection date 16/04/2009 Inspector Jackie Nation

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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 was registered in 2008. She lives with her husband who works as a childminder assistant and their twin daughters aged 13 years in Brierley Hill. There are local shops, parks and schools within walking distance. The whole of the ground floor of the house is used for childminding purposes. This includes the use of a dedicated playroom. The premises are easily accessible with toilet facilities on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family have a pet cat, together with two ducks and two chickens which are kept in a separate area of the garden.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time. The childminder currently has four children on roll in the early years age group. The childminder takes and collects children from the local pre school group. There are systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, or children with English as an additional language.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding. Children make significant progress within this inclusive setting where they display excellent levels of progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). An exciting range of experiences and activities are provided which make learning interesting and relevant. Highly effective partnerships with parents and other professionals ensure children’s individual needs are fostered well and continuity of care and learning is assured. Effective systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the provision and ensure ongoing, continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 continuing to develop further the resources reflecting positive images of gender, culture and disability.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a high level of commitment to safeguarding and has an excellent understanding of child protection issues. The process for the referral of any concerns is detailed in a written policy and she has a copy of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Vetting procedures for all adults in the household are robust and this ensures children's safety. Children’s safety is promoted because excellent attention is given to all aspects of health and safety. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The premises are secure and regular safety checks and risk assessments are undertaken and include all features of the premises, outdoors and outings. Consequently, children play and learn in a safe environment.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of the EYFS learning, development and welfare requirements. She continually strives for improvement and has exceptionally high aspirations for the quality of care and learning she provides for all children. Children benefit from the childminder's ongoing commitment to enhancing and developing her practice through relevant training. The childminder is currently undertaking training to gain a recognised childcare qualification. The childminder has implemented a system to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision and the self-evaluation form shows a commitment to improvement in order to maintain a high quality childcare provision. A comprehensive range of policies and procedures are in place and underpin the excellent practice that is demonstrated at the setting. Effective records are maintained with regard to the children's details, medication, accidents and attendance. Confidentiality is

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provision

effectively maintained and children’s records are stored securely.

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provision

The childminder offers a fully inclusive service and welcomes all children and their families into her care. Partnership with parents is excellent and the childminder values their contribution as partners in their children's care and learning. Children’s daily diaries and ‘Learning journeys’ provide an excellent two-way exchange of information. Effective settling-in procedures are established and this ensures children settle quickly, feel secure and develop a sense of belonging. Letters from parents praise the childminder and her assistant’s professionalism, the high quality of care they provide and the wide range of play and learning activities available to their children. Effective systems are in place to share information with other settings as the childminder has established links with the local pre-school. This ensures continuity of care and learning.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are gently nurtured and exceptionally well cared for in this welcoming environment. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this setting and are secure and happy in the childminder’s care. An excellent range of good quality toys and resources are easily accessible enabling children to make choices and guide their own play. Children make excellent progress in their learning and development because the childminder has a detailed knowledge of all the children in her care and takes pride in seeing them achieve well. The childminder is a very good role model; she listens carefully to children to what children say and responds aptly to support their well-being and achievement. She is highly skilled in helping children learn and caters particularly well for children’s personal, social and emotional development. As a result children demonstrate exceptional levels of confidence and a sense of belonging. The childminder effectively uses information from

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

observations and assessments to plan the next steps in children's learning and to ensure additional learning or development needs are identified and provided for. Planning is flexible and develops through the children’s interests and play preferences. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Children’s progress is recorded in detailed ‘Learning journeys’ and clearly shows This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their starting points and reflects their achievements in all areas of learning.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children enjoy and participate in a wealth of interesting and fun activities both indoors and outside. The childminder recognises the learning opportunities in everyday activities. Children develop their physical skills as they have good access to outdoor play and enjoy riding bikes and playing in sand and water. The childminder has created an inspiring environment outdoors to support children’s curiosity and interest. Children are able to observe the chickens and ducks in the garden, use their senses as they touch and smell the plants in the sensory garden, and have opportunities to plant seeds and grow a range of fruit and vegetables which they eat at mealtimes. They learn about the world around them as they walk to local shops and the lake where they observe a wide range of wildlife. Children are resourceful during play as they join up large foam puzzle pieces to make a tunnel to crawl through which provides great fun and enjoyment. Children’s

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

communication, language and literacy skills are developing very well as the childminder interacts with them extremely effectively, making good use of open- ended questions to encourage their thinking skills. All children love to listen to stories and look at picture books, children talk about their favourite book and younger children associate animal pictures and sounds, for example, a child looks at a picture of a Tiger and says ‘Roar’. Younger children have frequent opportunities and access to resources to practise their mark-making skills and older children confidently recognise their name and are developing their early writing skills. Children’s understanding of number is supported very well as they count, match and sort by colour, shapes and size during play and through daily routines. The childminder talks about portions of food at snack time and children learn about quantities such as enough, more and how many. Children’s creativity is very

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

well supported by the provision of a range of activities, for example, role-play and dressing up, art and craft activities, music, movement and dance. It is evident from the range of art work and photographs available that children explore their own ideas using a range of media and materials such as crayons, paints, play dough, scissors and glue. The childminder has a positive attitude to diversity and children are helped to develop caring attitudes towards others. The childminder provides some positive images resources reflecting culture, disability and gender. This is an area identified for further improvement to fully support children’s understanding of the wider world.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's awareness of safety is very well fostered and they develop an understanding of all aspects of safety such as safe play within the home, emergency evacuation procedures and road safety. Children are very well nourished and enjoy a healthy and balanced diet to meet their individual dietary needs. There are rigorous hygiene procedures in place which help to prevent the spread of infection and promote children’s health and well-being. Children understand the need to wash their hands before eating meals and after using the bathroom. Children are polite and behave well because the childminder provides them with an excellent role model; she has a calm, sensitive and consistent approach to managing children's behaviour. She introduces simple rules and takes into account children’s age and stage of development and level of understanding. Children are praised and encouraged in their achievements and this helps children

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

feel valued and promotes their confidence. 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? 1

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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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