Childminder in Sandwell

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY102703 Inspection date 12/10/2009 Inspector Permjit Tanda

p.1

Type of setting Childminder to 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 rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, 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.

p.1

Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder has been registered since 2001. She lives with her husband and two sons, aged 10 and 13 years in Great Barr, Birmingham. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. There are local shops, schools and a park close by.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group, at any one time. Currently she is caring for three children in the early years age group and five children before and after school. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder holds a Level 3 National Vocational Qualification in Childcare and Education. She attends local playgroups and toddler groups on a regular basis.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are welcomed into a homely environment where they share a close relationship with the childminder. Children make steady progress in their learning and development, as they enjoy their time at the setting. Children's welfare and safety is promoted well in most areas. Effective links with parents and carers mean children's individual care needs are met well. Links are developing with other agencies to help support the children's care and education. There is a commitment from the childminder to bring about improvement to the provision and further improve outcomes for children.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 effectively use and manage resources to ensure they are freely available and consistently promote children's learning and development in all six areas of learning  increase the range of experiences to further promote the children's learning in all six areas of learning, paying particular attention to their learning in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, literacy and creativity  develop further the self-evaluation process to identify the strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children  develop further the written risk assessments to clearly identify all potential risks that children may come into contact with indoors, outdoors and when out on outings. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

There are effective systems in place to ensure all adults having access to children are suitable to do so. Clear policies and strategies in relation to child protection issues mean children are safeguarded well. Many well-developed policies and procedures are in place to ensure the children's safety and well-being. The childminder supervises children well and the children's care environment is mostly safe and secure with some suitable safety equipment fitted around the home and good attention is given to making sure toys and equipment are safe. However, the childminder has not fully considered or identified all potential risks within the environment and the written risk assessments do not consistently identify these areas. Therefore, she has not fully secured the children's safety in some areas.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder is motivated to further raise her skills and qualification and since the last inspection has obtained a Level 3 National Vocational Qualification in Childcare. She has a developing knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage Practice Guidance and is beginning to use it well to support the children's learning and development. However, the systems for self-evaluation to monitor the learning and development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are not well established enough and do not always accurately identify areas for improvement.

p.5

the early years provision

The systems to help the childminder plan and organise activities to ensure that children receive an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience are in the early stages. She plans activities and experiences around the children's enjoyment and is beginning to incorporate the six areas of learning. Children's learning is stronger in some areas because children do not have access to a full enough range of experiences and resources across all areas of learning. For example, children have some opportunity to engage in activities that support their problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, creativity and literacy skills but regular opportunities to promote these areas of learning and development are not made consistently available. Furthermore, resources are not always made easily accessible for children to freely choose from what is available. The childminder is beginning to use her observations to further develop children's interests and

p.5

the early years provision

development through planning for their next steps in learning.

p.5

the early years provision

Well-established relationships with parents and carers ensure that each child's care needs are met well. Parents receive useful information about the early years provision through written policies and information. There are clear systems to keep parents up to date about the children's achievements and progress through the childminder sharing her written observations, photographs of children engaged in activities and making available the children's development profiles. Effective liaison with parents means they have the opportunity to share how they feel about the setting. For example, they have provided statements about practice they have observed in the setting and also completed recent questionnaires about the provision. Links are developing with the local nursery that the children attend, which helps the childminder plan for their needs and ensure the time they spend at This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

the early years provision

her home compliments their day. The childminder has an open approach and promotes the children's understanding of differences well through discussions.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are welcomed into a homely environment where they feel at ease in their surroundings and are very well settled. Children develop close relationships which are warm and caring. They enjoy being close to the childminder and show a real sense of belonging, for example, children have their own pegs to hang their coat and belongings. They are self-assured and confident in their environment and increase their self-help skills well and are familiar with the routine. The childminder spontaneously interacts with the children, engaging them in conversation and promoting their language and communication skills well. Children show a fondness for books as they share books regularly with the childminder and attend weekly library sessions. Children increase their social skills and benefit from attending the local playgroup where they receive a varied range of learning experiences.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children learn to count and sort through daily routine and are encouraged to recognise shape and pattern through their play. They use some electronic toys puzzles, shape sorters and construction toys to help develop problem solving skills. The level of challenge is sufficient to interest and engage children, for example, they are intrigued about what toys they will find hiding in the box of shredded paper. Children are developing an awareness of the natural environment through visiting the local farm and parks. Children have been collecting leaves and encouraged to identify changes in their environment. They have some opportunity to develop a sense of place through visiting the local shops and have recently visited an arts and theatre workshop where they observed dancing from other cultures and had the opportunity to meet the fire brigade and police officers. Children make use of an adequate range of experiences to promote their creativity

p.6

and outcomes for children

through using their imagination during role-play activities, playing with small world toys and have some opportunities to draw, colour, paint.

p.6

and outcomes for children

There are effective health and hygiene routines in place to prevent the spread of infection. Children are developing an understanding of making healthy choices when they eat and drink and are provided with a variety of meals and drinks, including healthy options such as fresh fruit and yoghurt. Children develop good habits due to the praise and encouragement they receive from the childminder who has high expectations of behaviour and promotes their self-esteem well. Children learn to keep themselves safe through gentle reminders of how to behave and stay safe. They regularly practise the fire routine and know what areas of the home they cannot access and therefore are gaining an understanding of how to keep safe. Children increase their physical fitness through regularly accessing the garden and using the local park. Children are developing skills that contribute to their future economic well-being through making steady progress in their

p.6

and outcomes for children

communication and language and through developing an understanding of the wider world through their play and communications. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

p.7

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

p.7

Stage

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

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8