Childminder in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY285626 Inspection date 21/09/2009 Inspector Angela Howard

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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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

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has been registered since 2004. She lives with her husband and their two children aged six and nine years in Swallownest, in the borough of Rotherham. The whole of the ground floor, plus toilet facilities and one bedroom on the first floor of the premises is used for childminding. The children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The premises are accessible for people with limited mobility. Care is offered Monday to Friday all year round.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently minding three children under five years. She also offers care to one child aged over five years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder is committed to inclusion and ensures children are able to fully participate because she has a good understanding of their individual needs and works closely with parents. They freely choose activities within a safe environment, although there are two breaches in regulations. Children are making some progress and enjoy their time at the setting. However, due to the limited use of observational assessments it is not sufficiently clear as to how the activities offered are personalised to help children reach their full potential. Self-evaluation of the setting is superficial but overall the childminder demonstrates the capacity to improve and has completed recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 keep a record of risk assessments, clearly stating when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 16/10/2009

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further?

 complete a daily record of the names of the children looked after and their hours of attendance (Documentation) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register). 16/10/2009

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further?

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

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further?

 plan and provide experiences which are appropriately linked to each child’s This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 individual learning needs and the six areas of learning and develop a system to monitor and evaluate children's progress  develop the use of self-evaluation to recognise the importance of continuous improvement and to develop a culture of reflective practice  build upon the links established with other settings providing for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure that the education provided compliments the education received at other settings.

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the early years provision

The childminder recognises that it is her first priority to safeguard children. She is vigilant, very aware of the signs and symptoms of possible abuse and knows the appropriate procedures to follow should she have any concerns about any child in her care. All adults residing on the premises are vetted and she is constantly supervising children in the presence of visitors. Most records are clear, up-to-date and presented in a professional manner ensuring safe management of the provision to promote children's welfare, learning and development. However, although a daily visual safety check of the premises is completed the childminder does not maintain a record of when and by whom the assessment was completed. Also she does not complete a daily register of children's hours of attendance. These are clear breaches of requirements.

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the early years provision

Parents comment very positively on the partnership they have with the childminder and the quality of care their children receive. They state 'my child loves to go to the childminder's and has a great time', 'the childminder has helped immensely with my child's social skills and his speech development' and 'we are very pleased with the care, she is very dependable, conscientious and caring'. Parents are regularly asked for feedback and suggestions and the childminder invites parents to be actively involved in recording their child's progress. She recognises that parents know their children best and she keeps them fully informed on how their children are cared for and what they achieve each day by sharing verbal and written observation records and photographic information. However, although the childminder has developed good links with others providing the early years framework she has not fully established a system for the two-way flow of sharing

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the early years provision

information to ensure effective continuity of care and progression between the settings.

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the early years provision

The premises are secure, clean and well maintained. The childminder supervises the children well and ensures they have access to a wide range of safe and suitable toys and equipment that stimulate and challenge them. Resources are easily accessed by all children to encourage participation and allow them some control over their learning. This gives children the confidence to explore and learn in an environment that is like a second home. Self-evaluation is very basic but does identify a reasonable range of improvements. However, although the childminder has identified some areas for improvement she has not identified accurately the action needed or prioritised effectively how to take these identified areas forward which limits future plans. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's knowledge of how children learn and develop is sound. She has begun to implement the new learning and development requirements appropriately. She confidently seeks support and advice to ensure she is providing suitable and challenging learning experiences for the children in her care. However, although the childminder has taken adequate steps forward and children enjoy their time at the setting, the planning of children's individual learning journeys has insufficient detail to show how they are tailored to the six areas of learning and children's identified next steps. Children are seen as individuals and the childminder knows the children well and engages with parents daily to ensure she has sufficient knowledge of each child's welfare needs. They are able to freely choose from activities, which are both age and stage appropriate. For example, children are encouraged to share, take turns and to become independent. They

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and outcomes for children

choose what to eat at snack time and show kindness and respect, by being very polite towards visitors and the childminder. Children constantly chatter to the childminder telling her what they are doing and asking questions, such as 'what colour is that?' 'Is it pink'? Children thoroughly enjoy craft activities and are engrossed in making a picture for their Daddy's birthday and use collage materials skilfully to make a birthday card. Children love to bake, weighing and measuring ingredients and go on outings to the forest to make dens, soft play areas to run and jump and the park to experience water play. Very good warm, caring relationships are evident and this is reflected as children are relaxed, settled and are confident to explore, make decisions and relate well to others. They talk freely about when they went to the park and what they have done at home. This shows they are developing a sense of time as they begin to differentiate between past

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and outcomes for children

and present and events in their own lives. This also encourages children to develop a positive identity of themselves. Children participate in a suitable range of activities that help to develop their appreciation of the wider world. They explore festivals from around the world and access an acceptable range of toys and resources that promote positive images of diversity, using these in everyday play situations. Children explore the similarities and differences between each other appropriately because the childminder responds to children’s natural questioning in a positive and informative way.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel secure and are able to move around freely in the child-friendly environment, which enables them to explore and take risks while being appropriately supported. They learn about road safety, know house rules and are aware of the dangers of falling if they run indoors. Therefore, children are beginning to develop an understanding of boundaries, limits and why rules exist. The childminder follows agreed routines that the children know and understand. They enjoy healthy snacks and meals, such as a variety of different fruits and vegetables and have free access to drinks so that they can help themselves when they are thirsty. Children's dietary needs are met well because the childminder works with parents to gather, record and review relevant information. She takes positive steps to reduce the risk of cross infection and helps children to understand and adopt good hygiene practice. The childminder is skilful in allowing children to

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and outcomes for children

do what they can do independently but with things they can not quite manage, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 such as accessing the toilet, she offers support and advice. Children have plenty of opportunities to access physical activities. They visit the local park, soft play sessions and access the outdoor play area, which is well equipped. Children are active and gain confidence in what they can do with their bodies, as they pedal, propel toys with their feet, push and pull toys, climb on larger apparatus, throw and catch balls. This helps children to develop a positive sense of well-being. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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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

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Stage

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

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 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

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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

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR5) 16/10/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR8). 16/10/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR5) 16/10/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR8). 16/10/2009

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