Childminder in Kingston upon Thames

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY304044 Inspection date 24/02/2010 Inspector Amanda Jane Tyson

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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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 was registered in 2005 and lives with her three adult aged sons in Kingston Upon Thames. The ground floor is used for childminding activities and consists of a lounge, conservatory playroom, kitchen, bathroom and secure garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Registration is for six children aged under eight years; of these three may be within the early years age range, of whom one may be aged under one year. The childminder is also registered to provide overnight care for one child aged under eight years. There are currently six children on roll within the early years age range, two of whom attend full-time school.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and very settled in the childminder's welcoming and well organised home environment. Strong partnerships with parents, nursery and school teachers ensure that children's individual needs are well understood and supported. Given their age, ability and starting points, children make good progress in their learning. Most required records are in place and children are well safeguarded by effective operational procedures. The childminder uses self- evaluation effectively to monitor and evaluate her practice, and to identify areas for future development.

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further?

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

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further?

 make a record of risk assessment clearly stating when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Safeguarding and Promoting welfare) 12/03/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the programme of activities to further promote information, communication and technology skills.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is well safeguarded. All regular visitors and members of the childminder's household have been fully vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau and the childminder's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 procedures is highly secure. Rigorous risk assessment keeps children safe within the home and whilst on outings. For example, her home is fitted with numerous child safety gadgets, fire evacuation is regularly practised with the children and there are effective procedures in place for minimising, and responding to, a lost child situation. However, childminders are required to keep a written record of the risk assessments they conduct and have them available for inspection at any time and these are not in place. This a breach of regulation. Nonetheless, all other records and documentation required to promote and support children's health,

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the early years provision

safety and well-being are in place and well maintained.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her home well to provide a welcoming, inclusive and stimulating environment. Photographs, posters and a good variety of play and learning resources, encourage children's interest, independence and sense of belonging, and promote equality and diversity well. The childminder's understanding of equality and diversity is sound and well explained to parents. Good use is made of community resources and the space within her home. The childminder attends regular training workshops and has recently achieved the nationally recognised Level 3 Certificate in Childminding Practice award. Her commitment towards professional development drives improvement and is well demonstrated by her effective systems for monitoring and supporting children's progress and development towards the early learning goals, through observational assessments. A key strength is the way that she does this in partnership with

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the early years provision

parents and children's other Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) providers. Written parental testimonials, with descriptive examples, highlight this well. They meet with the childminder at the beginning of each term to identify an individual play and learning plan, which includes astute next steps for learning.

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the early years provision

The effectiveness of the childminder's self-evaluation, which focuses on meeting the individual needs of the children, is clearly demonstrated by the recent acquisition of a computer, magnifiers, hosepipes and cylinders for water play, and the plans for transforming the garden playhouse into a space ship. The childminder recognises information, communication and technology (ICT) as the area for further development and is committed to developing children's skills beyond that of a computer. The childminder has familiarised herself with the government's commitment to 'raising the achievements of boys' and her good use of the outdoors for active play is testament to this. Since the last inspection, the childminder has acquired a significant range of play resources and organised a wide range of activities to promote positive awareness of cultural, ethnic and disability differences. This developing provision demonstrates strong capacity for

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and outcomes for children

The childminder uses the information gathered from her observational assessments to plan and to provide activities and accessible resources to enable children to achieve their full potential and to encourage independent play and learning. Babies have opportunities to explore and experiment using their senses, for instance a treasure basket of everyday items and selection of musical This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 instruments. Children, especially boys, spend lengthy periods absorbed in outdoor play which keeps them healthy and active. They have tremendous fun transporting shingle around the garden in the back of toy trucks, digging for insects and bugs and looking at them closely using a magnifier. Water play is a top favourite and resources such as hosepipes, funnels and different size containers encourages investigation and experimentation of weight, volume and capacity. Children enjoy

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and outcomes for children

watching the boats pass through the lock on the river and going to the garden centre to choose flowers, which they plant, monitor the growth of and look after themselves. Children's interest in literacy is fostered through the childminder's animated story telling techniques and, for example, trips to the theatre to watch their favourite story acted out. First-hand experiences such as these bring learning to life. Children make marks with chalk on the patio, with water and decorating brushes on the fence, and create their own designs and models with paint, pencils and recyclables.

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and outcomes for children

Children's awareness of disability and ethnic differences is raised as they play with resources, such as the dolls house which has small world figures of people using disability aids, with ethnically diverse puppets and doll's, when they look at books and listen to stories. Art and craft activities introduce children to various cultural and religious traditions, for example, they make kangaroo masks on Australia Day where they additionally learn how female kangaroos carry their babies. Outings, such as the planned visit to a local Mosque, help older children to understand religious differences. The observational assessments, along with the childminder's well developed self-evaluation systems, ensure that gaps are identified and acted upon, for instance children begin to show interest in books when they are encouraged to read to a doll. Children behave well. They take turns during board games, enjoy providing food for birds and are beginning to understand about

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and outcomes for children

recycling. Knives are used sensibly to butter bread, they understand the dangers of spilt water on the floor, are familiar with the Green Cross Code and are knowledgeable about fire safety. Children have their own individually coloured hand towel and need no reminders to wash their hands after using the toilet. Children are confident, becoming articulate communicators and are making rapid progress because they enjoy their play and learning. 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 2 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 2 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 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 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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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: 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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