Childminder in Camden

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY336511 Inspection date 08/02/2010 Inspector Siobhan O'Callaghan

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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

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 2006. She lives with her two children aged nine and 10. The family live close to Kings Cross which is situated in the London Borough of Camden. There are many local shops, schools and amenities close by. The home is situated on the third floor of a block of flats, there is a lift service. The childminder utilises her living room and master bedroom for childminding purposes.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register to provide care for a maximum of three children under eight years at any one time, of these, not more than three may be in the early years age group and of these not more than one may be under one year at any one time. She is currently caring for four children in the early years age group. Two children attend full-time whilst two children attend on a part-time basis. The childminder attends a local toddler group and childminding support group. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 provides a warm and welcoming home environment for children. She has many positive systems in place to support all children to feel valued and included within the setting. Children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development as they play happily and confidently within the childminder's care. The childminder has developed comprehensive policies and procedures that she shares with parents, these promote most aspects of children's welfare, although some detail is lacking. She demonstrates a keenness to instigate improvements to her setting which is evidenced within her commitment to attend ongoing training opportunities.

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further?

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

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further?

 request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 22/02/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure information is consistently gathered for all children with regards to their special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies  develop planning and assessment systems to show how these relate to the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 early learning goals and how this information is used to inform children’s next steps in their learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises a safe and secure home environment for children. She maintains regular risk assessments to monitor and review all aspects of her home to promote children's safety. She has implemented a positive outings procedure which supports her to safely manage all trips that she embarks on with children. The childminder has a sound knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children procedures. She is clear about her duty to work in partnership with both parents and outside agencies in the interests of promoting children's welfare. She supervises children well and ensures that they are never left alone with unvetted adults. The childminder has developed a broad range of policies and procedures to support the safe management of her setting, however, she has failed to ensure that essential permissions and information from parents to support their children's welfare are consistently implemented.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a positive approach to implementing improvements to her provision. She has addressed the recommendation raised at her previous inspection. This involved developing the activities and resources available to promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. Children now benefit from books in dual languages thus their home language is valued within the setting. They now have access to a wider variety of resources to promote their knowledge and understanding of other cultures within the local community, thus promoting respect for all people regardless of their home background and cultures is given due focus. The childminder organises her resources to promote all children's access, thus even the youngest babies can make decisions about their play and thus develop independence skills. Nevertheless, the childminder is yet to fully develop her planning and assessment systems to ensure that all children

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the early years provision

receive effective challenges to support their continued progress and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder values working in partnership with parents. She communicates with them on an informal daily basis as they are kept abreast of all aspects of their children's care. Communication has been established through a range of channels including email, text and face to face discussions. Although the childminder is not currently caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, she has established effective networks with outside professionals should she need to advise and support parents to initiate early support for their children. Parents are given helpful and informative information about the childminder's services and the experiences that their children will engage within whilst they attend. Overall, these positive relationships help to support children's sense of security and belonging within the setting. 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 demonstrates a sound knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. She offers a competent range of activities and experiences that support children to make progress in their learning and development. However, she is yet to utilise the Early Years Foundation Stage framework to support her in ensuring that all aspects of the early learning goals are consistently planned for. Consequently, systems to demonstrate how children’s individual development is monitored and planned for are currently not robust. The childminder maintains flexible routines which are based around children's individual care needs, thus she ensures that she is home when young babies are due their sleep so that they can rest comfortably. Children have daily opportunities to be outside as they walk to local toddler groups, the library and parks. Thus there is ample provision for them to get fresh air and exercise to support their physical

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and outcomes for children

well-being and development. The childminder organises an accessible learning environment for children which supports them to make choices and thus develop their independence skills. They are happy and content within the childminder's care; they enjoy her warm interaction when they receive lots of support and attention. Babies feel secure as the childminder sits at their level on the floor to support their curiosity and exploration of resources. Babies are delighted to play with musical shakers and engage in singing sessions, they are beginning to confidently express themselves through their own babbles and actions.

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and outcomes for children

Children access a suitable range of resources, furniture and equipment to support their play. They have pleasant opportunities to learn about their natural world around them as they visit local community groups where they engage within a variety of activities including gardening pursuits. Children are encouraged to grow foods which they can later eat. The childminder utilises these experiences to promote children's understanding of the importance of eating a healthy diet. Children develop problem solving skills through playing with bricks, completing puzzles and developing concepts of counting as they sing number songs. They are learning positive habits and behaviour appropriate to good learners as they follow the childminder's capable role models. Consequently, children are supported to become responsible and polite individuals. Their welfare is promoted through many positive practices which are embedded within their daily routines. For example,

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and outcomes for children

they learn to take care of their personal hygiene as the childminder teaches them about the importance of consistent hand-washing. They remain safe as they learn how to access resources safely and to keep safe when they are on outings. Overall, children are developing many positive skills that help to set some secure foundations for their future learning success. 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 3 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 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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: 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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