Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY338867 Inspection date 05/10/2009 Inspector Loraine Wardlaw

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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 was registered in 2006. She lives with her husband and their three children aged eight years and over, in the village of Oakley near Basingstoke. The ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding and one room on the first floor is used for sleeping purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of which no more than three may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding five children in the early years age group on a part-time basis. The childminder is also registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder drives to local schools and pre-schools to take and collect children. She attends the local parent/toddler group. The childminder 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

Children are happy and generally well cared for in the homely environment; their welfare and learning needs are appropriately met. The childminder provides varied play activities and experiences to children but her lack of knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework is having an impact on how she promotes the outcomes for children. A strength of the provision is the childminder's communication with parents and how she seeks their views on her service. The childminder has started to evaluate her practice but she needs to be more systematic in identifying and implementing improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the written record of complaints is kept up-to- date (Documentation) 05/11/2009

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further?

 improve the record of risk assessment to include all trips and outings including when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action following a review or incident (Documentation) 05/11/2009

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further?

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

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further?

 use the EYFS guidance to identify children's stage of development and to plan and implement their next learning steps across all six areas, towards the early learning goals, by purposeful, adult interactions in play activities, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 particularly in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy  register with the Food Standards Agency  regularly evaluate against the EYFS framework identifying and implementing areas for improvement to raise the quality of the provision

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the early years provision

The sound organisation of the childminding practice means that children are appropriately safeguarded; the suitably checked childminder has a concise child protection procedure in place, which she would follow, should she have concerns of possible child abuse. Most of her documentation is accurate and complete with a couple of exceptions; her register shows she keeps to her adult to child ratios, giving children time and attention, but she has not updated her complaints record, which is a legal requirement. Some resources are easily accessible to the children in the designated playroom and conservatory, such as puzzles and a chalk board and chalk, while other resources are located in a large cupboard accessed by the childminder. The childminder conducts risk assessments of her home to ensure it is suitably safe but the record of risk assessments needs extending to include regular trips and outings, which is a regulatory requirement. The childminder has started

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the early years provision

to evaluate her practice and identified some training needs such as accessing a child protection course, but does not evaluate systematically against the EYFS statutory requirements and guidance pack to raise the quality of the care and learning she offers. She is aware of her strengths and has kept up to date with her first aid qualification. The childminder gives generally good support to each unique child and has a sound awareness of how she would support a child for whom English was an additional language. Parents write positively about the childminding provision on an annual questionnaire which the childminder has devised herself. Day-to-day verbal communication takes place between the childminder and parents to ensure that there is sound continuity of care and learning, for example, on matters such as potty training. The childminder shares older children's learning and development matters with parents in the form of a scrapbook which contains

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the early years provision

worksheets and activities they have undertaken with her but these do not effectively show their progress towards all of the early learning goals and exclude the younger children in the childminder's care.

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and outcomes for children

Young children are settled and content in the home and care of the childminder. They choose to play with their favourite toy resources such as 'Happy street' on a low table and receive suitable interaction and challenge from the childminder to extend their learning. For example, they talk about the small world vehicles and buildings with the childminder and learn how to make the fire engine go, a technology toy, by putting in the fire lady. The childminder asks some open ended questions to encourage children to think and express themselves such as 'Where do we see aeroplanes?' They learn to name colours and the names of shapes at a young age but the childminder is not using the EYFS guidance to find out about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 how the younger children learn to problem solve, count and recognise numerals; she does not consistently role model these aspects of learning, during their play or

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and outcomes for children

in the daily routine. Older pre-schoolers learn about the life cycle of the frog by observing frog spawn, tadpoles and then frogs; they then complete a worksheet on the cycle. Younger children receive positive support from the childminder when they are being potty trained which results in success. They understand the hand washing routine after using the toilet, using individual hand flannels each time to dry their hands. The childminder thinks about how she can try and prevent cross infection; when a child sneezes on a toy she swiftly cleans it with anti-bacterial spray and crawling babies are kept off the kitchen floor. The childminder has a generally good overview of child development in relation to the children she cares for, but she is not using the EYFS guidance to track children's progress towards the early learning goals and plan their next learning steps into her day or routine. Children enjoy lots of social interaction when they attend parent/carer and toddler

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and outcomes for children

groups and other social groups each week with the childminder. Parents provide children's lunch boxes and the childminder provides a hot meal if required. However, she has not yet registered with the Food Standards Agency to ensure she meets their requirements. Children are kept safe by appropriate supervision and explanation. For example, when they stand on the bench the childminder says 'You must sit on the seat otherwise you may fall'. 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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