Childminder in Solihull

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 250392 Inspection date 10/12/2009 Inspector Saida Cummings

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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 1988 and works with an assistant. She lives with her family in a residential area situated in Solihull, West Midlands. There are local shops, parks, playing fields, daycare settings and schools within walking distance. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and daycare settings. Children are taken on local visits and outings.

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Description of the childminding

All of the ground floor areas are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play. The childminder has procedures to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. She is registered to care for six children at any one time and there are currently eight children on roll within the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also cares for older children. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA) and local childminding network.

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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’s welfare, learning and development are very well promoted with some outstanding aspects. The childminder and her assistant provide children with a stimulating learning environment, where their individual needs and interests are very well supported. Children's right to choose, make decisions and voice their thoughts and opinions are supported very well so that they are fully included and develop a strong sense of belonging and self-esteem. Comprehensive steps are taken to ensure children are well integrated within the setting and this has been particularly carefully considered in relation to children with additional needs. A true partnership with parents and carers is achieved and the childminder ensures continuity and coherence by working closely with other local provider and agencies. However, although the childminder can effectively identify the strengths and weaknesses of her provision this practice is not yet fully implemented to

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

ensure that continuous improvement is maintained in all areas.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the self-evaluation systems further to ensure priorities for making continuous improvements in all areas are identified and implemented  extend planning documents further to include information relating to how individual children will be supported to move on to the next stage in their development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is safeguarded very well as the childminder and her assistant have a good understanding of the known indicators of child abuse and the action they should take in the event of a concern about a child. Children's safety is expertly promoted within the home and during outings as the childminder has extremely effective procedures for carrying out thorough risk assessments. All areas accessible to the children are thoughtfully organised to allow freedom to explore, direct access to a wealth of freely chosen resources and safe areas in which to play and relax. Well-maintained records are used positively to support children and written policy statements are clear, personalised and provide useful information for parents and carers.

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the early years provision

Children are happy, settle quickly and thrive in the childminder's welcoming home. The childminder is passionate about the service that she provides. She is well motivated and totally committed to providing a high level of care and education to ensure the best possible outcomes for the children. The childminder and her assistant are extremely competent and very well qualified. They have previously achieved Level 3 childcare qualifications and have recently completed a foundation degree in early years. They attend copious amounts of training to update their knowledge and expertise and enhance their good practice. The childminder is extremely well organised and effectively manages daily routines to accommodate the individual needs of the children attending. Lots of free play opportunities, and the childminder's responsive approach to children's requests, means they can choose what they want to do throughout the day. The environment is utilised to its

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the early years provision

full potential to provide children with choices about where and with what they wish to play. The flexible planning takes into consideration individual children’s interests and play preferences which ensures they benefit from a very good balance of child-led and adult-initiated activities. Inclusive practice is promoted very well as the childminder encourages children's positive self-esteem and respects all children's backgrounds and any specific needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in all activities and play. These are tailored to meet their individual stages of learning to ensure they are able to take part and develop at their own pace. The childminder and assistant work very well with parents, carers and outside agencies to ensure any specific activities are incorporated into the daily organisation.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the childminder’s commitment to providing good quality childcare. A weekly routine includes regular visits and outings. For example, children regularly attend local children’s groups which gives them the opportunity to develop their social skills as they mix with other children of their own age group. Children benefit from continuity of care as the childminder has developed very effective relationships with their parents, carers and other settings which are attended by children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures that important information is shared through effective communication systems and that individual children are able to make links in their learning. The childminder is aware of the importance of involving parents and carers in the care of their children and constantly consults with them, ensuring they are kept fully informed This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

of how their children spend their day. She has effective systems for gathering relevant information from parents and carers when children first start to ensure individual children’s routines are adhered to. Very good progress has been made since the last inspection and this reflects the childminder's commitment to making continual improvements to her practice through training and improving her knowledge of current early childhood initiatives. She shows an understanding of the evaluation process, although this is still in the early stages of development and not yet fully effective for identifying priorities for making improvements in all areas.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health and well-being are promoted exceedingly well as they all have daily opportunities for physical indoor and outdoor activities. They thrive as they enjoy an extensive range of physical activities and have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise. They relish their time outdoors where they are able to develop their physical skills, such as running, jumping and climbing when they use the extensive range of age-appropriate outdoor play equipment. A wide range of exciting and stimulating outings are organised to help children become sociable and familiar with people from different backgrounds. These include regular trips to the library, parks and joining in with local walks. The childminder and assistant support children with extending their learning during outings as they plan specific activities for children to enjoy and take part in. For example, they encourage children to collects various leaves during the ‘We’re going on a leaf hunt’ theme,

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and outcomes for children

discussing the different shapes and colours they find. These are then used to create colourful pictures and collages which are collated into a home-made book. Children learn the importance of good hygiene through very effective hand washing practice and the childminder has excellent procedures in place to ensure the spread of infection is minimised. Innovative strategies are used to promote children’s understanding of healthy eating through various activities and projects. For example, children plant and look after vegetables and fruit in the garden, which are picked and used as part of the ingredients in some of their snacks. As a result, children are developing an awareness of leading a healthy lifestyle, and their knowledge and understanding of where some of their food comes from through interesting and exciting activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals and in all areas of their development. They are provided with an interesting and exciting range of activities that cater for all six areas of learning, both indoors and outdoors. Their independence is nurtured as they are encouraged to develop some of their basic skills during everyday routines, such as putting on and taking off their coats and shoes. The childminder has developed detailed records of individual children’s achievements which include pictures of them enjoying various indoor and outdoor activities. She effectively uses observations of individual children's play to track each child's progress. However, she does not use these records effectively to record how individual children will be supported to move on to the next stage in their development. Children's welfare is successfully promoted in an extremely safe, secure and homely environment. They are kept safe as the

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder ensures they are supervised at all times and discussions are held about how they can keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about fire safety when they practise the emergency evacuation procedure.

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and outcomes for children

Children flourish in the childminder’s care as they benefit from playing in an extremely well-organised environment which is made accessible and welcoming to them. For example, they make choices from the well-resourced dedicated play room, and bring their chosen toys into the lounge to instigate their own play. Children have formed harmonious relationships with their peers, the childminder and the assistant. They are comfortable in the extremely well-resourced environment and play alongside each other taking turns and sharing. They enjoy good interaction with the childminder and the assistant as they organise their time during sessions to be able to adapt to individual children’s particular needs and routines. Children’s language skills are developed through their love of books and storytelling, as well as joining in with relaxed everyday conversations. They have many opportunities to extend their imagination, hand-eye co-ordination and enjoy

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and outcomes for children

using a variety of construction toys. For example, they love to use the imaginary play resources, such as the pirate ship and pirates to make up their own scenarios. They often use the dressing up clothes to join in with role play activities, such as dressing up as mermaids and wriggling on the floor to pretend they are swimming. Children are creative and enjoy using a variety of writing materials to make marks. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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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