Childminder in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 505402 Inspection date 08/12/2009 Inspector Cordalee Harrison

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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 2000, although she has previously minded for periods over the last 20 years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two of their children who are aged 15 and 16 years. They live in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Childminding is contained to the ground floor of the childminder's home, however, washing and toilet facilities are located on the first floor. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. Local schools, shops and parks are within walking distance of the childminder's home. The family pets are two dogs. The childminder is qualified to level 3 in childcare and education. She is a member of the National Childminding Association, the Bedfordshire Children Come First Childminding Network and the Leighton Buzzard Childminding Group.

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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. Currently, there are four children on roll, they are all in the early years age group.

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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 at ease in the childminder's care, they experience consistently high quality play and learning experiences. This promotes their learning and development extremely well. The childminder gives children her time in play and conversation, this builds their confidence and promotes their emotional well-being. The childminder meets children's individual needs very well, because she works closely with parents and other childcare professionals who are involved in children’s welfare learning and development. To gain improvement, particularly in the areas of learning and development, the childminder makes effective use of training, both formal and informal, such as attending training to develop knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and guidance as well as through discussions and close working partnerships with colleagues on the Childminding Network. No recommendations were made at the previous

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

inspection. However, since that time the childminder has achieved NVQ level 3 in Childcare and Education.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide Ofsted with the necessary information to complete the suitability checks for all household members who are aged 16 years or over (Suitable people) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 08/01/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve the process of self-evaluation to ensure that it is sufficiently robust to identify weaknesses in all areas of childminding activities

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the early years provision

The childminder safeguards children and promotes their welfare and learning well. She relates safeguarding to all aspects of her childminding activities, such as children's physical and emotional safety, health, hygiene and nutrition. However, she does not always act in a timely manner to ensure that the registering authority is able to meet its responsibility for checking the suitability for all household members. The childminder supervises children closely, she ensures that they are in her sight or that she can hear them at all times. She does not leave children with anyone who is not cleared through the vetting procedure. The childminder is knowledgeable about child protection; she knows the main types of abuse and the signs and symptoms that indicate that children are at risk of abuse and neglect. She is clear about lines of communication to deal with causes of concern about children’s welfare and well-being. She takes account of parents and the local and

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the early years provision

registering authorities. The childminder maintains guidance from the Local Safeguarding Children Board, which includes contact numbers and the procedure to use when dealing with child protection issues.

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the early years provision

Children are familiar in the homely surroundings and this increases their sense of belonging. They use ample resources that are of excellent quality to promote their learning and development across the curriculum. The childminder uses risk assessments and daily checks effectively to create and maintain a safe physical environment for children indoors and outside of the home. She uses safety equipment such a stair gate, reins, childproof locks and appropriate fire fighting equipment to enhance children’s safety. Children increase their independence, because they are able to make full use of the available space. All documentation required for safeguarding and promoting children’s health and welfare is in place, and records, including children’s attendance and medication, are accurate. The childminder engages parents and supports them to maintain their involvement in children’s activities. She communicates extremely well with parents; she uses

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the early years provision

methods such as daily face-to-face interactions, text and telephone conversations to enhance their communication. Informative policies, children’s learning journals and newsletters keep parents informed about children’s progress. The childminder encourages parents to contribute their ideas for children’s learning and supports them to consolidate children’s learning by extending familiar topics when they are at home.

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the early years provision

Close working relationships with parents and children enables the childminder to plan successfully for their individual needs. She gains information about children's starting points, backgrounds, home language and children's and parents' preferences. The childminder’s positive attitude towards equality and diversity This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 forms a firm foundation and high expectations for equality for all children and their parents. Partnership working is a strong feature of the childminder’s organisation. For example, she visits the local preschool and discusses learning and development plans for individual children with their key person. She gains information about themes and topics that the children are studying and uses the information to inform her activity plans. Through consistent practice, which includes all parents and practitioners who are involved in the children's care, learning and

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the early years provision

development, the childminder achieves continuity for children. The childminder understands the importance of training and self-evaluation to gain and maintain improvements for children. She has attended a number of beneficial training courses, which has helped her to maintain some of the excellent outcomes she achieved at her previous inspection. However, her self-evaluation is not sufficiently robust to identify all weaknesses in her practice. She has not taken appropriate action to meet all of the specific legal requirements.

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and outcomes for children

Well-planned purposeful activities that are appropriately resourced introduce children to a variety of exciting and challenging learning experiences, which meets their individual needs. For example, all of the children are able to join the music activity, they bang the drums, and shake the bells, they learn about timing and rhythms. This activity is appealing to both younger and older children. Water and sand play provide the opportunity for children of older and younger ages to find a level of play that is appropriate to their stage of development. Children enjoy stories; they explore books independently and with the childminder. They listen carefully and are engrossed in the story. They are developing word recognition, memory and recall and relate events in the stories to their daily experiences. For example, they relate the snail in the story to the one they saw in the garden and the snowman to the one on the television.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop large and fine movements and promote all areas of learning as they enjoy outdoor activities. They develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles, build stamina as they walk to and from pre-school, and use large equipment in the parks. They learn about the local wildlife and promote their understanding of safety as they learn about safe boundaries in relation to roads, ponds and streams as they explore local areas and nature trails. They further extend their understanding of personal safety as they regularly practise the evacuation procedure. They are learning what to expect in an emergency.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn that their contributions are valuable; they participate in many community activities, including fund raising for charitable organisations. Children achieve and enjoy through a variety of first hand experiences, which helps them consolidate and extend their learning across all areas of the early years curriculum. For example, they develop skills for the future as they visit the shops to select fruits for their snacks and to purchase ingredients for their cooking activities. Activities such as these help children to put their learning into context and understand concepts such as the exchange of goods for money. In addition to the play resources that raise their awareness of cultural diversity and disabilities, they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interact with people with disabilities and from cultural backgrounds that are different to their own as they participate in activities out in the community. These

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and outcomes for children

positive experiences help children to learn to recognise similarities and differences and to learn to value themselves and others.

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and outcomes for children

Being healthy is a strong feature of children's learning and development, ranging from physical exercise, healthy and nutritious snacks, and self-care. This area of learning is enhanced through topics such as healthy eating and oral hygiene. For example, the childminder involves children in suitable aspects of food preparation; this allows them to handle different types of food products and to try foods that are not familiar to them. For example, the children select the pumpkin for their Halloween celebration; they make lanterns and pumpkin soup. They visit the farm to pick their own fruits and vegetables. They learn about preserving food as they freeze some produce and use some of the fruits to make smoothies and ice-lollies, as well as fruit preserve to eat later. Through practical experiences such as these children experiment, they learn about change and begin to understand the characteristics of healthy lifestyles. The childminder carries out regular

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and outcomes for children

observations of children; she knows their learning styles. Additionally, she plans activities extremely well and ensures that they consistently cover the area and aspects of the early learning goals. Children are enthusiastic learners, whose progress is linked to the expectations of the early learning goals. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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 08/01/2010

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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 08/01/2010

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