Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY330831 Inspection date 10/11/2009 Inspector Carol Johnson

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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 in Daventry with her husband and child aged six years. The local shops, park and school are all within walking distance. The whole of ground floor of the childminder's home, together with a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor, is used for childminding purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. Access to the front entrance of the childminder's home is via a low doorstep.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding a total of three children in this age group and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder also cares for older children that attend before and after school and in the school holidays. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The family has three cats.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification and is a member of the National Childminding Association and the Northamptonshire 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 are happy and making good progress as they take part in interesting and rewarding activities that cover all aspects of their learning and development. The childminder provides an inclusive service where each child is valued and their individual needs known and met. Effective partnerships are in place with parents and others and this means that consistency of care for all children is assured. Generally safety is addressed well and the childminder is constantly reviewing and evaluating her service to help improve outcomes for children. Systems used for observing and assessing children's progress are under development to ensure that they are manageable and fully effective.

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further?

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

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further?

 make the glass in the summer house safe or inaccessible. 17/11/2009

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further?

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

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further?

 develop methods for continuous observational assessment to help form an accurate view of where children are in their learning and development and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 where they need to go next and explore ways of encouraging parents to contribute to these assessments.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded. All adults in the household have been suitably vetted and the childminder demonstrates a good knowledge of child protection procedures. A clear safeguarding policy supports her practice and this is shared with parents. A wide range of safety precautions are in place within her home and a combination of thoughtful consideration, daily checks and written risk assessments ensure that most potential risks to children are effectively identified and minimised. However, there is some low-level glass in a summer house at the bottom of the childminder’s garden and although children know not to play in this part of the garden and they are closely supervised it still poses a potential safety risk.

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the early years provision

Children's individual needs are known and consistency of care assured because the childminder has formed good relationships with their parents and others involved in their care and education. She exchanges appropriate information about individual children’s welfare and development and talks to children about what they enjoy and are doing at other settings so that she can extend and support their learning whilst in her care. Parents comment very positively on the service provided by the childminder. She sends home regular newsletters and examples of children’s work and through discussion and sharing documentation she ensures that parents are fully aware of her policies and procedures. The diversity of individuals is valued and respected and the childminder actively promotes equal opportunities, ensuring that all children and families feel included and safe.

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the early years provision

The childminder is enthusiastic about what she does and is committed to improvement. She has attended a variety of relevant training and regularly networks with other childcare professionals to exchange ideas and share good practice. She is a member of local childminding network and receives regular visits from the network co-ordinator who monitors quality and offers advice and support. The childminder is constantly reviewing her practice and uses the Ofsted self- evaluation form to assist with her reflective practice. She confidently describes her strengths and the things she wishes to improve and all recommendations raised at her last inspection have been fully addressed.

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the early years provision

Children flourish in the childminder's care. The well-organised and attractive environment she provides creates an atmosphere that is conducive to both learning and having fun. Children's independence and freedom of choice is increased because resources are plentiful and thoughtfully presented. The childminder loans additional toys and uses the local library to enhance and add variety to children's play and she also makes good use of local community facilities. Contingency arrangements with other childminders known to both children and parents provide children with security and help to reassure parents. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress in relation to their starting points because the childminder works alongside parents and other professionals to provide them with an array of experiences that meet their individual needs and excite and interest them. She thoughtfully plans experiences so all children can take part at their own pace and level and feel valued and special. The childminder regularly observes children during play to see where they are at and where she needs to move them on next and she records her findings in folders allocated to individual children. These contain photographs of children involved in play, written records of things that she has observed and children’s comments on the activities that they have taken part in. The childminder is still developing these folders and the methods she uses to carry out observations and although they provide valuable information they are not yet fully effective. There is no clear system for gathering information from

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and outcomes for children

parents about what their children know and can do and she does not record spontaneous observations.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and secure in the childminder's home because she has a very warm and nurturing manner that helps to put both children and parents at ease. Children enjoy a good level of interaction and support and experiences are thoughtfully planned to reflect their individual needs, preferences and interests. Resources are plentiful and include those that promote a knowledge and understanding of the wider community. Children have access to an interactive globe and enjoy finding out about where they live and the people and animals that live in different parts of the world. Books are available to support this learning and childminder encourages young children to compare the pictures in books with what they can see on the globe; this helps them to become active and inquisitive learners.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning to keep themselves safe as they practise road safety on the journey to and from school and on outings. Children have taken part in regular emergency evacuation drills and children are made aware of safety rules within the home and told why they are in place. For example, children are told that they must not run in the home because they may hurt themselves or others and they understand that if they wish to run around they can do so safely out in the childminder’s garden. Children behave well as a result of the positive role model provided by the childminder and her consistent use of appropriate behaviour management methods. Children are active and understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They receive a range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, routinely follow good hygiene procedures and regularly engage in physical exercise. The childminder's garden contains a wide range of equipment to support

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and outcomes for children

young children's physical skills and children regularly visit local parks where there is larger play equipment and additional space for them to run around and expend energy.

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and outcomes for children

Children are becoming well equipped with the skills they will need in future life and demonstrate a good level of independence and self-esteem. They are developing a sense of responsibility as they help with some simple task such as tidying away This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 toys and helping to prepare meals and snacks. A wide range of resources are stored within children’s reach and this means that they are able to make independent choices about their play and learning. Toys that teach children about technology and how it works are readily available. Children enjoy taking pictures using a digital camera and they understand which buttons they need to press to view their pictures and play games. Children enjoy singing songs and looking at books and photographs of themselves and others and they respond well to the childminder’s good use of questioning that effectively develops their language and

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and outcomes for children

communication skills. 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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