Childminder in Dorset

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY393727 Inspection date 19/11/2009 Inspector Carole Argles

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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 to care for children in 2009. She lives in Upton, near Poole in Dorset with her husband and their two children who are aged two and three years. Childminding takes place mainly on the ground floor. Children have access to a enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The family have a cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children aged under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than one may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding one child in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are settled and confident with the childminder who provides a safe and welcoming environment for them. They take part in a wide range of activities which helps them progress well in all areas of their development. The childminder is establishing good relationships with their parents and this helps her meet each child’s unique needs. The childminder is committed to continuing to develop her knowledge and understanding of childcare issues and enhancing the outcomes for the children. She has begun to establish successful systems for identifying area for further improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the systems for evaluating the success of activities and their impact on outcomes for children's learning and welfare  extend the systems the methods for recording and assessing children's achievements, sharing this information with parents and agreeing ways of working together to extend children's learning

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the early years provision

The children benefit from the childminder’s good organisational skills. She maintains the required records and implements effective policies and procedures and this ensures their welfare and safety. All adults living in her house have been vetted and she makes sure that children are never alone with people who have not been checked. She understands how to safeguard children from harm and knows what to do should concerns arise. She carries out thorough risk assessments of her This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 home and before outings and takes effective measures to keep children safe. Good use is made of resources and there is an extensive range of toys and equipment that support all areas of children’s learning. This includes books and toys which show positive images of diversity and are used to help children develop respect and acceptance of others in society. The childminder organises her home to

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the early years provision

provide stimulating learning environment with areas dedicated to activities such as role play and mark making.

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the early years provision

The childminder is establishing effective partnerships with parents and others. She gains support and advice through her links with her childminding mentor and other local childminders. She enhances the children’s experiences by taking them to local amenities such as craft sessions at the library and local toddler groups. There is continuity in the children’s care and their individual needs are met because there is an effective exchange of information between the childminder and their parents. New parents receive a comprehensive pack of information so they understand what is provided for their child. Through daily discussions and photographs, they are kept up to date with what their child has been doing during the day. They receive copies of the childminder’s observations and comments about their child’s progress. She has begun to invite them to become more involved in decisions about their future development.

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the early years provision

The childminder is enthusiastic about her role as a childminder and is keen to further her professional development. She has started to reflect on the quality and effectiveness of what she provides. She monitors the children’s progress and makes notes on how she can improve or extend the activities. She continues to widen the range of resources available, taking care that she meets the interests and needs of the children. She has for example identified that left handed scissors are needed to meet the individual requirements of a child.

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and outcomes for children

The children are happy and confident with the childminder who interacts well with them. They are developing good communication skills as she engages them in conversation as they play and asks questions that encourage them to talk and think further about what they are doing. The children behave well and learn to play cooperatively together. They are helped to think about the effect of their actions on the safety and feelings of others. The childminder deftly distracts children to another activity if there are any signs of unwanted behaviour. The children make choices and select toys and resources independently from where they are stored on low units.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles and helps children learn many skills that they will need in their future lives. They are encouraged to be active and frequently visit local parks or play out in her garden. Here they use a good variety of age appropriate equipment including wheeled toys, slides and a small trampoline and they are developing good control and coordination of their movements. They have opportunities to explore their surroundings and find out about the wider world. For example, they showed great interest in a spider and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 talked about snails they had previously found; they made a circle of footprints after walking in a puddle and raked fallen leaves into a heap. They celebrate familiar festivals such as Christmas and Halloween as well as talking about those celebrated in the wider community, such as Diwali. The children take part in

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and outcomes for children

cooking activities and learn about healthy eating, sometimes collecting apples from the tree for their snack. They follow good hygiene routines and know to wash their hands before eating. The childminder helps them understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, she talks through what she is doing as she checks it is safe to cross the road and she explains that toadstools may be poisonous and make them ill. The children use their imaginations well in pretend play activities recreating what is familiar to them such as visiting shops or cafés.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder observes the children as they play and records their achievements and interests. This allows her to identify many of the next steps in their learning. At present, she does discuss in detail what children can do at home and therefore she does not have a complete overview of their achievements. However, she provides a good balance of adult led and self-initiated activities, making sure that there are resources such as play dough and cars readily available that she knows they particularly enjoy. She makes good use of unplanned opportunities to extend their learning. For example, she encourages them to use comparative language to describe the play dough shapes they have made or how high they are jumping. The children enjoy what they are doing and show good levels of concentration. They are well occupied with activities that are well matched to their interests and ability and therefore are making good progress.

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and outcomes for children

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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