Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY389331 Inspection date 20/10/2009 Inspector Carol Brown

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 lives with her husband and two children age three and seven years, in a village near Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. The whole of the house is available for childminding purposes. There is a secure rear garden available for outdoor play, and a log cabin play house in the rear garden. The premises are accessed via a small step and there is a downstairs toilet on the premises. The childminder has a pet dog and six pet chickens.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for four children under eight years; of these, two may be in the early years age group. The childminder is currently caring for one child in the early years age group. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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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

The childminder is thorough in her planning of purposeful learning experiences for individual children. She uses relevant information she gains from parents, as to each child’s starting point along with her own observations and assessment of each child to assess how best to support their learning, development and welfare needs. The childminder has developed very clear and effective systems to protect children from harm and keep them safe, these are maintained consistently. An example of this is evacuation of the premises to ensure that children are familiar with the procedure, should there be an emergency within the home. The childminder has built meaningful relationships with parents and carers and is developing systems of communication with other settings that children may attend. The childminder is proactive in her approach to providing a quality service. She does this through the information she provides to parents and her commitment to

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

developing her knowledge, through training and research. In addition, she undertakes reflective practice, through self-evaluation, in order to identify strengths in her practise and areas for development to ensure continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop two way flow of communication between providers of other settings that minded children attend  develop further resources which present positive images of the wider society. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed a range of policies and procedures, these are reflective and personal to her practice. All records required by legislation are in place, are shared with parents and carers and implemented in practice in order to promote positive outcomes for children. The childminder has a good understanding of the possible indicators of abuse and the appropriate procedures to follow to record and report any concerns to the relevant authorities. There are safe procedures in place for the arrival and collection of children, as they are only released into the care of a known adult and attendance registers reflect arrival and departure times. The childminder places children’s safety as a high priority, as the premises remain secure at all times to prevent children leaving unescorted or anyone gaining unauthorised access to the premises. An example being that the childminder has fitted an alarm to her front door to alert her if the child opens the

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the early years provision

door. The childminder is careful to check the identification of visitors to the setting.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation and reflective practise is an important part of the childminder's service. She ensures that evaluation of her provision is meaningful and this enables her to identify future development to ensure her service remains of a high standard. The childminder does this in conjunction with parents and carers, through open discussion and a transparent approach.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates an enthusiastic attitude to continuing her professional development and as a result, training remains a high priority for her. The childminder is proactive in developing her knowledge and understanding through research and training. An example of this is that she has completed Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), safeguarding and paediatric first aid training. She plans to develop her knowledge and skills through training to gain a CACHE Level 3 in Home-based Childcare. The childminder strives to promote an inclusive environment and there is no bias in her practice in relation to gender, race or disability.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are good. This is as a direct result of the childminder taking the time to share information through daily discussion, home and childminding diaries and inviting parents' comments in their child’s learning journal. The childminder actively supports parents and carers with their understanding of the requirements of the EYFS and how she uses this to promote children’s learning, development and welfare. This approach has a positive impact as it empowers parents and carers and helps them to share information, which directly supports their child's learning and development during their formative years. In this way both parties work in partnership in the best interests of the child. Partnerships with other settings that the children attend are not always collaborative and therefore systems to ensure children’s all round development are not entirely effective This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to keep themselves safe. They negotiate space within the childminder’s home with confidence. Children learn about road safety and evacuation procedures, which are practiced on a regular basis. This helps children to learn and understand about the right course of action to take in an emergency situation. Children also demonstrate a sense of safety in the childminder's home, moving freely and showing confidence when playing and being with the childminder. They clearly develop their understanding about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. This is as a result of the childminder introducing nutritious foods and using home grown vegetables and fresh eggs in the meals she provides. As children grow she ensures they learn about foods which are good for them, enabling them to make informed choices. Children’s knowledge of adopting healthy habits are further supported as the childminder introduces games and

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and outcomes for children

books that focus on the subject. Children have plenty of opportunities to benefit from fresh air and regular exercise, to run and use large apparatus, which helps them to develop balance and coordination skills. Children understand the importance of personal hygiene, for example washing their hands thoroughly before meals and after using the toilet. They have regular access to drinking water; this helps them to understand their own needs. Children are learning about the care of animals as the childminder has a dog, several chickens and tropical fish. Children talk eagerly about the various fish.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder acts as a good role model, as she remains calm and gives children clear and concise explanations. Children have built warm, caring and trusting relationships with the childminder and are confident to make demands on her. They explore the environment, using their imagination. An example of this was when a child emptied inset puzzles, lined them up end to end and used this as a bumpy road for the tractor. Children are supported by the childminder in developing their curiosity. She organises trips out and about in the local area, such as to parks and the local library, where children have the opportunity to socialise with others and develop their understanding about the world around them. Children's behaviour is good and they are gently reminded by the childminder to say please and thank you.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a very clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and she has organised systems of observation, assessment and planning in order to build on what children know and can do and help them make as much progress as possible towards the six early learning goals. Children are provided with a range of stimulating resources and activities, which develop their interests. An example of this, a child asked the childminder for the space puzzle and proudly named the rockets, space vehicles and planets. Learning opportunities are clearly based on observations of the children and their next steps for learning are consistently linked to the learning intentions of the EYFS. The childminder provides a secure environment which reflects the children's backgrounds well, enabling all children to feel welcome and included. She has displayed words for numbers and days of the week in Dutch to encompass a minded child’s cultural heritage.

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and outcomes for children

Effective partnerships with parents, and carers provide continuity of learning and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development.

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and outcomes for children

Attention to storage and access to resources has been well thought out and the childminder adapts this to meet the children’s needs and ease of accessibility. Children’s pre-literacy skills are supported as toy boxes are labelled and have a picture of the contents on the box. The dedicated play space enables children to move freely, initiating their own play and learning at their own pace. The childminder provides a stimulating environment which encourages children to investigate things for themselves, developing skills for later learning. Children have access to a varied and stimulating range of resources and activities that enable them to understand how things work, the natural world and to develop their creative and imaginative skills. They are learning about the world around them through themed activities, for example the changes in seasons and travel using an interactive globe. Children communicate their views and feelings which are

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and outcomes for children

supported by the childminder. This helps them to feel fully included and enabling them to communicate their needs and interests. Children have a wide range of resources and the childminder is careful to plan learning opportunities across all six areas of learning However, resources that present positive images of the wider community are limited. Overall, children are supported to secure their skills and make good progress in their learning. In addition the childminder is taking steps to ensure resources and the environment remain sustainable. 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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