Childminder in Bromley

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY393103 Inspection date 16/10/2009 Inspector Denys Rasmussen

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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 lives with her husband and two children aged 11 and nine years. The family have three pet cats. They live in a house in a residential area of West Wickham, in the London Borough of Bromley. The setting is accessed via a level pathway. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The whole of the house, excluding the loft room, is used for childminding purposes. The main areas used for childminding purposes are the downstairs of the premises, with the toilet and sleeping facilities on the first floor. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and there are currently five children on roll, three of whom are 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

The childminder ensures she has a good understanding of the individual needs of all the children in her care; this results in the children's welfare and learning being successfully promoted. Children are able to play in a safe, secure and stimulating environment where the childminder provides an outstanding contribution to children's understanding of adopting a healthy lifestyle and feeling safe. The childminder has built positive relationships with parents and the local nursery enabling her to provide an appropriate environment to support the children to make good progress. The childminder's self-evaluation identifies priorities for development which ensures her provision is continually improving and meets the needs of the children and families that use her service.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to improve the information initially obtained from parents about their children's starting points.

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the early years provision

The childminder's good organisation and maintenance of documentation ensures she keeps all of the records required for the safe and efficient running of her service. She understands her responsibility in safeguarding children and is clear of the procedure to follow if she were concerned about a child's welfare. Effective risk assessment is completed enabling the childminder to put measures in place to safeguard children, both indoors and on outings. For example, she has considered the different needs of older and younger children when planning activities. She has organised her garden into three parts so that children have age appropriate This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 equipment; enabling older and younger children to play safely outdoors at the same time whilst still being able to access individually challenging equipment. The childminder's understanding of the children's individual needs, identified through

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the early years provision

good observational assessment, mean they are making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation and feedback from parents effectively to identify and address any areas where she can improve. She has a good understanding of her provision and how it impacts on the children in her care; her ambitious plans drive continuous improvement. She has ensured she has attended the required training and has planned attendance on further training to up-date her knowledge base. Her good quality resources are presented attractively and the children know what play resources are available and are able to self-select from the accessible cupboard or ask the childminder for something specific.

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the early years provision

Effective relationships are established with parents to ensure the care given to each individual child is appropriate and consistent. The childminder uses message books, daily discussion and the child's development file as a two-way flow of information about children's progress. Initially the childminder gains important information from parents about their child's starting points although there are some minor areas for improvement. She is pro-active in giving parents information about her service in her regular newsletter which includes news about new children starting or children leaving, planned activities, topics and outings. The childminder respects parents' wishes and has all the necessary parental permissions in place. The childminder liaises with the child's nursery to provide consistency of care and to support learning. The good partnerships the childminder fosters promotes the learning and well-being of the children she cares for.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and secure with the childminder because they have close warm relationships with her and she puts great effort into ensuring they feel reassured and comfortable; encouraging them to be kind and considerate towards each other. The consistent and familiar routines such as story time before they go home help the children develop a sense of time and security enabling their understanding of what is coming next. This sense of security enables the children to develop their skills by safely exploring their surroundings with curiosity and interest and confidently making their needs known. The childminder uses her observations and discussion with parents to plan a wide variety of interesting and stimulating activities and experiences that support all the children's progress. For example, effective communication with parents and a sound understanding of the child's needs enabled successful toilet training. The childminder takes into account

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and outcomes for children

the children's interests, for example, a vet visited her home to talk to the children about animals and she has planned to take the children to visit the fire station to talk to the fire-fighters about how they can keep themselves safe. The children regularly enjoy art and craft activities and use recycled packaging to design models. The children use their imagination, for example making cups of tea for the childminder and she encourages their language development by engaging in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 supportive conversation and praising their efforts.

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and outcomes for children

The children are encouraged to make links within their local community and enjoyed making Harvest Festival boxes which they proudly gave to the local retirement home. The children are given excellent opportunities to explore the wider world encouraging them to adopt healthy lifestyles equipping them with skills for the future. They help the childminder plant and care for fruit and vegetables at the allotment. They are encouraged to eat healthily by cultivating the produce and the younger children proudly tell the older children at dinner, how they dug up the potatoes and cooked and mashed them for everybody to eat. A nutritious and healthy menu is offered and children are able to access drinking water independently. The children are encouraged to develop healthy hygiene habits such as washing their hands correctly following visual guidance on the wall and singing the hand washing song. An important part of the children's daily

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and outcomes for children

routine is enjoying the fresh air both in the garden and on regular outings, giving them the opportunity to make friends and build on their social skills as well as getting involved in a diverse range of play opportunities. 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 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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