Childminder in Coventry

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY338076 Inspection date 10/12/2009 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 has been registered with Ofsted since 2007. She lives in Coventry with her husband and a child aged six years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder's husband works alongside her as an assistant. The whole of the childminder’s home is used for childminding purposes and she is registered to provide overnight care. There is a fully enclosed area at the rear of the property for outdoor play. Access to the front entrance of the childminder’s home is via a low step.

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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 three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. When working with her assistant she is registered to care for a total of four children in the early years age range at any one time.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language and holds a recognised early years qualification.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individuality is recognised and valued. They are settled and at ease in the childminder's care and receive good levels of attention and supervision. However, the childminder has failed to meet her conditions of registration with respect to the number of children for whom she can provide care. Children participate in a wide variety of safe and stimulating activities that help them to learn through play and make good progress. Good partnerships are in place with parents and other professionals and this contributes to consistency of care for all children and ensures that their needs are known and met. The childminder has started to evaluate her practice and record her observations and assessments of children, however, these systems are not yet fully effective in improving outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of practice to identify the setting’s strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children  embed systems for completing observations and develop strategies that encourage parents to share what they know about their children so that activities can be more easily planned around what children need to do next and what they are interested in. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded well. 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. The childminder is very vigilant with regards to safety and a combination of safety precautions, daily checks and written risk assessments ensure that potential risks to children are effectively identified and minimised. However, the childminder is caring for more children than her conditions of registration allow. This is an offence unless the provider gives a reasonable excuse. On this occasion the provider did so and Ofsted does not intend to take further action. The childminder ensures that children are appropriately supervised and cared for at all times and her husband, who is her assistant, provides additional support when necessary.

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the early years provision

The childminder is very enthusiastic about what she does and demonstrates a strong commitment to improvement. She has attended a wide variety of relevant training and promptly applies her learning to her everyday practice in order to continually improve outcomes for children. The childminder is constantly reviewing the service that she provides and has started to use the Ofsted self-evaluation form to assist with her reflective practice. However, systems for doing so are still in their infancy and do not effectively identify strengths and priorities for improvement or consider the views of others.

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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 is well aware of the benefits of working in partnership with other childcare professionals. She regularly networks with other childcare professionals to exchange ideas and share good practice and actively seeks support and advice from the local authority. Clearly written policies and procedures work well in practice and are shared with all parents. The childminder actively promotes equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice and this ensures that all children and families feel included and safe.

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the early years provision

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. Space within her home is organised well to provide a homely environment in which children can learn, relax and have fun. The playroom is attractively decorated with posters and examples of children’s work and a small downstairs room is available for children to rest and sleep away from other children that may disturb them. Children's independence and freedom of choice is increased because a good range of resources are thoughtfully stored at child height and the childminder makes regular use of local toy loan schemes to enhance and add variety to children's play. 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 help to promote their all-round learning and development. They enjoy activities both inside and outside her home and toys and equipment available to children are appropriate for their various stages of development and reflect their individual needs and interests. Children enjoy frequent visits to local community groups and these outings help to develop their social skills and increase their range of experiences. They are taught road safety as they go out for walks and the childminder, through gentle reminders, makes them aware of rules necessary to protect their own safety within her home. For example, they are reminded not to run inside in case they should fall and hurt themselves or others.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder thoughtfully plans experiences so all children can take part at their own pace and level and feel valued and special. She 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 folders contain photographs of children involved in play, examples of their work and written records of things that she has observed. The childminder is still developing these folders and the methods she uses to observe children and assess their progress and does not have clear systems in place for encouraging parents to share what they know about their children. Consequently, children may not always be effectively challenged or supported to reach their full potential.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and secure because the childminder builds good relationships with them and provides comfort, praise and lots of encouragement. The childminder has a calm and warm manner and children receive plenty of affection and a good level of interaction. The childminder reacts positively and promptly to babies’ body language and vocalisations and she gets down to their level, talking to them and encouraging two-way communication. They are given plenty of space to move and explore their bodies and a good range of resources are provided that encourage them to kick, reach and grasp.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well as a result of the positive role-model provided by the childminder and her consistent use of appropriate behaviour management methods. Good behaviour and effort is promptly rewarded with praise and positive body language and children show good levels of self-esteem. The childminder’s home is very clean and good hygiene precautions effectively ensure children’s health and well-being. Children receive a range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks and regularly engage in physical exercise. The childminder provides a wealth of resources that encourage children’s curiosity and help them to become inquisitive learners, for example, shape sorters and toys that react when buttons are pressed. She asks children questions to encourage them to think and learn and young children show plenty of pleasure when exploring toys and their environment. Children's developing independence is actively encouraged.

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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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