Childminder, Out-of school day care in Bristol

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY271069 Inspection date 26/04/2010 Inspector Karen Elizabeth Screen

p.1

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 0300 123 1231, 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.

p.1

Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

T: 0300 123 1231 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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a Diploma in Childcare and Education and has been registered to care for children since 2004. She lives with her husband and child aged six years old. Their home is located in Horfield, on the outskirts of Bristol. Childminding mainly takes place on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. There is level access to the front of the property with one step up to gain entrance to the front door and four down to reach the back garden. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of five children at any one time. Of these, three may be within the early years age range. There are currently four children on roll aged between four and nine years old. The childminder delivers and collects children from Ashley Down Infant School and Ashley Down Junior School. Partnership arrangements are in

p.4

Description of the childminding

place with both schools. The childminder occasionally works with an assistant. She provides before- and after-school care all year round except for bank holidays.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder offers a happy environment, where children are making good progress in their learning and development, given their starting points. She works well with parents providing good opportunities for them to be involved in their children's learning and for influencing provision. Good arrangements are in place for monitoring and promoting improvements in the quality of provision and for promoting inclusive practice. Measures taken to support children's welfare are not always completely effective.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 ensure that good hygiene practices are maintained at all times.  ensure that the glass in the internal front door does not pose an danger to children: and that children are unable to leave the home unsupervised.

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder is skilled in helping children to understand and adopt safe and responsible practices to keep themselves safe, such knowing to stop at the curb, before crossing roads. Children are afforded good protection by a childminder who has a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. She has up-to-date information and contact numbers for the local duty team to enable her to quickly implement local safeguarding guidance and procedures. The written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 intended to safeguard them from abuse or neglect, meets the required duties.

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder is well qualified and keen to update her knowledge and understanding in order to improve outcomes for children. She devises her own training plans to enhance her practice, such as recent child protection training. Efficient systems are in place for gathering and using vital information, in order to help promote children's welfare and development. However, the childminder has not identified all risks in the home, such as the unsecured front door.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder has very positive relationships with parents, who are complimentary about her efforts to share information about the children and to be flexible. They contribute to their child's development by sharing their knowledge with the childminder and by being encouraged to monitor their children's progress through informal daily discussions about the child's progress. She finds out about the children's cultural heritage and home experiences, so that familiar experiences and interests can be used to support children's learning. This means that children are supported, by ensuring that the environment reflects things familiar to them and reflects their family, ethnicity, home language, religion and culture.

p.5

the early years provision

Although the children attending do not have any special needs, the childminder is suitably prepared for working in partnership with other providers. A wide range a variety of toys and resources are easily available to children. These are made from a diverse range of materials. The childminder is taking steps to ensure that resources and the environment are sustainable. Many items are recycled or used for craft activities.

p.5

and outcomes for children

The childminder is familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage and plans and provides an exciting range and variety of activities and experiences for children, across each of the six areas of learning, which are evenly supported over time. Although she does not undertake formal observations and assessments, she ably pin-points children's current competencies and follows up on the next steps in children's learning. Children benefit from a good range and balance of adult- and child-led activities which arise from the children's current interests. For example, suggesting that a child with an interest in spiders, looks for 10 of them in the garden. He is helped to find them by an older child who knows where to look for them. Once found, they are examined to find out how many legs they have and to compare them with humans.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled. They develop excellent relationships with the childminder, which help them to feel safe and secure. Their emotional well-being is further supported through warm and trusting relationships established between the childminder and parents, which contribute to children developing high levels of confidence in the childminder. The childminder uses her good working relationships with the school that the children attend, to support their learning by planning activities to link with the school's programme of study, which is currently the human skeleton. The older children draw around the youngest on a piece of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 cardboard and then proceed to draw in the bones. They reflect on their drawings making comparisons with a reference book, making amendments to their drawings where they feel it is necessary.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children routinely benefit from rich exposure to language. They are encouraged to count bones in the body, naming the parts of the body and the joints. They use the reference book together to find the names of bones, such as the phalanges in the fingers. They also discuss how movement is gained such as in a ball and socket joint in the hip. This impacts well on children's ability to make their needs known, to think and to fully benefit from the experiences on offer. Children also benefit from a childminder who is skilled in encouraging and listening to children. For example, when a child looks at the position of the heart and lungs in a book about the ancient Egyptians and their methods of preserving bodies, the childminder asks 'why do you think that your heart and lungs need to be in a cage?' A child correctly answers, 'to protect them'.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children benefit from a well organised and well resourced indoor and outdoor environment. The playroom is set up with marked containers that the children can easily access and a comfy settee for children to relax on. Children take full advantage of the outdoors environment all year round. Therefore, opportunities for first-hand contact with the weather, seasons and natural world are fully exploited. They learn about the natural environment as they plant flowers in the tubs. They learn about past, present and future as they discuss the seasons and how the weather affects plant growth. Children can choose to be physically active and exuberant all year round because a large, permanent, protective cover in the garden supports children's play in all but the worst weather conditions. In addition, if children prefer to play inside, they can play energetic games on the Wii console.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Although the home is clean and well maintained, the childminder does not consistently ensure that children's hands are washed before they eat. This impacts on their health and their knowledge and understanding of good hygiene routines. Excellent use is make of the computer through 'virtual tours' of the actual route children take on their walk to and from school. Children learn about potential risks that they may encounter, such as groups of people obscuring their view, and of ways to keep themselves safe. A similar programme is used to teach children how to escape from the home in the event of a fire. Although the childminder undertakes daily risk assessments of the environment, she has not fully recognised and acted to make the glass in the internal front door safe. In addition, the home is not fully secure because the key to the front door is kept in the lock.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are effectively helped to develop good habits and behaviour. The childminder provides a good role model through her calm and courteous manner. Children know that there are certain rules to follow for everyone's benefit . Behaviour management techniques discussed with parents, so that continuity may be agreed and followed. Children are helped to recognise their own unique qualities and to identify the characteristics they share with other children. They are learning about the local community through first-hand experiences such as meeting with other children and adults when they walk to and from school. They learn about the wider world through a satisfactory range and variety of toys and resources, also through well informed discussion. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

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 3 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

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.7

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 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

p.7

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

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8