Childminder in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY379002 Inspection date 15/02/2010 Inspector Zahida Hatia

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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 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.

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

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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

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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 in 2008. She lives with her husband and a son aged six years old. They live in a two-bedroom, semi-detached house situated in the village of Chalford, located between Stroud and Cirencester. The property is within walking distance of local amenities such as schools, pre-schools, village shops and play parks. The whole of the property is registered for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a pet cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under the age of eight years, of whom three may be in the early years age group. Care is provided on a full and part-time basis throughout the year. She currently has nine children on roll on a part-time basis, four 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 sensitively offers children support in activities and daily routines so that they are fully included and benefit from the opportunities she provides. The childminder's effective approach to using children's observations and assessments to inform the daily planning ensures that they are offered a wide range of appropriate activities that reflect their current developmental needs. She has a secure understanding of each child's individual needs and builds strong partnerships with parents. The childminder is committed to the children and monitors her provision regularly to ensure that the children are offered a stimulating and safe environment.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further activities to extend children's awareness of other cultures

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted by the childminder's clear understanding of the procedures to follow if she had concerns about a child. The childminder carries out regular risk assessments of her home, activities and outings to make sure that hazards to children are minimised or removed. Children gain a good understanding of issues such as safety in the home, stranger danger and road safety through ongoing explanations and good daily practise.

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the early years provision

The childminder is pro-active in ensuring that she is fully aware of legal This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 requirements. She has successfully implemented the procedures required by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to meet the needs of the children. The childminder is very well organised in her approach to childminding practice. She has developed a range of policies and procedures and shares these with parents to ensure that the needs of all children are met. All required records required for the safe and efficient management of her provision are in place. The childminder uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form to help her identify the strengths and weaknesses of her provision, enabling her to set out her own development plan. The childminder strives to improve her practice through participating in relevant training. The result is a caring environment that makes children feel valued, safe

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her day to ensure the needs of individual children are met. She takes time each day to complete individual diaries and discuss with the parents their child's day. This helps to keep them fully informed of their child's experiences and development. Parents are fully aware of the records kept on their children and how they link to the early learning goals. Parents are confident to leave their children in her care knowing that they will be well cared for. They are confident that their child will be offered a range of suitable activities to promote their learning. The childminder has successfully made links with other providers delivering the EYFS for children in her care, in order to ensure progression and continuity of care.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder organises her home effectively to facilitate children's play. She plans activities to cover all areas of learning and provides interesting resources for the children. She has a good understanding of the EYFS and has effective procedures in place for gathering information about children. Her use of regular observations mean that she has a clear knowledge of their individual interests and current developmental needs. She uses this to plan for the next steps in their individual learning. The children are confident and have warm, close relationships with the childminder. Children are valued and respected as individuals. The childminder strives to ensure that all children are treated equally according to their individual needs. They are encouraged to respect each other's values and feelings by talking through any problems. They learn about taking turns and how to share and respect each other. However, activities to extend children's awareness of other

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and outcomes for children

A good variety of suitable play equipment and resources are available for all the children to select independently. Children are involved in a range of planned and spontaneous activities which support their development and learning. For example, they visit local parks and farms and undertake simple cooking tasks, such as making biscuits. They enjoy painting activities using different textures and materials, such as making a winter scene using cotton wool, twigs and glitter. They also enjoy splatter painting, painting pictures of trees using hand prints, playing in the snow and exploring sand, water play and play dough. The childminder ensures that all play experiences are used for learning opportunities. For example, when This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 constructing towers with bricks, the childminder will name the colours clearly, encouraging the children to repeat and identify these for themselves. This

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and outcomes for children

increases their vocabulary and knowledge. Children eagerly sit with the childminder to read books. While reading stories, older children help with the reading whilst the younger children help to turn the pages of the book. The childminder takes time when reading, which encourages the children to anticipate what comes next.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to appreciate and explore their environment. They collect leaves to make collages, plant seeds in the garden area and help to water the raised beddings. Children are taken on regular outings to the local park where they have further opportunity to use the large apparatuses for climbing, sliding and balancing. They regularly attend toddler groups and soft play sessions where they learn to socialise with other children.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about keeping themselves safe and are appropriately restrained when travelling in the car. When walking to school or the local park, children are given clear boundaries to ensure that they can be fully supervised and do not wander away and talk to strangers. They know what to do if an evacuation of the home is necessary. They wash their hands before eating and after messy play and they choose from a range of healthy foods for snack, such as fruit, cheese or savoury biscuits. They sit at the table together with the childminder for meals and snacks making it a social occasion. She gently reminds them of their manners which ensures they know how to behave at the table. 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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