Childminder in Stoke-on-TrentOfsted inspection, 4 Mar 2010

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 510853 Inspection date 04/03/2010 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten

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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 2001. She lives with her husband and one child aged 10 years. The family live in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Most of the downstairs and one upstairs room are used for childminding purposes. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play. Family pets include one dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, four of whom may be in the early years age range when she is working with an assistant. She operates all year round and offers overnight care. There are currently six children on roll aged from 13 months to nine years. Four are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The care for children aged over five years is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has completed required basic childminding training and is currently undertaking the National Vocational Qualification to level 2 in childcare.

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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 highly organised and provides very good standards of care and teaching, elements of which are outstanding. Each child's unique needs and stage of development are known and each one is making good progress. Procedures and policies safeguard children well overall. Partnerships with parents and other providers are mostly good, but are underdeveloped for children attending full-time nursery education. The childminder has commitment, enthusiasm and capacity to continuously improve. She makes good use of training, advice and self-evaluation tools to review and develop her already good practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop initial assessments and plans alongside parents and subsequently use all the observations to periodically evaluate and summarise children's development so that their progress towards the early learning goals and next steps plans can easily be seen and used  obtain parental consent and develop two-way links with key workers, reception teachers and other childcare providers to ensure consistent and complementary care for all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage age range  display the public liability insurance and include in the safeguarding policy the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the childminder or any member of the household.

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the early years provision

The steps taken to safeguard children are robust and effective overall. The childminder is experienced, up-to-date, trained and competent in child-protection procedures and multi-agency working, first aid, and risk assessment. She prepares well for outings and activities within the home and garden, using checks and risk assessments to minimise safety risks and prepare children for hazards and dangers. Resources, equipment and activities are tailored well to the one-year-olds present at inspection, so that they feel secure, stimulated and able to access a wide range of play and experiences safely. A closed circuit television screen in the kitchen allows the childminder to see the playroom if she has to leave children in the room. Policies and procedures are all clear and appropriate, regularly reviewed, and updates are shared with parents. For example, information about who has parental responsibility is now obtained for each child on roll to ensure that liaison

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the early years provision

and handover happens consistently with the right adults. However, information about the procedures to be followed in the event of a child protection allegation were not in place at the inspection visit. Information about house rules, activity plans, registration, menus and Ofsted are clearly displayed for parents, but the public liability insurance is kept in a portfolio rather than on display. The childminder checks the identification of visitors, logs all attendance and keeps exits locked.

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the early years provision

The childminder forges warm, highly supportive, professional relationships with parents and carers from the outset. She ensures that settling-in periods suit the child and family, and gains all necessary details and routines. However, parents are not yet involved in jointly preparing an initial assessment of their child's development and the next steps they need to take towards the early learning goals. They regularly see their child's developmental file and are pleased with the progress their children are making, but the lack of regular summary assessments makes it more difficult to see exactly how much progress their child is making and in what areas. The childminder makes effective relationships with carers and social care workers to support looked after children who are moving on to new carers. She is helping to provide stability, emotional support and a record of photos and life story information. However, she has not developed two-way individualised

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the early years provision

liaison with reception teachers and nursery school key workers for children aged three years and above who are attending the childminding setting after school. This holds back consistent and complementary care for these children.

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the early years provision

The childminder clearly relishes her work and has good commitment to organising, reviewing and improving the childminding. She undertakes reflective practice and meets regularly with other childminders and advisors to share best practice. She and her husband assistant attend regular training and have invested recent grant monies to provide high-quality, stimulating and varied equipment and resources. The childminder uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form. Her targets for ongoing improvements include extending her knowledge and use of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements. She aims to improve This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 her planning and provision for individual children as well as her documentation of their progress. She also aims to improve the labelling and accessibility of resources so that children can better make their own activity choices and look after their play

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the early years provision

environment. The childminder is undertaking professional training and plans to extend this to the next level as soon as possible. The childminder's use of community resources supports and extends children particularly well. They go to the local children's centre, childminder groups and appropriate special community events at local museums and venues. These ensure that children have a rich, varied, and active social experience, and know their locality well.

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and outcomes for children

Each of the children attending makes good progress from their starting points and enjoy outstanding opportunities to be healthy, active and make a positive contribution. The childminder provides a wealth of daily opportunities for children to choose and take part in. There are interesting activities, many of which contain positive images of diverse cultures and lifestyles. These activities, combined with participation in normal routines, develop children's confidence and independence. For example, one-year-olds paint and glue in the play room. They confidently sit at the table adjusted to their height and can use the chairs, activity centres and wooden interactive boards attached to the walls. Resources are securely stored and placed at children's height so that they can easily choose things and can develop their walking skills too. They begin to look after themselves as they wear an old tee shirt to protect their clothes and they can reach extra wipes to use on

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and outcomes for children

their face and hands. Children eat well and enjoy nutritious food and water to drink. They are active and go out in all weather, enjoying a wide range of social and outdoor venues which develop their knowledge and understanding of the world as well as their physical skills. For example, they go squirrel spotting in the nearby cemetery, climb, crawl and slide in the re-developed local park, and enjoy water play at the children's centre. Exciting day trips to museums, beaches and gardens are regularly offered too, and children are learning simultaneously how to walk safely by roads and to play safely only with familiar adults.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder continuously strives to stimulate children's progress as they play and take part in activities. She knows each child's stage of development well and is confident to use all kinds of resources in diverse ways to be creative, have fun and learn at the same time. For example, she promotes one-year-olds' speech, mobility and social skills as they play on the floor. They use board books, sing action rhymes, play in a storage box, use puppets with different facial expressions and play with the domestic role-play kitchen equipment. The childminder encourages and praises children's first words and repeats words like 'baby' and 'paper' clearly to them. Simple sounds and first numbers are talked about through traditional simple interactive songs like 'row, row, row the boat' and 'round and round the garden'. Outdoors, children can explore and be active from an early age, perhaps painting the wall with water and big brushes or playing in the mud out in the

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent opportunities to learn necessary social skills and how to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 behave. They sit at the table for meals and are taught to use age-appropriate cutlery. From the age of one year they are consistently shown how to gently and kindly relate to one another and to animals. If they poke, prod, bite or hit, the childminder explains clearly that this is not wanted and puts the child to one side for a few moments and then lets them join in again. She demonstrates how to touch kindly and encourages children to hug and consider one another. Children frequently meet other children at toddler and children's centre groups. This benefits their confidence and is especially important because they will start at full- time nursery from the age of three years. Children also enjoy music and one-year- olds can see the connections between the buttons they press or the wheels they

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and outcomes for children

turn and the sounds that then start. They enjoy wiggling and moving to the musical toys they play with and happily play alongside older children who pretend to be their school teacher. Children are secure and confident because the childminder and her assistant are warm, consistent, positive and involved. They work together well to support each child and meet their needs. They are also skilled to support parents in encouraging and continuing children's progress at home, adding to children's experience of consistent care. 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 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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