Childminder in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 224430 Inspection date 05/02/2010 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 1968 and works with her assistant. She lives with her husband and daughter in the Smallthorne area of Stoke on Trent. The kitchen and play room on the ground floor are used for childminding purposes. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play. There are no pets kept on the premises.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of seven children when working with her assistant, six of whom may be in the early years age range. She operates all year round. There are currently nine children on roll aged from two to six years. Of these, seven are within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). 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 has provided care for children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has completed required basic childminding training.

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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

The childminder supports all children sufficiently, with the help of her assistant, ensuring that children make satisfactory progress. Children's individual needs are adequately known and catered for. Overall, children are adequately safeguarded. The childminder is vigilant and ensures that the house and garden are safe, but the safeguarding policy is not effective enough. Partnerships with parents and in a wider context are adequate, but documentation is not well used to support these partnerships. The childminder has used the Ofsted self-evaluation form with the help of her assistant. She attends required training and takes advice, showing a satisfactory capacity for continuing improvement.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 plan and provide both individual and small group experiences and activities appropriate to each child's stage of development to maximise their progress towards the early learning goals, with particular attention to 'communication, language and literacy' and 'knowledge and understanding of the world' (Organisation) 20/03/2010

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further?

 implement an effective safeguarding policy and procedure which applies directly to the setting, ensuring that it is made available to parents, and 20/03/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 display the certificate of public liability insurance (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare)(also applies to the Childcare Register)  ensure that parental consent for children to be in the sole care of the assistant is in place (Suitability of adults). 20/03/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 organise the toys and equipment so that children can freely access and have space to use the resources and consider increasing the use of natural and holistic materials to extend children's creativity  use regular observations of each child and match them to the expectations of the early learning goals in order to regularly re-assess their stage of development and identify the next steps they need to take  involve parents regularly in their child's learning journey and include them when their child first starts in making an initial assessment and next steps plan for their child.

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the early years provision

The childminder and her assistant specialise in early years care, there are six children aged around two years present on the day of inspection. Children are safeguarded adequately as they play in the play room or adjoining kitchen, where the childminder can see and hear them easily. There is adequate space and furniture for children to play on the floor or at the table, although, some resources are stored out of reach on the wall or in a locked cupboard. Records are satisfactorily organised to support children's safety and well-being, although, some parental consents, for example, for the assistant to be in sole charge, are not in place. The childminder does not regularly commit to reviewing and checking policies and procedures to ensure that they fully safeguard children. As a result, the safeguarding policy is not appropriate to the setting and makes reference to an allegations policy, which is not there. Nevertheless, the childminder has attended

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the early years provision

level 1 safeguarding training and has the necessary experience and information to know what to do if there are concerns that a child is being abused. Attendance, accident, medication and behaviour incident records are adequately kept, although, the childminder and assistant are unconvinced about the protective value of documenting everything and getting parental signatures of acknowledgement. Risk assessments have been completed to identify and minimise risks associated with the home, garden, equipment and school runs. There are no daily checklists to identify things that need checking on a regular basis. All adults in the household are Criminal Records Bureau checked and both the childminder and her assistant have updated first aid training. Emergency evacuations of the premises are practised and logged to highlight any difficulties and show how they are resolved.

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the early years provision

The childminder and her assistant share policies with parents when introductory visits take place. The certificate of registration is displayed, but not the insurance. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder and her assistant undertake some training, including in the EYFS and have started simple observation records about children's development, using photos and comments. However, parents are not currently involved in helping to make initial individual plans when their children start. In addition, the childminder has not realised the extent of her role in providing sensitive observation, planning and suitable experiences to promote the welfare and learning of children in the EYFS. She tends to stand back and let children choose play with little adult input to meaningfully extend and challenge them to learn and progress. Nevertheless, she tactfully recommends that parents seek specialist help if there appears to be

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the early years provision

developmental delay, so that emerging difficulties are identified and specialist help provided. The assistant also has contact with the reception teacher to exchange any necessary information. She is confident in ensuring that messages flow between home, school and herself to meet school children's day-to-day needs. The childminder acts on recommendations made at previous inspections, for example, by recording children's attendance and attending safeguarding training. However, further action is still needed to improve on areas raised at previous inspections. No evidence of parents' views is available for inspection, but the childminder is confident that parents are satisfied with the service because their children enjoy coming. She and her assistant have used the Ofsted self-evaluation form to describe their service and the improvements to resources made using the capital grant scheme.

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and outcomes for children

Children attend regularly and enjoy the company of children of a similar age. They benefit from good quality new toys and equipment, including dolls, small world play, domestic role play equipment and musical instruments. There are chairs, tables and floor space, which is easily accessible to them in the play room and they can select most things for themselves. As a result, they move confidently around the setting and mostly find what they want. However, books, small world toys and some resources for learning about date and time are out of reach and as such are not fully used. The childminder does not spend enough time using the resources alongside children, challenging them to make more progress in their speech, problem solving, knowledge and understanding of the world. Children often seek out adult attention and bring toys to the childminder or assistant. They are sometimes competing for the till or the role play food and shopping basket. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder and her assistant sometimes tell children to go and find other toys and chide them for wanting the same things rather than helping them to solve their problems, by developing the role play and giving everyone a part.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe in the setting as the childminder is consistent and very vigilant. She expects them to be sensible and to help tidy up and wait their turn before coming to the table or having their nappy changed. Children's health and physical development, enjoyment and achievements are satisfactory. They walk to and from school each day and enjoy the ride-on equipment and gardening activities in the back garden. They are taught not to talk to strangers or to go too close to the back gate. They have grown their own vegetables and eaten them during the summer and have played outside in the ball pool under the canopy. Trips and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 experiences beyond the home and garden are few because children tend to arrive and depart at various times. This limits children's knowledge and understanding of the world, unless good quality diverse activities are provided within the home.

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and outcomes for children

Activities are not planned or led by the childminder or her assistant. Children's stage of development is not assessed using the observations made or matched to the expectations of the early learning goals. Therefore, little individual, directed input is given by the adults to encourage each child to take the next steps needed for their progress in each of the six areas of learning. Nevertheless, the childminder sometimes talks to children about numbers up to nine, as they play with the phone and the assistant talks to them briefly about the date and weather to update the wall-mounted board. Children are adequately engaged, but the activities are not tailored very skilfully to extend what individual children can do. Children with speech delay do not receive enough one-to-one sustained time to work on their speech, as they undertake favourite activities. Nevertheless, children feel at home in the setting and enjoy playing their part in the routine, perhaps

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and outcomes for children

helping to count the potatoes being used for lunch, or helping to lay the table. They happily help to tidy up and put the chairs back under the table as directed.

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and outcomes for children

Children are taking care of their own health, using wipes to clean their hands after nappy changes and washing their hands before lunch. They are able to cope well when moving up to school because they are used to waiting their turn and clearing up. Their cooperation is verbally praised and incentives, such as the certificate for 'star of the week', are enjoyed. Good manners and politeness are taught and these social skills benefit the children attending. Children enjoy playing with the musical instruments, play dough, tool bar, play toaster and tea set. However, adults do not provide input and questions to make the most of every opportunity for children to learn more and make links between their different play experiences. Families and parents are known well and their differing constitutions and cultures are adequately respected. However, differences are rarely celebrated in an age appropriate way, which teaches the children about valuing one another's

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and outcomes for children

differences. 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 3 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR9.1). 20/03/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (CR9.1). 20/03/2010

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