Childminder in SolihullOfsted inspection, 12 Feb 2010

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY272833 Inspection date 12/02/2010 Inspector Diane Ashplant

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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 registered in 2003. She lives with her husband and two children aged five and 10 years in the Shirley area of Solihull. The whole ground floor of the childminder's home is available for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently looking after four children who are all in the early years age range. The childminder takes and collects children from the local school and attends other early years groups. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder holds an appropriate childcare qualification. The family has a dog and a rabbit.

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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 are settled and content in this welcoming family home where their care, learning and development is generally well supported as the childminder has an appropriate understanding of most of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). She works in effective partnership with parents to ensure she provides an inclusive environment to support all children's needs. She shows a sound commitment to supporting continuous improvement through training and has made some links with other early years settings to improve outcomes for children. However, she has not yet established any clear systems for assessing her practice in order to identify areas of development.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that information about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility for the child is obtained for all children (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 26/02/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems for monitoring and evaluating the provision to identify strengths and prioritise development that will improve outcomes for all children  update understanding of safeguarding children issues and be able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedures appropriately develop further the use of sensitive observational assessments in order to plan to meet children's individual needs and identify their next steps  extend the managment of children's behaviour to include records of any This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 occasion where physical intervention is used.

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the early years provision

Children are suitably safeguarded as the childminder has a generally sound understanding of her role to protect children at all times. She is aware of her responsibility to protect children from possible abuse or neglect although she is not fully clear of how to respond to an allegation made against herself or others on the premises. She provides safe and secure premises where hazards are appropriately addressed both inside and outside. She carries out a daily risk assessment to maintain this and has a written risk assessment which covers various aspects including different outings. She has all the appropriate procedures in place to safeguard children such as safe collection and fire safety drills and to ensure that other adults around children are either checked or supervised. Most of the documentation to support the safe and efficient management of her childminding business is in place. Information is taken from parents regarding children's

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the early years provision

individual needs, although, details involving parental responsibility are not routinely discussed which may compromise their welfare.

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the early years provision

There is good partnership working with parents to support individual children and information is exchanged from the start about children's routines and needs and about the policies and procedures to support the childminding business. The childminder ensures there is daily discussion with parents and other information is also shared via the daily diary and photo album and the development folders which are being assembled. The childminder has made some links with the other early years providers in the area and takes children to the local toddler group and the Children's Centre.

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the early years provision

She shows a sound commitment to continuous development through a range of training including her NVQ level three in Children's Care, Learning and Development which she has recently completed. She encourages open discussion with parents so they can share any thoughts about her provision. However, she has not yet established any regular system for evaluating her practice which means that areas of development may not be identified.

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and outcomes for children

Children settle well in this welcoming family home where their learning and development is securely supported. They form warm and positive relationships with the childminder and access the different areas of the house confidently as they make their own play choices. Children have lots of fresh air play and exercise such as regular walks and visits to the park and are encouraged to carry out daily routines to promote their health. For example, they learn to wash their hands after touching the rabbit to get rid of any germs. The childminder understands the benefits of healthy eating which she encourages through, for example, a range of fresh fruit snacks and regular drinks. Children learn how to routinely protect This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 themselves by, for example, tidying away toys so they do not present a tripping hazard, taking part in fire drills or respecting the green cross code as they walk

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing their knowledge of acceptable behaviour as the childminder has clear expectations with which she guides them. She works together with parents in order to provide a consistent approach to more challenging behaviour, although, any issues of intervention are not routinely recorded which may have repercussions for her practice. Children are encouraged to share and take turns and the childminder listens with interest as children recollect family events, giving them regular praise and encouragement so they develop their self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Children are welcomed into a child friendly environment where they move confidently around seeking toys of their choice from the wide range the childminder has available to support their development. These include a selection of resources reflecting the diversity of the wider world to extend children's knowledge of other cultures. The walls are decorated with examples of children's work, posters and number and letter charts which means some children instinctively look at these and identify, for example, the letter of their name or count as they recognise the numbers and their age. They engage with the childminder in lots of conversation and she spontaneously encourages their general development through the effective use of open questions or using everyday routines to promote their learning. There is a balance of children's choice and more adult led activities such as making Valentine cards. Children enjoy playing

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and outcomes for children

with the role play equipment or assembling the road track and engage in a variety of messy play activities. They learn about caring for animals as they help feed the rabbit and have an area of the garden to plant and watch how things grow. Children go out into the community and attend the local toddler group which gives them different social and play opportunities. The childminder provides different activities to support all areas of learning and is beginning to use her observations to monitor children's progress, although, these are in their early stages and not yet effectively linked to her planning for their next steps 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 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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