Childminder in Walsall

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY100770 Inspection date 08/02/2010 Inspector Jasvinder Kaur

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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 13 years in Walsall. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding together with the upstairs bathroom and toilet. There is a fully enclosed rear garden.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three part-time children in this age group. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has gained an appropriate early years qualification to NVQ Level 3. She takes and collects children from the local school and nursery. She is a member of National Childminding Association.

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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

Children are settled and appear to feel secure in the family-oriented environment. All policies and procedures are implemented effectively to promote inclusive practice for those children who attend, taking account of their age, culture and background. Close partnership with parents and well-maintained records help the childminder to identify the needs of children and treat them individually. Systems to evaluate practice are effective in improving standards and making further progress in most areas to establish a quality provision for all children.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve further the observation and assessment records of children to identify their next steps clearly in order to set challenges in learning effectively  establish a more developed relationship with other providers to ensure children’s progression and continuity of learning towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

The childminder is able to protect children from harm or neglect as she has a clear understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and signs and symptoms of abuse. All adults within the provision have undergone effective This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 vetting procedures. This further promotes children’s safety. Comprehensive policies and procedures are shared with parents to ensure they understand the duty of adults to safeguard children. Detailed risk assessments confirm that the childminder carries out safety checks both around the home and for proposed outings to eliminate risks. Children learn to keep themselves safe through guidance and the practical example set by the childminder concerning road safety, talking to strangers and any possible dangers in their everyday life. They are also reminded during play of house rules in respect of safety. There is a good procedure to

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the early years provision

protect children from the spread of infection, as arrangements are in place to exclude children who have any infectious illnesses.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear understanding of the service her setting provides and has a sound overview of what can be done to further meet the needs of the children. Regular meetings with a development officer and other providers and ongoing training help the childminder to update her professional skills in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, she has attained a Level 3 qualification in Early Years and has also attended a number of relevant training and workshop sessions. She regularly upgrades her selection of resources to challenge children effectively towards the early learning goals. The childminder works well with parents and carers of the children, valuing their contribution as partners in their children’s learning and care. Daily verbal feedback, children’s profiles and a detailed prospectus of the service maintain a two-way flow of information between parents and the childminder. However, partnership with other

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the early years provision

providers is not fully established to ensure children’s progression and continuity of learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a friendly environment where children feel secure and demonstrate a sense of trust. Toys and resources are deployed well to provide free choice, consequently encouraging children to be independent and to develop a positive disposition to learn. All children have their welfare needs met and achieve irrespective of their abilities or backgrounds. Children have good opportunities to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them through play and planned activities. A good selection of resources is available depicting positive images of diversity to help children to understand and respect the values of others.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with good opportunities to make progress in their learning and development. They benefit from the well-organised and safe environment. The childminder plans purposeful play and a good balance of adult-led and child- initiated activities. She has set up a system to maintain children's individual profiles, although her records of observation and assessments are not fully developed to identify their next steps clearly in order to set effective challenges in learning. Nevertheless, her good questioning skills present some challenges for children, enabling them to be enthusiastically involved in activities and in selecting resources.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a developing understanding of numbers and shapes through This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 daily routines, number rhymes, games and using relevant toys and equipment. They expand their simple calculation skills and learn about differences in size and pattern during play and planned activities. Children are praised and encouraged to count during indoor and outdoor play, and show pride in counting pasta on their plate and stars in their storybook. They use speech to explore real and imagined experiences, as the childminder engages them as partners in conversation. Routine activities such as singing nursery rhymes, reading stories and making marks enhance children’s communication skills. Children enjoy and repeat words and phrases while listening to self-selected stories like ‘Me and my dad’. Babies attempt to communicate through babbling, squealing, smiling and many different kinds of

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and outcomes for children

action. They enjoy the childminder’s attention and being with older children and familiar adults.

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and outcomes for children

A variety of activities is planned to supplement children’s learning and knowledge of the environment, including trips to the park and walks in the area. Children observe weather conditions, learn about suitable clothing to wear and collect leaves of different colours to make collages. Young babies are happy and content in exploring their own environment. A good range of programmable toys gives other children opportunities to acquire basic skills in operating simple equipment. Children use their imaginations and express their thoughts whilst using a good range of art materials to develop their creative skills. A range of musical instruments, textures and sensory experiences, including hand printing and play dough, supports children’s skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical skills develop effectively through sufficient resources and challenges in the outdoor play area. They go for walks on a regular basis. All through the day, plenty of opportunities are provided for children to advance their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. Suitable equipment is provided for babies to walk, hold, grasp and press. Children’s health is well promoted. They enjoy freshly prepared meals, packed lunches, fresh fruits and yogurt at meal times. Drinking water is available and accessible throughout the session. Babies’ routines for feeding and sleeping are well adopted. Children routinely follow good hygiene practices such as washing hands after using the toilet, playing outside and before eating.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder interacts with warmth and affection. Consequently, the children are happy and confident. They are well behaved, well mannered and have a good awareness of right and wrong, responding positively to directions from the childminder. 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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