Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY398430 Inspection date 23/03/2010 Inspector Emma Bright

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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 2009. She lives with her partner and two children aged one and three in a village close to Ely, Cambridgeshire. All areas of the childminder's house are used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time, of these no more than one may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding four children in this age group, all of whom attend on a part- time basis. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to local amenities and attends a range of local groups. The family has one dog and one rabbit. The childminder is a member of the 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

The childminder recognises each child’s individuality and effectively promotes inclusive practice so that children feel secure and valued. She has established good working relationships with parents and this ensures children's individual needs are well met. Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder deploys her resources well and provides a broad range of stimulating learning opportunities for each child. The childminder has a strong capacity to maintain continuous improvement and is committed to improving her service for children and families. All of the required documentation is in place to promote and safeguard children’s welfare.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve further the two-way flow of communication between parents and the childminding provision to ensure written consents are clear so that parents know about the daily routines  develop further the system for monitoring and evaluating the early years provision taking into account the views of parents and children in order to maintain continuous improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children procedures and has attended training in child protection; this knowledge is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 underpinned by a clear policy which is shared with parents. Risk assessments are clear and detailed to ensure that hazards are identified and minimised; rigorous daily checks further improve children’s safety. The childminder carefully supervises children as they play, making sure her home is secure so that children cannot leave unattended. The childminder is well-organised; clear documentation and good record keeping promotes the safety and welfare of the children and underpins the good quality care offered. Documentation is in place to promote the welfare of children such as children’s information records and any concerns are duly logged.

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the early years provision

The childminder is sensitive to children's individual personalities when settling them in her home and this ensures as smooth transition between home and the childminding home. She has begun to develop systems to promote partnership working with other providers who also care for the children which ensures that continuity of care and education is maintained. The childminder has sound strategies in place to care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder works very well in partnership with parents and carers to ensure children’s individual needs are fully met. Detailed information is gathered from parents about their child before they start so that the childminder knows children's individual interests and needs, which she uses to inform planning for activities and providing care. Clear written policies and procedures are professionally presented to share with parents so that they know about the

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the early years provision

childminding provision. Parents receive daily verbal and written feedback so that they know about their child’s day. However, some written permissions are not clear which means parents are not fully informed of their child’s activities.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very good knowledge and understanding of child development which enables her to provide good quality care. She organises space and play resources effectively to meet children's needs; she has a good understanding of children's individual abilities and this enables her to provide play experiences and activities to support each child's growing skills. The childminder has a clear and realistic self-evaluation process to identify areas for future development. She has begun to reflect and evaluate on her practice to ensure that children have good quality experiences and can make good progress in their learning and development. However, the views of parents and children have not been gathered to further enhance outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good understanding of how young children learn and this enables her to provide challenging experiences and activities to support each child's learning and development. She takes children's interests and stage of development into careful consideration when planning activities to ensure all areas of learning are promoted. Planning is in place and is flexible so that it can be adapted to focus on and extend children’s interests. The childminder records each child’s achievements through a balance of photographs, examples of work and observations and this demonstrates that children are making good progress in their learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder provides an inclusive environment where each child is valued; she consistently praises their efforts, which enhances children's self-esteem and confidence. Children learn about responsible behaviour; they share and are kind to

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and outcomes for children

each other because the childminder promotes positive behaviour, helping young children to take turns with popular resources. Children regularly go out in the local area helping them to make sense of the world and their place within it. The childminder organises visits to places of interest, such as trips to Wicken Fen Nature Reserve where children take part in pond dipping and bug catching. Children attend a variety of groups such as singing and music sessions where they investigate a range of musical instruments and learn new songs; this enables them to confidently sing the first few lines of ‘wind the bobbin up’ to visitors.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain awareness of their own cultures and those of others. They visit local museums to find out about Chinese New Year and take part in activities that help them learn about the traditions of others. Children’s early literacy skills are developing; they enjoy looking at books and talking about what they see as they share stories. The childminder encourages children’s language skills through effective interaction; they discuss favourite activities together and children excitedly recall how they ‘catch the bubbles’ during bubble play. Children learn about shapes and numbers through meaningful activities. For example, they look for shapes in their environment and talk about numbers as they announce how old they are and count how many teeth they have. These simple activities lay good foundations to support the children’s future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is fully aware of her responsibilities to safeguard children. She maintains a safe and comfortable environment for children to ensure their needs are well met. Children enjoy varied opportunities for physical exercise; for example, they practice their large skills as they crawl through tunnels or run around in the garden and they benefit from lots of fresh air on their walks to local amenities. The childminder encourages children to have a healthy attitude towards food because she makes sure they have balanced and nutritious meals and snacks. The childminder gathers clear information from parents about children’s dietary requirements so that children can eat safely. Children's good health is promoted by sensible hygiene routines and young children competently wash their own hands after using the toilet. 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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