Childminder in Islington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY396162 Inspection date 11/02/2010 Inspector Maxine Rose

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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 child aged 13 in a third floor flat in Highbury in the London borough of Islington. The living room, kitchen, bathroom and hallway are used for childminding. Access to the provision is up three flights of stairs, there is no lift. There is a fully enclosed, shared garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, three of which are in the early years age range. The childminder is currently minding two children in the early years age range and one child over five years.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She attends local toddler groups, takes children to the library and park. The family have a hamster. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder has a childcare qualification. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and local childminders' support group.

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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 children are happy and confident because the childminder provides a friendly, safe and stimulating environment. The children enjoy many well organised and worthwhile learning experiences that enable them to make good progress. The childminder has a secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures and this helps to ensure children’s welfare is given high priority. The partnership with parents effectively promotes consistent care and positive outcomes for children. The childminder demonstrates a commitment to self-development and continuous improvement. She actively seeks to improve and extend her skills to raise the standard of her provision for the benefit of children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure consistency in how complaints will be managed, including in the procedure all the relevant information such as the expected timescale for when concerns will be concluded (Safeguarding and welfare) (also applies to the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register) 26/02/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  ensure plans and assessments used to monitor children's progress link consistently with the early learning goals to ensure children's specific learning needs are met

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the early years provision

The children are provided with a safe environment where they can enjoy a range of age appropriate activities. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to create a child friendly home to enable children to feel secure. The children feel safe. They display increasing confidence and independence when they make choices and select resources because the play equipment is placed within easy reach for their use. The children can make full use of the space because the premises, furniture and resources are well maintained and organised effectively to enable the children to move freely without the hindrance of safety hazards. In addition, the children practise fire evacuations which teach them how to keep safe in the event of a fire. The childminder maintains almost all the required policies and procedures essential to promoting children’s welfare. At present the procedure for managing complaints lacks some

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the early years provision

detail and therefore does not ensure consistency in how concerns will be addressed. There are appropriate procedures in place to manage safeguarding issues and the childminder has a secure knowledge of how to recognise signs of child abuse and how to protect children from significant harm.

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the early years provision

The partnership with parents is good. The childminder has established effective modes of communication with parents which helps to ensure continuity of care for the children. The parents have access to all the childminder’s policies and procedures and useful information about the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) because these are displayed on the notice board. The parents have opportunities for daily contact and discussion with the childminder. This helps to create an inclusive environment where the children’s individual needs are met. In addition, the parents are able to view the children’s portfolios, which feature written and photographic evidence of their activities and learning experiences. However, the childminder does not yet have a system where parents can contribute further, particularly to comment on their children's learning and development. The childminder is aware of the need to work with outside agencies where necessary to

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the early years provision

promote the children’s development. The children are able to gain first hand experience of community life when they visit the park to feed the ducks and when shopping at the supermarket. They are able to see a culturally diverse range of people, food and clothing. The children are able to make a positive contribution as they donate and make good use of recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes, which they use for creative purposes.

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the early years provision

The childminder has taken positive steps to maintain continuous improvement in the provision she offers to children. She is self-reflective in her practice and has completed an NVQ level three in childcare and education. The childminder has used her knowledge and skills to plan and organise a stimulating learning environment for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children are making good progress within the EYFS. They are confident and very keen to initiate ideas and organise activities. For example, the children ask to look at their portfolios. They take pleasure in looking at photographs and talk at length about past events when they played in the snow and collected leaves for printing. The children speak clearly to express themselves. They are able to develop their language skills when singing nursery rhymes and when recalling the names of fruit they see in their favourite story ‘Handa’s Surprise.’ The children enjoy the opportunity to work independently. They work purposefully to concentrate and persevere when completing problem-solving tasks, such as sorting and matching number cards. The children are encouraged to recognise and use numbers in practical ways. For example, the children recall the numbers seen on buses and they extend their learning in creative activities and role play where they make tickets to travel on the

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and outcomes for children

The children have access to a variety of good quality made and natural resources, which helps to motivate their interest in learning. They make good use of shells, acorns, and wicker baskets, sheets of fabric and dolls of different skin tones to recreate a picnic at the beach. Indeed the children are able to develop an interest in their environment when they take walks to the lake to feed ducks and they observe the growth of daffodils they planted themselves. The children are inquisitive and question why the pots of flowers were brought indoors during the winter months. The children’s understanding of the wider world is extended in practical ways. They discuss the cultural garments of the South American indigenous tribe, make corn dolls and paint their hands in celebration of Eid. The daily routine is planned very well to enable the children to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and make a positive contribution. For example, at snack time the children wash

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and outcomes for children

their hands, prepare the fruit, drink water and eat the bread they bake.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has systems in place to monitor the children’s learning and development. Through observation, assessment and planning the childminder is beginning to chart the progress children are making. This helps to ensure children achieve in most areas of learning. Occasionally plans and expectations for children’s learning are not consistently linked to the learning goals to ensure all children’s specific learning needs are met. 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 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: 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 (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children) 26/02/2010

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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 (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children) 26/02/2010

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