Childminder in Enfield

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY307621 Inspection date 15/03/2010 Inspector Rufia Uddin

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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 has been registered since 2005. She lives with her husband and two adult foster children in a three bedroom end-of-terrace house in Enfield in the London borough of Enfield. The property is situated close to local shops, parks, schools and local transport facilities.

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Description of the childminding

Parts of the ground floor are used for childminding purposes. This comprises a playroom, adjoining toilet/shower and occasional use of the dining area which is situated next to the kitchen. The garden is not available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of three children under eight years, three of whom may be in the early years age range. The childminder is currently minding one child in this age group. The childminder drives or walks to local nursery schools with children. She attends a toddler group and takes children to the local library, park and shops. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA). The childminder has two cats.

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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's individuality is recognised and nurtured by the childminder who has knowledge of their needs and requirements. Children are offered good resources and activities suitable to their individual stages of development. The childminder offers children a warm, homely environment; she is calm and affectionate as she supports them in their enjoyment and gradual learning. However, planning does not yet sufficiently reflect how their needs will be addressed, and children sometimes have limited access to reading materials to increase their literacy. Most documentation is complete; the childminder has addressed the previous recommendation, identified some areas for improvement and started to plan ways of addressing these.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure records of risk assessment include information on who conducted it, dates of review and any action taken following a review or incident. (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 15/04/2010

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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  continue to develop opportunities to promote children's interest and enjoyment of books and reading materials  continue to develop the links with sensitive observational assessments to ensure planning addresses children's individual needs and activities are provided which are effective in building on what children already know and can do  plan and provide activities to help children understand the importance of healthy choices in what they eat  develop the system of self-evaluation clearly identifying areas for improvement to promote outcomes for children effectively.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded appropriately. The childminder has a secure understanding of her responsibility to safeguard children. She has a good awareness of the signs and symptoms to look out for, and the correct procedures to follow, if she has a concern about a child. Written policies and procedures on safeguarding children are in place, including what to do in the case of an allegation being made against the childminder or a member of her family. Responsibilities towards safeguarding children are highlighted to parents through the policies and procedures the childminder shares with them. Children continue to be safeguarded from harm through their play as the childminder ensures good supervision inside of the property. Children's safety is promoted because the childminder has completed detailed risk assessments which cover all areas of the environment. These contain details of when they were conducted and reviewed but do not record who

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the early years provision

conducted them, which is a breach of a welfare requirement.

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the early years provision

All adults are suitably vetted and visitors are never left alone with children. The childminder has put in place necessary precautions to ensure children are kept safe at her home. The front door remains locked whilst children are present. A visitors' book is used. Children's wellbeing in an emergency situation is promoted because regular fire evacuations are practised with children and the childminder has an up- to-date first aid certificate.

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the early years provision

The childminder is developing her knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation stage and as a consequence she is beginning to develop her understanding about how children learn and develop. The children are progressing satisfactorily in all areas of learning. The childminder has started to complete observations and has identified children's starting points and next steps, but these are not yet fully linked to the general planning of activities to ensure children's individual learning needs are fully addressed. Children benefit from access to a wide selection of good quality, age appropriate toys and furniture that meets their needs. For example, a child-size table and chairs allows them to sit, play and eat comfortably. The childminder rotates the resources regularly to ensure children have different toys to explore and play with. Children are provided with a good range of resources to foster an awareness of diversity in society, for example, they

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the early years provision

celebrate festivals and have a different language poster on the wall. Positive images of different people in society are represented in children's play equipment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder is aware of the backgrounds of the children who attend and demonstrates a suitable awareness about how she would include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or any who have English as an additional language, and adapt activities should this be required.

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the early years provision

There is good partnership with parents and regular information is shared with them daily as they are dropped off and collected. Detailed policies and procedures are shared with parents and there is a detailed complaints procedure in place. The childminder makes written policies and procedures available to parents; this helps to ensure the efficient and safe management of the provision. Parents are provided with helpful information about the setting and they are invited to contribute what they know about their child's needs and interests when their child first starts to attend. This identifies starting points and helps to focus on children's individual needs. Parents provide information about their child's care needs, including their specific dietary requirements, which the childminder caters for. Daily diaries are used to share information about the child's day with parents and scrap books of older children's work is available for parents to see. Children benefit because the

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the early years provision

childminder has established links with other providers, such as the local nursery, to promote a collaborative approach to children's learning. Recent parents' questionnaires indicate that parents are very happy with the care provided and how quickly their child has settled with the childminder. Parents comment on the good quality of activities provided and how caring the childminder is. The childminder ensures she works closely with the parents to ensure the care she provides meets the children's needs and consistency is maintained between home and herself. The childminder has good relationships with parents, is open and supportive and respects confidentiality. The childminder has started to evaluate her service and identified some areas for improvement. She has addressed the recommendations from her last inspection and demonstrates a commitment to improvement.

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and outcomes for children

Children are starting to make progress as they spend time with the childminder and access appropriate learning and play experiences. Children's independence is promoted as they are encouraged to make choices about what they play with from the good range of resources available to them. There is a balance of adult-led and child initiated activities and this allows children the freedom to express their needs whilst they develop their skills and learning. For example, when the children choose to play with modelling dough, the childminder talks to them about the colours and the sizes of the objects they choose to make. Children benefit from and enjoy opportunities to take part in physical play. They play indoors with bikes and balls. They visit the park regularly and use the slide and climbing frame. Children also develop creative skills and enjoy relaxing activities such as painting and listening to stories.

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and outcomes for children

Colour and shape posters are displayed to make the play room welcoming to children and encourage them to talk about the different objects shown. The childminder provides a good range of activities for the children to play with and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interactions are good. Children are developing skills for the future such as learning to share and take turns, and develop early technology skills as they work out which button to press to make the electric car game work. Activities are used by the childminder to help children develop their counting skills and recognition of colours and shapes. The childminder develops children's language skills through conversations and questioning; they readily use mark-making resources but have fewer opportunities to enjoy books or reading materials. Children are valued and respected as individuals, are confident in the childminder's care, and have

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and outcomes for children

satisfactory opportunities to learn about themselves and the wider world. They have access to a suitable range of play resources designed to promote their understanding of diversity and the wider world including dolls, puzzles, music and books. They explore their local community as they go for walks and visit the park. Children learn how to keep themselves safe, and they know they must hold an adult's hand when out walking. The childminder is a positive role model and treats children with care and respect. Distraction and explanation are used effectively to manage children's behaviour. The childminder uses praise and encouragement to help the children feel good about themselves. Children are polite and say, 'please' and 'thank you'.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and have a secure relationship with the childminder. This promotes conversations and builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Children's health is promoted as the childminder has good understanding of health and hygiene policies when storing, preparing and serving meals and snacks to children. Individual dietary requirements are respected and written information is obtained. The childminder has informed parents about the food she provides. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet, when they use paper hand towels which help to prevent the spread of infection. Meal and snack times are social occasions where the children sit together with the childminder. Their dietary needs and likes and dislikes are taken into account as they are provided with fresh fruit, biscuits, milk or juice. Although the childminder offers healthy options the fruits are often left uneaten. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder recognises the need to increase children's awareness of healthy eating but has not yet developed activities to support their understanding of this. Drinking water is freely available to ensure that children remain hydrated. Parents provide their children's lunch and this is stored, prepared and heated appropriately. 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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: 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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