Childminder in Islington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY402398 Inspection date 11/05/2010 Inspector Siobhan O'Callaghan

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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 has been registered since 2009. She works with her sister who is also a registered childminder. They work from her sister's home which is situated in Islington, North London. Her sister lives at the premises with her partner and their two daughters aged six and two years. The accommodation consists of two bedrooms, a bathroom and toilet facilities on the second floor and living room and kitchen on the first floor. All areas of the premises are used for childminding purposes. The family have two cats.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register to provide care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of these, not more than two may be in the early years age group. The joint childminders are currently caring for five children in the early years age group and two children in the later years age group. All children attend on a part time basis. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She attends local toddler groups and childminding support groups. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and the local Islington Childminder's 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 and her co-childminder provide a happy, welcoming environment, where due emphasis is given to promoting all aspects of children's welfare. The childminder has established close working partnerships with parents which supports the continuity of care and learning for all children. Consequently, children are making good progress in their learning and development. The childminder demonstrates a positive approach to developing her practice and is keen to implement improvements to her provision; this can be seen in her commitment to attend long-term training opportunities to expand her knowledge and understanding of working within the early years field.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase further opportunities for babies to explore a range of natural materials to support their sensory development  develop further self-evaluation systems to continually assess all aspects of the provision and therefore, improve outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has established comprehensive records, policies and procedures to support the safe and efficient management of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Both the childminder and her co-worker take responsibility for maintaining documents which support the safeguarding of children and ensure that their individual progress is closely monitored. There are robust procedures in place to ensure that children are safeguarded from un-vetted adults. The childminder demonstrates a competent knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children procedures, she has developed a safeguarding policy which is shared with parents. The childminding home is safe and secure, daily risk assessments are conducted to ensure that safety hazards are minimised.

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the early years provision

This is the childminder's first inspection since registration; she demonstrates an enthusiasm to delivering a quality service for children and their parents. The childminder is keen to improve the experiences and activities available to children as she records what they enjoy and achieve in her setting. She is beginning to develop ways in engaging parents' views which can be seen in recent questionnaires. Parents demonstrate that they are happy with the care their children receive. Their comments include: 'I am very happy with the level of care my child receives, she is in a safe and loving environment where she is nurtured and encouraged to develop.'. Parents feel well-informed as the childminder keeps lines of communication open. Parent's comment: "I love hearing about my child's day and getting picture messages and texts'. These successful relationships coupled with the partnerships established with the schools that children attend

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the early years provision

support children's ability to receive secure and consistent care. Although, there are many positive systems of reflection in place, the childminder is yet to develop robust self-evaluation systems that will enable her to set clear targets for future improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder and her co-worker organise an accessible learning environment for children. There are many creative resources to promote diversity and inclusion and thus support children to develop a positive attitude towards not only their home backgrounds but to those of the wider community. Babies and toddlers confidently access a broad range of resources that provide them with appropriate challenges and stimulation. Although, younger babies would benefit from a wider range of natural materials to support further their sensory experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled within their environment. They confidently interact with the childminder and clearly enjoy her positive praise and encouragement. Children's learning and progression is supported through the development of planning and assessment systems. Each child has a folder with photographs of their achievements and copies of their art work. Early learning trackers are utilised to support the tracking of individual progress and to support the planning of future This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning opportunities. All records are available to parents and their comments are valued. Consequently, children are supported to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children have daily opportunities to be outside as the childminder plans trips to the local park, farm, and children's centre, all of which are within walking distance from the home.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder continually converses with the children and supports them to communicate and express themselves. Children enjoy story times and opportunities to make marks as they sit on small chairs and independently help themselves to pencils. Children's creative development is supported through the provision of role play, music and movement sessions and opportunities to explore creative materials such as paints, play dough and collage. Children problem solve as they participate in baking pursuits and explore the challenges of shapes sorters and puzzles. Through the provision of appropriate information, communication and technology resources (ICT) children are developing skills and knowledge to support their future learning. Older children utilise the computer for their homework to conduct research, this is always with adult guidance. Overall, children are developing positive social skills; they are supported to share and take turns as they

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and outcomes for children

Children's well-being and safety is promoted through all aspects of their routines. They learn through their play, the importance of keeping safe and behaving in responsible ways. Children are involved in regular evacuation drills which support them to understand the importance of personal safety. They are developing a positive attitude towards living a healthy lifestyle as the childminder promotes healthy eating within her setting. Children enjoy eating fresh fruits for their snack and benefit from home cooked meals which provide a nutritional balance of foods. The childminder ensures that she is aware of all dietary requirements and any allergies that children may have so that she can meet their individual needs effectively. Children have ample opportunities for energetic play alongside time to relax and rest. Babies enjoy restful sleep in the bedroom upstairs where they have the security of their own comforters brought from home. Overall, children are

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and outcomes for children

content within this setting. They are developing many valuable skills which help to set secure foundations for their future learning. 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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