Childminder in HillingdonOfsted inspection, 9 Jun 2010

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 138884 Inspection date 09/06/2010 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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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 1997. She lives with her husband in Eastcote, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The ground floor of the house is mainly 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 six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding four children in this age group as some attend on a part time basis. She also offers care to children aged up to 11 years.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She walks to local schools to take and collect children, and attends local parent and toddler groups. The family has a cat.

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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 relaxed and content in the childminder’s clean and comfortable home. Her good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures children enjoy their time with her and make good progress in their learning. She also works effectively with parents to ensure that each child’s individual needs are met appropriately. The childminder is fully committed to evaluating her practice and building upon her existing skills for the benefit of the children and her own professional development.

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further?

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

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further?

 enhance the risk assessments for outings to include how the potential hazards of travelling are managed effectively.

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the early years provision

Safeguarding the children has high priority. The childminder is familiar with the signs that could indicate child abuse and the procedures to follow to report concerns. She carries out risk assessments in all areas of her home that the children access to identify and minimise potential hazards. Risk assessments are also conducted for each type of outing, such as going to parks and locations in London. However, they do not sufficiently detail the risks involved in getting to the venues, such as safety measures in the car or on public transport, in order to ensure all foreseeable dangers are addressed appropriately before leaving home. All other necessary documentation and records required for the efficient running of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the provision, and to safeguard the well-being of the children are maintained.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very positive attitude towards continuously evaluating and developing her practice. Since the last inspection, she has taken steps to improve record keeping and the health and safety of the children in her care. She has also attended a wealth of childcare related training courses to enhance her skills. This includes attaining a National Vocational Qualification at level 3, in children’s care learning and development, and working towards membership of the local authority childminding network. The childminder recognises that learning new skills is beneficial to the children and keeps her motivated. She has also identified additional training to attend in the future to further develop her service, such as how to work effectively with children requiring additional support.

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the early years provision

The childminder offers an inclusive service in which each child is respected as a unique individual. This is underpinned by her ability to engage effectively with parents to ensure the individual needs of their children are met. She ensures she gathers all relevant information from them about their child before an arrangement starts in order to provide appropriate and consistent care. Parents are provided with written information about the service she will provide for them and their child, and gives them copies of her policies and procedures. The childminder completes daily diaries that outline the highlights of day to ensure parents are kept well informed about how their child has spent their time. A complaints book is easily accessible for parents to make comments, should they have concerns, as well as the formal complaints procedure. In addition, parent’s questionnaires are issued annually to ensure their views are considered as part of the self-evaluation

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the early years provision

process. The forms show that parents value her work with their children, and remark positively about the kindness she shows them. The childminder addresses any requests for changes appropriately.

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the early years provision

The childminder has formed valuable links with the school the children attend. The effective sharing of information between her and the teachers ensure there is coherence and continuity in the children’s learning. She also recognises the importance of working closely with other childcare professionals, should a child in her care need additional support.

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the early years provision

Children spend their time in a clean, comfortable home that allows them ample space to fully explore the play materials. Resources are set out attractively each day to appeal to them. The childminder selects items that she knows the children are interested in and will enjoy. She uses them effectively to promote their learning and development. Children are also able to request other items to use that are stored elsewhere. The childminder has recently re-organised how and where the play materials are stored. This has made them easier to keep clean and in good condition, which has contributed towards the sustainability of her provision. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder’s good understanding of the six areas of learning, and how to promote each one in her work with the children, ensures that they make good all- round progress in their development. She has a system in place to make sure every child receives enjoyable and challenging learning and development experiences tailored to meet their specific needs. The childminder achieves this by observing each child as they play, and assessing their level of development in each learning area. She identifies the next step in each child’s individual learning journey, and incorporates it into the play plans. Each child has their personal folder containing photographs of the activities they participate in, and examples of their work. These develop into an informative document to pass onto their parents or school as it clearly demonstrates their progress towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play and actively engage in the activities. They express their creativity as they make shapes with dough and draw with pencils and crayons. They are also supported to learn new skills, such as using scissors. The childminder encourages children to make good progress in areas that will contribute towards ensuring their future economic well-being. She has a range of books that they select independently, or with her, to promote their interest in reading, and colour recognition and numeracy are incorporated into the daily routine. Electronic/programmable toys are also readily available and help children begin to acquire the skills necessary to operate information and communication technology. Routine visits to local drop-in groups enable the children to develop their social and emotional skills as they learn to interact with others.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to appreciate the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They demonstrate their eagerness to play in the garden, and shout ‘goal’ when the football goes in the net. They also enjoy pedalling the cars and climbing on the side. Regular trips to local parks, such as Bessingby, also provide children with good physical exercise as they play on the larger apparatus and generally run around. The childminder supplies healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. These take account of children’s particular dietary needs, and include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Children have ready access to their drinking cups throughout the day to prevent the risk of dehydration.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about the wider world and diversity as they have access to resources that reflect positive images of people different from themselves. They also join in with the older children that the childminder looks after and make craft items associated with world faith festivals. For example, they made dragon puppets to mark Chinese New Year. By participating in emergency evacuation drills, and developing an understanding of road safety, children are gradually learning how to keep themselves safe. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure with the childminder as they approach her confidently to express their needs, such as indicating they want to play in the sandpit. The warm and affectionate care given to the children also contributes greatly towards their growing self-esteem. 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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