Childminder in Surrey

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY278575 Inspection date 28/04/2010 Inspector Christine Clint

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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 registered in 2004. He lives with his wife, who is also a registered childminder, and two children, one of whom attends school. The home is situated in a residential area of Godalming in Surrey. Children play on the ground floor only and use the bathroom and sleep facilities on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. He may care for a maximum of five children and, when working with his wife, a maximum of eight children may attend. There are currently 12 children attending during the week, nine children are in the early years age group.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children, he also attends the local parent/toddler group. The childminder has a level three qualification in Childminding Practice. He is a member of the National Childminding Association and the Surrey Childminding Network; he jointly runs a childminding group for local childminders.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder provides strong continuity and fully supports children's individual needs within the home. He shows dedication and commitment in carrying out all daily care routines, providing opportunities for play and involving children in making decisions. The family home is fully centred on children and successfully meets their play and learning needs. The childminder has a clear knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and shows interest and willingness to continually improve the provision through attending training and liaising with the wider early years network. He has developed warm relationships with children and shows enthusiasm, humour and spontaneity in his involvement in activities.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 continue to develop the links with other providers to assess and plan for children's individual learning and progress. 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 shows a high level of awareness regarding children's supervision and he ensures that there is continual and relevant communication between the co-childminders, to jointly manage children's care. All areas of the family home are exceptionally secure. Children make decisions about their play and freely choose indoor or outdoor activities; they have freedom of movement on the ground floor and older children confidently manage the stairs to use the bathroom. Younger children sleep upstairs in travel cots and this ensures they are always safe; a baby monitor is available to enable the childminder to hear and check when children are awake. Detailed records for risk assessment are in place and show that the childminder has fully considered all areas for safety. He checks the garden instantly after breakfast, to ensure there are no hazards for children who want to play outside. All rooms in the house and garden are included in the risk

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the early years provision

assessment and there are separate records for outings, transport and other venues. The childminder is fully aware of children's movements and provides instant support and assistance. He has a thorough understanding and knowledge of child protection and proactively updates his awareness of safeguarding through training. There is a clear and informative procedure available for parents and the childminder knows his duty to refer any concerns. Many extra areas of signed permission are included from parents, promoting the awareness of parents as well as children's safety. The childminder shares a portfolio of all planned procedures and this includes the procedure for managing any complaints; the childminder knows his responsibility to keep a record of any complaints received and to make the record available to parents on request. Fire safety is also well managed within the home because fire precautions are followed and a fire drill is planned and

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the early years provision

practised. The procedures are always shared with parents and the childminder has developed a routine to encourage small children to take part without frightening them. There are clear records for accidents and all medication procedures are fully included; parents sign all entries.

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the early years provision

The childminder always works with his co-childminder wife and all areas of leadership and management are very effectively understood and shared. All documentation is in place for showing children's times of attendance and for including all regulatory permission from parents. There is a clearly focussed self- evaluation in place, which is linked with the outcomes for children. This shows how the childcare is continuing to evolve and how both childminders plan to encourage children to participate in many areas of decision making. For example, encouraging children to give their views on hygiene and health and compiling these into food hygiene/environmental health guidance. Children already show how their understanding is formed and extended by the effective use of floor books; these are used to encourage all the children to sit together and share and record ideas in any way they can. The childminder shows that detailed systems have been

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the early years provision

developed to assess children's individual progress; these are stored on the computer and shared with parents. The childminder includes photographs and text, compiling individual records that are linked with the areas of learning. There is ample evidence to support children's development and their next planned steps in learning are indicated. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 There are very suitable resources available to meet children's needs and children can easily access a good selection. There are wooden units, rails of clothes, ample books and craft materials. Children feel and talk about the selection of wooden items and seedpods that the childminder introduces. They use many items in the natural environment to increase their understanding of size; they measure their height using sticks and link hands to measure the circumference of various trees.

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the early years provision

They paint in the garden and use the larger apparatus for strengthening their physical development. Children's developing awareness of equality and diversity is fully promoted through books in different languages and books that reflect different life styles. The childminder has learned and introduced words in other languages to enable children to understand. Children have a variety of dressing-up clothes depicting traditional costumes and they are encouraged to listen to music and make musical instruments that are played in other cultures.

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the early years provision

The childminder jointly assists with planning and organising a weekly group meeting for childminders in the locality, which has strong links across the childminding network. This provides children with plenty of opportunity for socialising across the age range, learning about the needs of younger children and meeting others in the wider community. It also provides sound opportunities for sharing information when children transfer between childminders. There are very regular collection routines in place and the childminder is beginning to establish systems for sharing information about children's progress and development with schools and nurseries and pre-schools.

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed successful relationships with parents and introduced regular correspondence by email. This enables parents to receive newsletters and see the recorded information about their child's development and to keep copies and respond. The childminder has also included frequent questionnaires for parents, which are available for the inspection. These show how delighted all parents are with their children's care and learning, with the food provided and the interesting outings for children. There are many positive comments about all areas of care and children's development. Parents praise the dedication and commitment of both childminders working together. There is a notice board in the entrance area and the registration certificates and the contact details for Ofsted are displayed. All regulatory procedures are shared with parents because they sign the policies and procedures for both childminders working

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the early years provision

together. Parents have annual meetings with the childminder to ensure that all information is fully shared and understood. New children are always visited in their own homes before they attend to create a level of security and to share information with children; ensuring that relationships are begun and that children feel valued before attending.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy and settled in the family home because their individual needs and preferences are fully known by the childminders. Children often have their breakfast when they arrive and all the children sit together at the large dining This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 table in the kitchen; both childminder's interact continually with the children and show a comprehensive knowledge of their abilities and daily routines. Children make choices and find resources. They are fully valued within the home and this is evident from the moment they enter, as the dedicated cloakroom is fully organised with places for everything; children's names are also displayed. Children learn to identify each other through being allocated a different coloured cup and plate. They are consulted and encouraged to give their views and opinions and this is the basis for children's learning through most activities. For example, when using the

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and outcomes for children

large format floor books, children use their own imagination and make their own decisions to write or draw pictures.

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and outcomes for children

Older children very regularly wash their hands and they fully understand and talk about germs; they are learning to manage their own personal hygiene. Babies and younger children have their hands and faces wiped and the childminder provides individual towels and paper towels to promote hygiene. Children also understand about washing their hands when they come in, after playing outside. Nappy changing takes place on the first floor and the childminder has a changing unit and all necessary routines are followed to fully promote hygiene for babies. There are plenty of drinks available and the childminder cooks food daily using fresh ingredients; organic vegetables are delivered regularly. Children are often encouraged to help with cooking; the kitchen is large and provides ample space for children to take part in different activities at the table whilst food is being prepared. Both childminders alternate their kitchen responsibilities and balance the

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and outcomes for children

needs of the children whilst preparing lunch, to ensure that supervision is continual. They often include opportunities at mealtimes to encourage children's early understanding of counting and measuring quantities.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to play safely with each other and to understand the needs of smaller children. They are encouraged to understand the safety of babies and have continual involvement with the childminder's own baby, helping with washing and caring. They learn about the suitability of toys and tidy these to prevent others tripping. They learn to follow the childminder's house rules and they politely ask when they want certain resources. Children use the sand and transport this in containers to the play house, they pretend to make tea and talk to each other about what will happen next. They choose the colours for painting in the garden and competently hang their paintings up to dry, remembering these later and identifying their own picture. Older children have opportunities to take small risks, especially during physical play in the garden when they create obstacle courses and try not to touch the ground. They learn about the wider world through

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and outcomes for children

discussion and very regularly have opportunities for learning in an outdoor environment when they play and walk in the woods. This often provides unfamiliar experiences and encourages older children to learn about taking small risks, because they are well supported and encouraged to succeed.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to laugh and relax with the childminder; who often uses puppets or a pretend spider and jokes with the older children when he collects them from school. Children enjoy the excitement and are equally happy when the childminder sits with them to read a story. He has an attentive nature and very effectively balances the care and support that children need, whilst also helping to prepare lunch and responsibly settling children to sleep. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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