Childminder in West Sussex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY342174 Inspection date 22/06/2010 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and school aged child in Middleton, Bognor Regis, West Sussex. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a cat and a dog. The childminder is within walking distance of local schools, parks and shops.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding two children in this age group on a part-time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is a member of an approved childminding network and currently receives early education funding for three and four-year-olds.

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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 has a good understanding of each child's individual needs and effectively supports their welfare and learning. Children are motivated to select resources and take part in a range of interesting activities. The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of child development and this means that children make good progress in their learning and development. The organisation of the environment means children feel secure and safety aspects are of a good standard. Relationships with parents are well established and this supports the continuity of the children's care and learning. The childminder regularly evaluates her practice and has made a number of improvements in order to enhance the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 request written parental permission for seeking emergency medical advice and treatment (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 06/07/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that all outdoor equipment is in a clean condition before children play in the garden  liaise with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure progression and continuity of learning and care. 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 completed child protection training and has a good knowledge of safeguarding and this means that children are well protected. Effective procedures are in place for identifying a child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child agencies. The childminder has most of the required procedures and documentation for the safe and efficient running of the early years provision. These are maintained to a good standard, such as, the accident and medication records. The childminder has a suitable first aid qualification; however, she has not requested written parental permission to seek emergency advice or treatment. This means that children's welfare is at risk due to the lack of appropriate records. Risk assessments are of a good standard and contain the required details and protect children from harm in the home and on outings.

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the early years provision

Play areas are stimulating and children's paintings and pictures adorn the walls. The conservatory if full of suitable resources that stimulate the children's curiosity. Children can independently access most of these and move freely between the indoor area and the garden. Inside the home, they choose to play with the role play kitchen and outside they enjoy water play and riding on the vehicles. Children learn about the environment through gardening activities, such as, planting cress and sunflower seeds.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a service that is inclusive for all children. She has experience of working with children with specific needs and ensures that activities and resources are suitable. This means that children make good progress in relation to their starting points. She finds out about each child before they start, such as, their medical details and routines; this ensures that individual needs are met. Children learn about the diverse world in which they live. At the childminder's group, they celebrate Chinese New Year and St. Patrick's Day. They see positive images of people's differences through dolls, puzzles and books. The childminder understands the value of working alongside other agencies and parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well in partnership with parents and carers. Prior to a child starting, parents look at the childminder's folder. This gives useful information, such as, details of how the childminder respects confidentiality and works in partnership with parents. Children have a daily diary and the childminder writes about their diet and activities. This means parents know about important features in their child's day. A strength of the provision is the six weekly development meetings where the childminder and parents discuss the children's learning and development and look at their learning journals. Written evidence indicates that parents are happy with the service provided. They comment on the excellent range of activities and how the childminder encourages the children to develop their social skills. The childminder communicates with other providers but has not yet developed effective systems to ensure continuity and cohesion where children

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the early years provision

attend more than one setting. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder is motivated and keen to improve her service. Since the last inspection, she has improved a number of aspects, for example, she has extended the resources that help children to see positive images of diversity and fitted her fire blanket to the wall. Her self-evaluation document demonstrates a good understanding of future developments that will improve the outcomes for children, such as, further training and developing her use of planning and observations.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This promotes children's learning, social and physical well-being. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-led activities, both indoors and outside. The childminder plans activities in order to help individual children to develop and make progress. Regular observations give a clear indication of the child's developmental stage and help the childminder to plan the next steps of their learning and development. Learning journals show that children make good progress in the six areas of learning. Each child has a progress summary and this combines the observations of the parent and the childminder in order to discuss future provision for each child. The childminder's interaction supports the children's learning, for example, during an adult-led activity where children make a snail picture, she

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and outcomes for children

helps them to develop their skills of counting and cutting paper. Children very carefully make decisions about the colour and pattern of their snail. When they notice the reflection of their face in the shiny paper the childminder responds to their discovery and encourages them to look further. Children begin to develop their literacy skills and after lunch relax with a story book in the play tent in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure in the setting. They confidently explore their surroundings and are happy to play by themselves, alongside others or with the childminder. They show good levels of independence as they use the bathroom or choose where they prefer to play. The childminder encourages the children and praises their attempts, for example, during an art activity or when they are kind or helpful. This means they begin to develop a positive self-esteem. Children behave well, are polite and show kindness and consideration to others. They begin to learn important social skills and talk about the importance of sharing resources. The childminder helps children to learn about diversity, for example, she encourages them to respect everyone and to treat all people as individuals.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play in a safe and secure environment. The childminder has a number of safety precautions in place, for example, an evacuation plan that the children practise. She has a procedure to ensure that children are collected by the right person and when necessary uses a password system. The organisation of the premises encourages children to be independent and to make their own decisions, for example, they choose to eat their lunch in the garden and to play with the role play kitchen inside. The childminder helps them to learn about keeping safe, such as; when they visit a play area they learn about road safety awareness and describe how to safely cross the road. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children begin to understand about a healthy lifestyle and play in a hygienic home; however, some outdoor equipment is not always clean, such as, the slide and

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and outcomes for children

water tray. Children wash their hands after playing outside and before eating their lunch. They have individual cups of water and choose a healthy snack of sultanas and breadsticks. The childminder has an outdoor philosophy and this means that children enjoy their environment and have plenty of exercise and fresh air. In particular, they regularly visit the park, beach, open countryside and woodlands. They develop their physical coordination skills when they walk to see the geese and use the climbing frame and swings in the play area.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children develop their skills for the future. Role play activities help them to communicate their wishes through actions and words, such as, when they go shopping or prepare food. They practise their computer skills and learn how to operate the mouse when they select the colours for their Father's Day card. The childminder helps children to prepare for their transition from her setting to school and helps them to be independent and encourages their interest in books, sounds and letters. 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: 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

 keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from abuse or neglect (Arrangements for safeguarding children) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 13/07/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 devise and make available to parents a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints (Procedures for dealing with complaints) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register). 13/07/2010

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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 compulsory part of the Childcare Register section (Arrangements for safeguarding children) (Procedures for dealing with complaints). 13/07/2010

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