Childminder in Devon

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY342383 Inspection date 14/07/2010 Inspector Jan Leo

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children, aged one and four years, in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire. The childminder mainly uses the ground floor of the house for childminding and makes a first floor bedroom available for rest or sleep if required. There is a fully enclosed rear garden for outside play.

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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 may look after a maximum of four children under the age of eight years at any one time, of whom one may be in the early years age group. The childminder currently cares for a three year old and a six year old on a part time basis.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder makes use of local facilities such as the shop, Waddesdon Manor and several toddler groups.

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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 provides a very secure, caring environment to help children feel safe and important. Children participate in well developed practical play opportunities and learn effortlessly. The childminder consults children and their parents about improvements to make sure that the service is effective in meeting individual needs and she attends relevant training to continue her own development and raise standards further. Health and safety procedures are strong and help children develop skills for later life. All of the required documentation is in place and of a high standard and most procedures are well thought through to support what is a very professional service.

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further?

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

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further?

 devise a more effective system for building relationships with children's other carers to consilidate their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very secure understanding of child protection issues having completed recent safeguarding training and created a clear policy detailing the action to take if concerns arise. The childminder supervises children closely to oversee play and she routinely teaches children about health and safety to help This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 them learn good habits for later life. The childminder regularly reviews her risk assessments to ensure they remain effective and, as a result, children continue to be safe as they grow and develop.

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the early years provision

The children are very secure in the childminders care because she is a good role model for them to follow and sets clear expectations. She automatically provides a running commentary to ensure children make sense of what they see and know what to expect. The children choose what to do, leading play according to their own particular interests, and they get all the support they need to join in fully. As a result, the children feel safe, show a high degree of confidence, and thrive.

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the early years provision

Links with parents are very good and they value the service highly. They benefit from thorough daily feedback to keep them involved in the day and feel part of their children’s ongoing development. Despite attempts to build relationships with children's other carers, the childminder has had little success in sharing information in order to build on what the children do elsewhere. She is open to ideas about how to improve her service and welcomes contributions from both the children and their parents to aid continuous improvement.

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the early years provision

Although few operational procedures are formalised in writing, the childminder provides very effectively for the children she looks after. She thinks carefully about all she does, has a very good understanding of how children learn and develop, and successfully provides a homely, stimulating environment where children feel valued and make good progress.

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and outcomes for children

The children are very enthusiastic learners because they can choose what to do and follow their interests freely to lead their day. The childminder suggests ideas to keep the day interesting and ensure children get a balance of indoor and outdoor play, active and more sedate activities. Some help to grow herbs and salad items in the garden to develop their knowledge of the natural world. They use reference books to look at the life of bees, and discover more about how different plants grow. They help the childminder to make bread, reading the numbers on the scales to practice number recognition, spooning ingredients into the bowl to develop control over their movements and discussing the effect the yeast has on the mixture to learn about change. The childminder interacts very effectively throughout in order to bring in other areas of learning when appropriate and ensure learning is meaningful. The children develop their thinking and

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and outcomes for children

reasoning by recalling the ingredients from previous bread making sessions, they talk clearly about what they do and show a high level of confidence and an eagerness to help.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides appropriate challenges to aid progress and she supports children well to boost their self-esteem and help them achieve success. She is a calm role model for children to follow and consequently the children are very relaxed in her care and behave well. The children show signs of consideration to others by, for example, offering to push a younger child on his bike. They are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning to share fairly and turn to the childminder for support if young children forget the rules. The childminder manages behaviour very well, distracting children appropriately, and keeping them well occupied and stimulated to preserve harmony.

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and outcomes for children

The children benefit from regular outings to local groups in order to extend their social experiences and learn more about the local community. They take part in regular craft activities, develop their physical skills at local parks, and join in music sessions where they clap along with others and choose favourite songs to sing.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder formulates ideas in her head to ensure she is well prepared whatever the weather. She records some information from observations and uses photographs to help inform parents about what their children do. She successfully relies on her memory to identify any gaps in learning because currently numbers are low and she knows the children very well. The childminder is aware that some systems are underdeveloped and would not fully support effective progress for new children and she plans to address this before taking others on. 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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