Childminder in East Sussex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY345210 Inspection date 21/07/2010 Inspector Alison Weaver

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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 2006. She has a teaching qualification. She lives with her husband and three children aged 11, eight and five years. They live in a house in High Hurstwood near to schools and parks. Part of the ground floor of the property and an upstairs bedroom are used for childminding. There is an extensive garden area available for outside play. The childminder has chickens.

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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 three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. 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.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder attends local carer and toddler groups on a regular basis.

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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 have a wonderful time with the childminder and get very excited as they take part in the fun learning experiences with the childminder. They make excellent progress in their learning and development due to her skilled care and support. Children’s individual welfare needs are met well and, as a result, they stay safe, happy and healthy. Parents are extremely happy with the care provided for their children and appreciate the ongoing feedback they are given about their child. The childminder successfully identifies and addresses areas for improvement in her childcare practices in order to continue to improve 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?

 improve the record of risk assessment so that it clearly identifies and assesses the significance of the individual risks to children and includes anything with which a child can come into contact (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 31/08/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the use of reflective practice in order to continue to 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 completed training in safeguarding children so is fully aware of her responsibility to report any possible cases of child abuse or neglect. She ensures that children are supervised closely at all times, particularly as the perimeter of the property is not secure. She carries out regular safety checks and ensures that risks to children are minimised effectively so that they can play safely and independently. However, her written record of risk assessment does not reflect her good safety practices and procedures. It does not meet the legal requirement as it fails to identify and assess all significant risks to children. All other required documentation to help support the welfare of children and to meet regulations is in place and well maintained.

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the early years provision

The childminder forms excellent partnerships with parents. She works very closely with them to ensure that each child settles quickly and their needs are met. She values and respects their home backgrounds when planning activities. For those children with additional needs, the childminder makes sure that she provides an inclusive environment so that every child is fully involved and the appropriate care is given to them. Parents are kept very well informed about their child’s progress in learning through the use of excellent daily diaries and regular formal reports. The childminder provides detailed and helpful information to parents about their child’s achievements in each area of learning and how she plans to help them develop further. Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child and what they feel is important for their child’s ongoing development.

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the early years provision

Positive links are formed with providers who share the care and education of children. The childminder liaises well with schools so that she can aid children in their transition to school. Where parents are unable to attend school visits with their child, the childminder helps by taking on this role so that children are helped to feel more confident and secure about the coming change.

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the early years provision

The childminder is well organised and uses her time effectively with children. She has an extensive range of fun, stimulating and suitably challenging resources for all children. These resources and the environment are used extremely effectively to support children’s learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder has been updating her childcare knowledge and skills. From her training and her work on the local authority ‘Launchpad’, she has implemented new practices that have helped to improve her childcare provision and documentation. It also resulted in her formally seeking the views of parents about her childminding. The childminder has been looking at, and effectively evaluating, the overall childcare provision. She is committed to continual improvement and has identified the need to evaluate more closely the aspects of her provision that have the most direct impact on the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children eagerly arrive at the setting and quickly make themselves at home. They point out their own coat pegs, showing a strong sense of belonging. The play area is very attractive and welcoming for children with a broad range of interesting visual displays for them to use and learn from. The displaying of their work also helps to build their self-esteem. Children decide what they want to do from an excellent range of resources that are organised well for them. Labelled toy boxes and low storage promotes their independence and free choice extremely effectively. Children happily settle down to an activity together and become absorbed in what they are doing. They spend long periods of time drawing. They express their imagination and creativity in their very detailed pictures. They demonstrate very good fine motor skills as they hold the tools and successfully write their names.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy the activities and experiences the childminder provides for them. They love to play outdoors in the fresh air and have a vast area to run around in and explore. They have fun investigating the pond, caring for the chicks and picking the vegetables they grow. They readily absorb the wealth of information the childminder gives them about the natural world as they chat about what they see. They learn about growth and how to handle and care for chicks. They like to collect the eggs and feed the hens.

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and outcomes for children

High quality planning and extremely effective ongoing assessment are used well to ensure that each child is being appropriately challenged and their needs met. The childminder shows exceptional skill as she interacts with children and supports their learning as they play. She makes excellent use of everyday routines to continue their learning. For example, as they help prepare snacks she promotes their counting skills as they see how many pieces of banana they have as they cut it up. Children’s communication skills develop exceptionally well and they confidently share their thoughts and ideas with others. The childminder introduces new words for them to learn such as ‘dehydrate’.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave very well and build good, strong relationships with one another and with adults. They play well together and are very good at sharing and taking turns. The childminder encourages children to be involved in the making of rules to help them understand the importance of being responsible for their behaviour. These rules also help children learn about how to keep themselves safe. When on outings, children develop a good awareness of road safety and the importance of wearing seat belts.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s health is promoted exceptionally well. They develop an excellent understanding of the importance of good personal hygiene. They know when and why they need to wash their hands and are seen reminding the childminder of this. Children eat healthily and benefit from freshly cooked meals that include the vegetables they help to grow. They help themselves to drinks when they get thirsty and the childminder reminds them of the need to drink plenty in hot weather. 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 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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