Childminder in Wokingham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY331797 Inspection date 16/07/2010 Inspector Jill Milton

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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 lives with her partner and two school-aged children in the area of Woodley, close to the town centre of Reading. The home is within easy travelling distance of local schools and amenities. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, with access to sleeping facilities upstairs. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play and the family have a tank of fish. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder's registration permits her to care for up to five children under eight years at any one time, two of whom may be in the early years age range. She currently minds five children in the early years age range and four older children, all on a part-time basis.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder offers children a comfortable and safe place to play. She knows the needs of the children in her care and talks enthusiastically about their different personalities. The childminder is providing steady support to children's learning and development. There are some positive working partnerships developing with families and with other providers the children may attend. The childminder takes action to address areas of weakness identified at previous inspections, though has yet to develop confident use of self-evaluation of her practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend observations of the children's development and consistently use the information to help plan their next steps in learning  establish a routine to maintain the cleanliness of all the toys children can access  develop ways to reflect on day-to-day work to identify strengths and plan for future improvements.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an adequate understanding of her responsibility to safeguard children. She is aware of some possible indicators of harm to a child and she recognises the need to take action and act on any concerns. The childminder is conducting clear risk assessments of areas where children play in the home and is able to recognise a suitable range of potential hazards to children's safety. She discusses issues like fire evacuation from the home with the children so that they have some awareness of what to do in an emergency. As part of her safety This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 measures, the childminder maintains an accurate record of the children's times of attendance.

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the early years provision

The childminder welcomes new families to her home for initial discussions about her procedures and she offers reassurance to parents when children are settling. Parents offer praise about the childminder's help when children make the transitions to nursery and full-time schooling. The childminder acts as a helpful go- between at the local school so that children receive some consistency in their care. The childminder finds out about children's needs from their parents and she feeds back information appropriately, for example, reporting on accidents. The childminder maintains a clean and comfortable family home, with plenty of space for children to move around freely. There is a suitable range of toys to cater for the wide age range of children in the childminder's care. Lapses in cleaning routines mean that some items appear less than spotless. The childminder recognises the needs of the children in her care and offers different activities to

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the early years provision

match their ages and abilities. She includes some basic activities that introduce the children to the wider world to help develop respect for others.

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the early years provision

The childminder continues to access training courses, such as a recent update in food safety and a refresher course in first aid. She takes on board any advice she receives from early years advisors and acts to address issues raised by others. The childminder is now meeting the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. At this stage, the childminder is not fully confident at using self- evaluation to reflect on her own work so that she can plan future improvements, though she is positive in her attitude overall to get things right.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder enjoys a friendly rapport with the children who in turn appear happy and secure in her care. The childminder engages in games at the children's level and her involvement helps to make them feel special and included. Children are making steady progress with their learning and development. The childminder supports their developmental needs appropriately, for example as they practise writing the letters of their name and there is a lot of emphasis on developing language through conversations. Children enjoy games that extend their understanding of early matching and counting, for example, with a set of dominoes. Practical activities building up a wooden train track, help children develop their problem solving skills and introduces them to some useful words about size. The childminder is steadily gaining an understanding of the areas of learning included in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. In her

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and outcomes for children

observations of the children's development, she is starting to link the children's achievements to different areas of development. Although there are some gaps, she is also beginning to use a section of her observation sheets to plan how to support the next steps in children's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident to ask the childminder for snacks and drinks to refresh their energy levels. The childminder lets them choose what to eat and she is aware of the need to promote healthy eating with the children. Children gain independence This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 as they use the downstairs bathroom facilities and there are reminders to wash their hands after toileting and again before eating. Active play takes place in the back garden of the home where children play with a simple range of equipment, such as a see-saw and tunnel. Children voice their eagerness to visit the local park and there is plenty of daily exercise with walking trips to the nearby nursery and school. Children receive suitable instructions from the childminder about road safety. This is one of a number of areas where there are shared rules about behaviour and showing respect for others. The childminder praises the children for

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and outcomes for children

doing well, for example, helping to tidy away toys. The children access a suitable range of resources in the home and they are able to express their own ideas through drawing or role play with dressing-up clothes. They see how some materials such as large cardboard boxes can be recycled as useful containers for toys. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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