Childminder in Rotherham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY376255 Inspection date 21/05/2010 Inspector Lynn Rodgers

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 2008. She lives with her husband and two children aged eight and five years old. Her husband is registered as her assistant. The family lives in Laughton, a large village in the borough of Rotherham. Care is offered Monday to Friday, all year round. The whole of the ground floor and two bedrooms on the first floor of the premises are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed rear garden for outside play. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is working towards a relevant qualification in childcare and education.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years when working alone, and for seven children when working with an assistant, at any one time. There are currently seven children on roll, of whom four are in the early years age group. She also offers care to children over the age of five years. The childminder walks or drives to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder regularly meets with fellow childminders. She is a member of an approved childminding network. The family has a rabbit and a guinea pig as pets. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 provider demonstrates an excellent understanding of her strengths and areas for development, which effectively contributes to the ongoing improvement of the service. Children are at the heart of all that happens at the setting. Their sense of belonging is expertly fostered through the extremely warm, welcoming and homely atmosphere. They are provided with an excellent range of exciting experiences which enrich their overall development. Children's individual learning needs are met superbly, through highly innovative personalised planning, rigorous assessments and the childminder working in complete partnership with parents and others offering the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a very clear sense of direction and gives utmost priority to self-evaluation, continuous improvement and opportunities for training and development

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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 access training opportunities to enhance personal development and knowledge. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Safeguarding children is given the utmost priority by the childminder, she has meticulous risk assessments for the premises and outings to ensure the safety of children at all times. The childminder has an excellent awareness of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and the correct procedures to follow should she have any concerns. She records first class information about existing injuries and discusses these with parents. Communication with parents is excellent, the childminder works in complete partnership, ensuring parents feel valued and welcome. Parents are updated routinely on how their children are cared for and what they achieve each day by receiving verbal and written information through diaries, photographs and excellent observation and assessment records. There is an extensive selection of high quality policies and procedures, which enhances all aspects of the service and the welfare of the children. The childminder has an

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the early years provision

ambition for excellence, she has a clear vision for the future and has significantly enhanced skills which she uses to promote children's welfare and to support their learning and development. She has devised an active training development programme to ensure she keeps up-to-date in the skills required to provide the best outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder has very good knowledge of child development, and is able to use this knowledge to maximise outcomes for children. A key strength of the setting is the childminder's commitment to the development and improvement of her practice. Highly effective self-evaluation systems ensure she fulfils her vision to provide a high quality standard of care and provide maximum learning opportunities. Extensive planning is in place, following the six areas of learning, and is personalised to ensure that the individual needs of all children are met successfully. The excellent planning documentation shows, at a glance, that each activity is colour coded to link it to the skills required in the guidance. Colour coded observation files contain a vast amount of meticulous information about children's progress, identifying links with the relevant area of learning and children's next steps. As a result, children's development is expertly targeted and ensures all

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the early years provision

children are fully integrated and are reaching their full potential.

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and outcomes for children

The environment is organised in a highly effective manner and all resources are of excellent quality. A wealth of experiences and activities, such as small-world play with animals, ice, pebbles and real snow, make the activity extremely interesting and encourage children to be active learners. This enlivens children's curiosity and maintains enthusiasm so that they participate eagerly in activities on offer. The childminder organises her day totally around the needs of the children, promoting an ethos where children are warmly welcomed and valued as unique individuals. The childminder engages with the children and they delight in her company and warmth. There are many opportunities for children to access a rich, vibrant and innovative range of activities. Children develop extremely well because the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder knows how to engage children's interest, encouraging them to explore,

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and outcomes for children

investigate and be curious; for example, children try to catch fish in their nets, and chase bubbles from the bubble blowing machine. The childminder communicates constantly with young children, she describes what action is required to create wet sand from dry, and children pour water and mix it into the sand to get the desired effect. They are engrossed in handling the wet sand, letting it trickle through their fingers and describing its texture and how it feels. Very young children accurately identify animals and people and relate well together.

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and outcomes for children

All children develop an excellent sense of worth through the first class interaction, care and attention they receive from the childminder; for example, children respond eagerly to constant praise and encouragement and enjoy the warm, caring reassurance from the childminder. They feel good about themselves, show respect for each other and are beginning to manage their own behaviour successfully. The childminder has high expectations and her highly effective use of praise ensures children feel self-assured and supported. The childminder has an excellent understanding of food nutrition and offers five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. A menu is displayed informing parents about meal choices, and meals are freshly prepared, including dishes from different cultures. All meals are provided according to the dietary needs of the children, who are often involved in helping to prepare their own meals. The childminder ensures children are making

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and outcomes for children

excellent progress in their physical development by providing an abundance of opportunities to develop control and to move their bodies in various ways; for example, they ride on a variety of toys requiring different skills to make them move, they balance on beams, dance to music and manipulate a vast amount of different consistencies on a daily basis, such as play dough, fake snow and ice. Children learn about their own safety through following the excellent practice of the childminder. She constantly, but gently, reminds children of safety rules to reinforce safe practice, such as asking the children pertinent questions about what will happen if they ignore danger. She explains rules and boundaries to help children understand why rules exist. This gives them confidence to explore and learn in a safe and secure, yet challenging, environment. 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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