Childminder in North Tyneside

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 310055 Inspection date 20/05/2010 Inspector Julie Larner

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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 1992. She lives at the premises with her husband and their adult daughter. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and a bathroom on the first floor. The is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the early years register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare register. She is registered to care for six children under eight. There are currently eight children on roll, of these four are in the early years range. The childminder currently drops off and collects children from New York Primary school and Star Of The Sea First School.

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Description of the childminding

The family have five dogs and one rabbit.

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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 thrive in a well planned environment where they are cared for by a practitioner who is committed and dedicated to improving the setting to help achieve good outcomes for children. She respects the children for their unique, individual abilities. The childminder’s drive to improve her practice is excellent. She has worked exceptionally hard since the last inspection to continually improve the service she offers. The childminder's space, time and equipment is organised successfully to ensure all the children are fully included in her setting. Records and documentation which contributes towards the smooth running of the setting are all in place.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure planning reflects how each child's learning and development will be supported  continue to develop the partnership working with other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage for children attending.

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the early years provision

The childminder effectively safeguards children through following comprehensive policies and procedures that contribute towards their well-being. Consistent procedures are followed to ensure children remain safe and secure in the setting. For example, she has loud alarms on the outer doors and completes comprehensive risk assessments. The childminder shows a good understanding of child protection. She regularly updates her training in this area to ensure she follows current guidelines and knows the relevant agencies she must contact. This results in her successfully safeguarding the children in her care. Space and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 resources are organised very well in the setting. Good storage of toys means that children have some opportunities to select their own equipment from clearly labelled boxes. The childminder shows a high commitment towards promoting

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the early years provision

equal opportunities. Consequently all of the children receive the attention they need from the childminder to make good progress in their time with her.

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the early years provision

The childminder has made an exceptional effort to embrace the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has worked very hard, with support and training from the local authority, to build up a good understanding of the requirements and to effectively promote children’s welfare and development. This has resulted in children being provided with very good activities and experiences to encourage them to further their learning and development. The childminder successfully reflects on her practice through self evaluation that is clear and accurate. Changes are consistently made in the house to improve the setting. For example, the childminder rearranged her living room to provide more free space for children’s independent play.

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed extremely successful relationships with parents. She works alongside parents to ensure their child’s needs are very effectively met. Innovative ways of informing parents about their child’s development are highly effective. The childminder consistently uses IT equipment to record the children’s developmental steps and sends them to the parents by electronic mail. The relationships the childminder has developed with others providing the Early Years Foundation Stage varies widely. She has built up extremely good relationships with some settings which enables her to provide a continuous learning journey for some of the children attending her setting. Additionally she uses these relationships to further improve her practice, for example, by gaining ideas for good quality activities from the teaching staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very settled, highly confident and secure in the childminders care. The childminder has developed very secure relationships with all of the children she cares for and knows them very well. She collects very comprehensive information from parents to enable her to develop good plans of how she will help children to make progress that is successfully tailored to their individual needs. The childminder successfully links in with parents to keep them informed of the next steps proposed for their child’s development. She maintains successful ongoing communication with them through their time at the setting. Children enjoy a range of activities and experiences that suit their needs. The childminder successfully plans experiences that all children, of different ages, are successfully included in. For example, children enjoy exploring shaving foam in the garden with lots of good quality equipment. However, planning intentions of what the childminder hopes

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and outcomes for children

the children will learn from each activity are not always clear. The childminder supports the children well and recognises their individual needs according to their ages and stages of development. She allows younger children to explore the foam at their own pace providing encouragement and enthusiasm, while older children are well challenged to talk about how the foam feels, smells and enjoy making This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 patterns.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn very successfully about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They constantly talk about foods that are good and bad for them, they consequently make healthy choices about what they want to eat. The childminder provides a very good variety of snacks and meals which are homemade and nutritious. Children thoroughly enjoy chopped pineapple, strawberries and wholemeal toast at snack time. The childminder seeks advice from a nutritionist to ensure that she prepares very good quality menus that provides the right balance of foods for individual children. Freely available drinking water allows children to rehydrate themselves according to their own wishes. Children have lots of opportunities to be outside during the day. They enjoy planned activities outdoors on the decking, and visit many local parks and farms in the area. Children are cared for in a well maintained environment, where toys and equipment are cleaned regularly. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder can respond appropriately if children have an accident as she is trained to administer first aid. Children remain safe and secure in their environment. The childminder places a high emphasis on making sure her setting and the procedures she consistently follows safeguard the children very successfully. She helps children to learn about unsafe behaviours, such as 'stranger danger' with role play scenarios which are highly successful.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well in the setting. They eagerly help to tidy toys away at the childminder’s request. The childminder provides a successful role model for the children. She consistently praises them for their achievements, which contributes towards raising children’s self-esteem and encourages them to behave appropriately. Children are highly confident at sharing. Older children constantly include the younger ones by passing them toys and equipment to have a turn. This results in children learning to respect and take care of others needs. Good displays encourage children to think about their behaviour, such as house rules and the childminder has a poster containing greetings in different languages. 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 1 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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