Childminder in Leeds

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 319511 Inspection date 11/05/2010 Inspector Linda Filewood

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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 was registered in 1983. She lives with her husband in Becketts Park, a suburb of Leeds, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder occasionally works with an assistant. She has a budgie and fish as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six 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 five 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 compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects children from the local school and attends several toddler groups on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 settle quickly and happily into the welcoming, homely environment. They greatly benefit from a childminder who knows them very well and understands their individual needs and stages of development. She gives good attention to promoting children's welfare, and keeping them safe and secure at all times. However, two specific legal requirements under regulation are not met to maintain their safety. There is a positive partnership with parents to share information, which ensures the childminder is inclusive in her practice and provision for the children. The childminder has started to take positive steps in her self-evaluation and undertakes an exceptional amount of training to ensure continual improvement to the care she offers 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 covers all aspects of the environment and includes information on who conducted it, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) 25/05/2010

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further?

 request written parental permission to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment. (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 18/05/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 continue to develop evaluation systems in order to improve the outcomes for every child  continue to develop systems to observe and assess children's achievements, interests and learning styles and use these to identify learning priorities.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a strong understanding of her responsibilities in child protection and updates her understanding through training. All adults who reside or work on the premises are appropriately vetted, which means they are suitable to be with the children. The childminder shares her clearly written policies with parents. There are clear procedures for the safe collection of children and their care on outings. However, the childminder does not request written parental permission to seek any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment for the children, should it be needed. This is required under legislation to safeguard the children's well-being. The childminder's home is safe and secure. She has a written risk assessment in place but it does not contain sufficient information to comply with regulation. For example, it does not identify all the aspects of the environment that the childminder checks on a regular basis.

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the early years provision

The childminder places significant emphasis on providing an inclusive provision that values each child's unique qualities. She gains excellent knowledge and understanding through numerous training events. This helps her in the early identification and support a child may need. Settling-in sessions and daily discussions with parents help the childminder to provide consistent care in line with home routines. Parents say that they are very happy with the quality of care their children receive. Links forged with the local nursery and schools are complementing children's learning well between provisions. The childminder works closely with other childcare professionals to ensure that they plan effectively for sustainable childcare provision throughout the city. She is highly motivated in enhancing her knowledge and is committed to promoting better outcomes for children. For example, since the last inspection the childminder has attended a

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the early years provision

large, varied range of training events to develop her knowledge. She puts this new information to good use when planning activities for the children. The childminder is beginning to use systems for self-evaluation and is developing her skills of self- reflection to help identify any areas for improvement. For example, recognises that she is not yet including parent's views or thoughts by asking them to complete questionnaires about her service. She has addressed some of the recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an extensive range of resources suitable for all ages of children. The good organisation of toys and play equipment enables children to choose for themselves. They confidently explore the resources that are out, ask for others they know are available. This supports them in initiating their own play and learning in the homely environment. The childminder ensures that children have This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 sufficient space to play safely, especially when they are just learning to walk. She uses her time effectively to give all children good support and has routines based around the children's individual needs, as well as trips to and from schools and nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children enter the setting confidently and separate easily from their parents before eagerly engaging in their play. All children enjoy warm relationships with the childminder and form positive relationships with other minded children. They are developing future skills by working independently as well as alongside their peers. The childminder encourages children to cooperate and share with others during play. She uses gentle, but firm reminders about sharing and children respond positively to her guidance. Young children are beginning to gain an understanding about similarities and differences through resources, such as books, and the activities they participate in. They enjoy stories and settle for a rest as the childminder reads their favourite one, which enhances their listening skills. Young children are becoming good communicators and enjoy rhymes and songs to support their language development.

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and outcomes for children

Planned activities and child-initiated play with good adult support mean that children enjoy their play and make good progress in their learning and achievement. The childminder is still developing systems to include written observations of children's activities. However, she is able to clearly demonstrate, through discussion, that she is fully aware of each child's abilities, the progress they are making and the next steps in their development. The childminder has a good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She uses them to guide her in assessing children's capabilities. This ensures that she offers each child an enjoyable and challenging experience across all areas of learning. The childminder fully recognises each child's learning styles and plans play to cater for them. Some children thoroughly enjoy putting objects in and out of containers, for instance, whilst others line toys up. They show

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and outcomes for children

increasing control in holding small craft accessories. Some enjoy gluing small furry balls onto paper, whilst others concentrate at fitting them into the cap from the glue stick. Young children are becoming increasingly mobile and are beginning to move from one object to another. Older children have good awareness of space and successfully retrieve items from under a small table. They have plenty of opportunity to develop their imagination. Young children are beginning to make- believe by pretending that they are speaking on the phone. Older children re-enact a baking activity and the childminder skilfully uses this to support their counting skills. In the garden, children enjoy opportunities for exploration and discovery. They learn about growth and healthy eating through the vegetables they plant and enjoy looking at the birds that come to the bird-feeder. Children are aware of their local area and parents comment on the good variety of outings their children enjoy

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and outcomes for children

Children freely move with confidence around the childminder's home and are learning to keep themselves safe, both inside and outside of the setting. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, the childminder reminds older children about playing safely near younger ones and they travel securely when out walking or when taking car journeys. Children gain very good levels of independence for their age and stage of development. They help themselves to drinks when thirsty and young children are becoming confident at feeding themselves using age-appropriate cutlery. Meals and snacks are well balanced and nutritious, and daily routines for exercise, rest and sleep nurtures children's awareness of a healthy lifestyle. 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 3 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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