Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY402125 Inspection date 20/05/2010 Inspector Anne Barnsley

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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 registered in 2009. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives with her husband and school aged daughter in a semi-detached house in Bourne, Lincolnshire. There are local amenities close by such as a school, green and shops. All of the downstairs is used for the purpose of childminding with toilet facilities and a bedroom on the first floor. The childminder is registered to care for six children under the age of eight years. She currently has children on roll in the early years age group. 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 are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment where their uniqueness is valued and their individual needs are met well. They have a broad range of resources that mostly cover all areas of learning. They enjoy varied activities both in the setting and in the wider community. However, systems for extending their learning are not yet fully established. Most documentation that is required for the safe and efficient management of the setting is in place and organised well. The childminder evaluates the quality of her setting and makes improvements that enhance the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 review and update the existing risk assessments to include a risk assessment of the garden  improve the use of the Early Years Foundation Stage practice guidance for identifying realistic next steps for each child  make available a wider range of resources that promote positive images of diversity and help children to learn about and value differences.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding issues and has completed child protection training. She has a clear safeguarding policy and procedure in place that she shares with parents to keep them informed about her duty to protect children. She has up-to-date information in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures to refer to and has strong links with other professionals to ensure children's welfare is always given the highest priority. In addition to this the childminder is vigilant about all aspects of safety and has effective safety measures in place to keep children safe. She supervises children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 well and has completed risk assessments to ensure that children are safe in the home and on outings and that resources are safe for them to use. A risk assessment of the garden is not yet in place as this area was previously not used

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the early years provision

There is a strong framework in place for the care of children. All the required records are comprehensively maintained and policies and procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure that they reflect changes to legislation or practice issues. The home is welcoming to families and the resources are organised and set out so that they are attractive to the children and can be easily accessed by them. In the short time the childminder has been minding she has evaluated her service effectively and has prioritised improvements well according to those that have the greatest impact on children. For example, she organised her conservatory as a playroom and subsequently reorganised it to make improvements to how children can access their toys. She has plans in place to obtain more toys and resources that have specific relevance to the children who attend, for example, a greater range of washable dolls. She has completed her safeguarding training and has obtained a

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the early years provision

copy of the training manual to book more courses such as the Early Years Foundation Stage course. She has re-booked a first aid course to ensure that this is kept up-to-date. The childminder demonstrates a positive approach to developing her own knowledge and skills and has an ability to identify areas for improvement and to prioritise these effectively. She has plans in place to make further improvements such as extending the range of resources for children's outdoor play and to obtain others to suit the needs of a new child who is due to start with her soon. She is developing growing activities in the garden such as planting and growing a range of vegetables. Her primary focus has been on settling children and getting to know them well so that they develop security and a sense of belonging. She has developed a system for observation and assessment, but this does not clearly show children's next steps in learning yet and how she

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the early years provision

organises adult-led activities based on these.

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the early years provision

The childminder respects each child as a unique individual and promotes equality and diversity through general practice which is meaningful to the children. Children also attend sessions, which the childminder runs in the local children's centre. Here they enjoy different activities and use different resources with other children from the wider community. The childminder spends several weeks interacting with children when they first start in her setting in order to build relationships with them and to promote their self-esteem. Activities and resources are fully inclusive, which ensures that no child is discriminated against or disadvantaged. All children are fully involved in all areas of learning and have access to all resources. The childminder operates an equal opportunities policy and promotes anti- discriminatory practice well. She has a great deal of experience of working with children from a range of backgrounds and with a range of special educational

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the early years provision

needs. She is committed to developing children's attitudes towards equality and diversity through positive learning. The childminder has established strong partnerships with parents and keeps them well informed on a daily basis of what their child has been involved with. Before a child starts she gathers appropriate information from parents about their child's needs, likes and dislikes and uses this well as her starting point. She has exceptionally strong systems in place for settling This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 new children by inviting the child and parents to several settling-in visits before they start.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder interacts very warmly with children and responds sensitively to their needs, for example, giving children lots of cuddles and playing on the floor with them. Children go to her and show great affection towards her. They enjoy her playing with them and are confident to show her things they want to do and to let her know when they want something different. An example of this is a toddler who really enjoys listening to music and singing and dancing to the actions. When the wrong track came on the child immediately showed her dissatisfaction with this situation and continued until the childminder came to the correct track. The childminder is highly supportive and knows children well as she has focussed her attention on finding out what they like and dislike. She knew immediately which track the child was wanting to hear as it one of the child's favourites. Children's interests are promoted well. They make good progress in learning new skills and

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and outcomes for children

developing their competencies through activities that they like and that are fun to them. A child shows a great interest in playing with dolls, dressing them, putting them to bed, giving them a dummy and cuddling them. This same child also likes water play and so the childminder is getting some more dolls that will be suitable for bathing. A child who likes ducks is involved with many types of play about ducks that promote all areas of learning. The childminder sings songs about ducks, takes children to see and feed the ducks and has bought sets of ducks for water play and another set that connects as a construction toy. Children respond positively towards the childminder and welcome her involvement in their play. They enjoy the conversations and help she provides.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident with the care the childminder provides and display a strong sense of belonging. The childminder listens well to what children have to say and responds to what they want to do. Children feel valued, which promotes their self- esteem. Behaviour is good as children have a stable and consistent routine with which they are familiar and know what is expected of them. Their efforts are acknowledged as achievements and they receive lots of praise, which promotes their understanding of learning right from wrong. Children's language skills are developing well. This is due to the childminder's good use of questioning and constant narration about what is taking place. This encourages the children to use language in their play and express themselves verbally. All areas of learning are covered well through interesting and fun activities, games and outings. Children participate in a wide range of crafts and are taken on lots of walks and to places of

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and outcomes for children

interest in the local environment. They have good opportunities to socialise with other children and engage in a wider range of activities when they visit the children's centre. Children enjoy books, music, singing and use glove puppets interactively in their role play. They learn about the community in which they live as they have many visits out and about, however activities and resources that develop their understanding of diversity and the wider world are currently limited.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and welfare are promoted effectively. They enjoy healthy snacks This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and freshly prepared food. They have individual drinking cups with lids that they keep with them at all times. These are constantly topped up by the childminder to ensure that children do not become thirsty. They have healthy snacks and meals, which take full account of their individual stages of development and specific dietary needs. Children are learning about effective hygiene through regular routines, such as hand washing, nappy changing routines and food preparation. They are well cared for if they become unwell and they know the childminder will help them if they hurt themselves. They develop an understanding of road safety and practise fire drills so that they know how to evacuate the home swiftly in the event of an emergency. The childminder interacts well with children and provides

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and outcomes for children

them with good levels of support, in particular, their personal, social and emotional development and their language development. Children are beginning to develop skills for the future as they learn how to socialise with others and to play cooperatively as part of a group. 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 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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