Childminder in Suffolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 250996 Inspection date 25/05/2010 Inspector Moira Oliver

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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 1993 and lives with her family in Ipswich, Suffolk. The downstairs of the property only is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The setting can be easily accessed by a step at the front door. The family has a dog and a tortoise as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time. She is currently minding six children, three of whom are in the early years age group. She also offers care to older children and is registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder drives to a school to take and collect children. She regularly visits the local parent and toddler group and the childminder's group with the minded children.

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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 have fun in the bright and stimulating play environment and make excellent progress in their learning and development. The childminder provides a wealth of resources and play experiences which they can access independently. They benefit because the childminder works closely with the parents and has good links with the schools that the older children attend. Children's welfare is promoted well, they are generally safe and their health needs are met. The childminder strives to improve her practice through accessing a range of training courses and workshops and uses self-evaluation to monitor her provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve children's safety by ensuring all potential hazards are minimised; this refers to items in the sideway and the drinks cabinet  ensure policies and procedures are applied consistently in practice to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting and to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children. This refers to the recording of existing injuries and supervision on the trampoline.

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the early years provision

Children are protected because the childminder understands her roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. She ensures that her training is updated regularly and she is confident to put procedures into practice when necessary. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Parents are provided with clear policies and procedures to ensure they are informed. However, policies are not consistently followed, for example, existing injuries are not always recorded and children can access the trampoline independently. Consequently, they are not always supervised when using it and therefore their safety cannot be fully assured. Risk assessments are carried out, signed and dated and include assessments for each type of outing. Daily checks take place of the premises before the children arrive, however, some potential hazards to the children have been overlooked. For example, the catch on the

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the early years provision

drinks cabinet no longer works and can be opened easily. There are empty glass bottles in the sideway and although dog faeces has been cleared from the garden and bagged, the bags are not always put in the bin and are left on the ground in the sideway.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a wealth of experience in childcare and keeps up-to-date with developments through attending training and workshops. She uses a self- evaluation system to monitor and reflect on her practice and through this has improved her resources for science and increased the resources and activities which promote diversity and inclusion. She works closely with other childminders, supporting each other and sharing ideas for good practice. The childminder provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all children, sharing her attention between them. Children's languages are valued and she supports the children to understand and accept people's differing needs through discussions and by using a range of resources which reflect diversity.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her days to ensure children are provided with a wealth of play experiences both indoors and out. Her home is set out invitingly for play and very well-organised toys and resources are stored in boxes in open storage units. The boxes are clearly labelled with pictures of what they contain and children access them independently. Resources in the garden are also available and children have a wide range of items to use in the sand and water such as toy syringes, pipes and tubes to encourage problem solving. The childminder makes regular and detailed observations which are recorded and put together with photographs to form a valuable record of the children's progression.

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the early years provision

Documentation is in place to support the childminder to provide appropriate care for each child. Written parental permissions are in place and detailed records are kept. The childminder works closely with the parents and strong trusting relationships are built. They are informed daily of their child's achievements and are encouraged to share their child's learning and development records. The childminder has developed creative ways to keep parents informed who work away from home for long periods of time to ensure interests and achievements can continue to be shared. Good links are made with the school which the older children attend. The childminder works with other settings, sharing children's developmental records to ensure children settle well when they move to other provisions. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, very confident and settle well in the rich and stimulating play environment. Strong relationships are built with the childminder who provides affection and it is obvious that they are fond of each other. She takes time to get to know the children well and provides activities following their interests. For example, children enjoy a trip out on the train and recall what they saw from the train window. They have many opportunities to socialise with other children and try out new play experiences as they use the resources at the local children's centre. They learn to share the resources and take turns on the trampoline and also to share the childminder's attention. Photographs on their coat pegs provide children with a sense of belonging and they enjoy looking at other children's photographs who have left and moved on to school. They confidently move around the rooms and the outdoor area, accessing toys and equipment freely.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy stories with the childminder; they are actively involved, pointing and chatting about the pictures. They make patterns in the sand, on a large chalk board and on a magic sketch board, increasing their opportunities to mark-make. They recognise their own developmental folder and enjoy looking at the photographs and recalling the events. The childminder gives children time to explain what they want, encouraging them to use and develop their speech and communication with others. They learn to problem solve with a range of interesting items in a large builders tray and enjoy games sorting socks into pairs, looking at the colours and patterns. They confidently use number when counting objects in a book and even count backwards from five. Children measure and weigh ingredients for cooking and enjoy mixing them and watching them change.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a wealth of opportunities to explore nature and the seasons as they play outdoors, look for insects and collect leaves. They enjoy visits to zoos and farms and are able to pet and hold some of the baby animals. They learn to care for the pet tortoise as they feed it in the mornings and know that it needs heat and to stay indoors on cooler days. They express themselves through music, listening and playing along with a range of instruments. They enjoy making shakers which they take home to share with their parents. Children are beginning to use the dressing-up clothes and try on different masks and costumes, they excitedly get inside the dressing-up box, hiding from the childminder and laughing.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is promoted well, they show a high understanding of the importance of good personal hygiene as they routinely wash their hands and sing about washing. Signs which are displayed at the children's level, showing children washing their hands, remind them of the sequence to follow. They enjoy a range of healthy snacks and are encouraged to try new foods. Babies have opportunities to pull themselves up on the furniture and there is a range of appropriate toys to encourage movement. Children enjoy physical exercise as they jump on the trampoline, run around the garden, climb on a range of apparatus in the park and at the groups they attend. They fill buckets with water from the tap and carry them to the sand to mix. They are becoming skilled at spreading cheese onto their crackers and mixing up cooking ingredients. Children take part in fire drills and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

learn about road safety when on outings. They talk about wearing seatbelts in the car and holding the buggy when out walking, learning to keep themselves safe. 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 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 1 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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