Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY341803 Inspection date 29/04/2010 Inspector Rebecca Johnson

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and three children aged 14, 12 and five years in a house in Bromsgrove. There are shops and schools within easy walking distance. The whole of the house is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, three of whom can be in the early years age range. There are currently six children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the child care register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder attends the local carer and toddler group on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. She holds and NVQ 3 in childcare and is currently completing a quality assurance award.

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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 happy, settled and secure in the childminder's care. Activities which are suitable to each individual child's stage of development and learning enable them to make progress in all areas of learning. The uniqueness of each child is recognised and the childminder's understanding of children's individual needs ensures that all children are valued and made to feel welcome. Positive relationships with parents and other professionals are fostered in order to identify and meet children's individual needs and ensure continuity of care. The childminder is able to acknowledge her strengths and weaknesses and to identify some areas for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further methods of observation and assessment and link these to planning in order to ensure that children progress to the next steps of learning and development at a pace suitable to their individual needs  develop further the quality and improvement processes to monitor and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the provision.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of her role in protecting the children in her care. Her excellent knowledge and understanding of the signs and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 symptoms of abuse ensures that children are fully safeguarded. The environment is utilised to its full potential to provide children with choices about where and with what they wish to play. Resources are well maintained and are easily accessible to children. Premises are safe and secure and the childminder has a good understanding of how to promote children's safety. Risk assessments which cover all areas used by children and outings they participate in ensure that any potential risks to children have been minimised.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to providing a high level of care and education. She is well qualified and regularly attends training to update her knowledge and expertise and thus ensure the best possible outcomes for the children. The childminder is well organised and manages daily routines effectively to accommodate the individual needs of the children attending. Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice is actively promoted. Children access resources and activities to enable them to learn about the wider world.

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the early years provision

Documentation which contributes to the children's health, safety and welfare is in place. Policies and procedures are clear, regularly up dated and support the childminder's good practice. The childminder understands the importance of evaluating the service that she provides and can clearly identify areas for improvement. However, she is yet to fully implement systems to support her with this in order to continually develop and improve her practice and thus ensure that continual improvement is sustained.

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the early years provision

The childminder works very well with parents and other professionals in order to develop a consistent approach in meeting children's needs. Children are cared for in accordance with their parents’ wishes and the childminder takes time to accumulate information relating to their individual needs and preferences before they start. This ensures continuity between home and minding environments and helps children to settle well. Daily diaries which are used as a two way method of communication in addition to informal discussions ensure that parents are fully informed about their child. The use of evaluation sheets affords parents an opportunity to voice their opinions about the service provided. Parent’s comments are extremely positive and portray the childminder as loving, caring, reliable and competent. Parents state that they have full trust in her looking after their children and that children benefit from the happy family atmosphere which the childminder

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and outcomes for children

Children are cared for in a warm and caring environment, where they benefit from good support and encouragement to enjoy and achieve. Children are happy and secure in the childminder's care. They interact positively with her and actively seek her out to participate in activities, for example, when completing puzzles or counting the money in the till. The childminder is very much aware that children learn through play and the day is planned to ensure that children have fun and enjoy the time they spend with her. She encourages them to choose activities for themselves and then intersperses these with adult-initiated play to further enhance This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's learning and development. Her flexible planning develops through the interests and play preferences of children and ensures that they are able to participate in a range of activities which sustain their interest. However, systems to

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and outcomes for children

observe and evaluate children’s progress in order to plan activities for the next steps of learning and ensure that children make progress at a pace suitable to their individual needs have yet to be fully implemented.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop self esteem as the childminder offers praise and encouragement at all times. They develop positive attitudes to learning because the childminder shows an interest in everything they do. She is always close at hand with praise for every achievement, no matter how small. Their time with the childminder is filled with laughter and smiles as they participate in fun activities such as 'cornflour gloop' and explore different textures as they investigate spaghetti, cornflakes and shredded paper. They are inquisitive and constantly ask questions which the childminder patiently answers. Children are able to use mathematical language and count in a variety of situations, for example, when counting the money in the toy till and when talking about big tall beanstalks and growing too big and tall to fit at the little table. Children are learning about their local environment as they visit garden centres and the shops where they find objects and talk about them and

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and outcomes for children

where they have come from. Children's language and literacy skills are developed as they look at books and use mark making equipment. They are beginning to link sounds to words and know that umbrella begins with u and table begins with t. They behave extremely well and respond to the childminder's methods of behaviour management which encourage them to be kind, share and to use good manners, such as, please and thank you.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well cared for if they have an accident or become ill and there are good procedures in place to protect them from illness and infection. They are learning about their own personal hygiene and how to keep healthy as they wash their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. They especially enjoy time spent outdoors in the fresh air either in the garden or at the local park. Children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe is promoted as they learn how to use equipment safely, talk about stranger danger and road safety. Children demonstrate their feelings of security and express them as they play confidently and give out lots of spontaneous cuddles throughout their play time. 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 1 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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