Childminder in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY402528 Inspection date 08/09/2010 Inspector Jennifer Read

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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 assesses 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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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 2009. She lives with her husband and their three children aged 10 years, six years and four months in a three-bedroom, terraced home in Walton Cardiff on the outskirts of Tewkesbury. The whole of the house is available for childminding. The main areas used include the sitting room, kitchen, hallway and downstairs toilet facilities. Upstairs bedrooms are available for sleeping. There is an enclosed rear garden with patio and pebble areas for outside play and the private front driveway is used as additional outside play space. The family has a pet cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may provide care for a maximum of four children, of these, two may be in the early years age range at any one time. Overnight care, for one child is available. The childminder's husband supports her as an assistant on an occasional basis. The childminder walks to the local school to drop off and collect children.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's health, safety and welfare are suitably met through sound and consistent implementation of policies and procedures and generally good practice. The childminder is vigilant and implements robust safety measures to safeguard and promote children's welfare. Children are making generally good progress in their learning through basic planning of activities across some areas of learning, good interaction and purposeful support individual to each child. The childminder has friendly partnerships with parents and communicates generally well to support children's care and education. The childminder is dedicated and positive in her approach to childminding and has satisfactory systems for self-evaluation to identify some key strengths and some areas of weakness that help ensure outcomes for children are continually improved.

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further?

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

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further?

 further develop the observation and assessment systems to ensure these link to the development matters to help track and monitor children's progress, inform children's next steps and future planning  develop further opportunities for children to develop awareness of other cultures and customs  develop the planning of activities to ensure all six areas of learning are given equal emphasis and plans are based securely on children's next steps This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop further the information to parents about their children's learning and progress and the links with other settings children attend

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded and protected because the childminder prioritises their safety and has clear policies, strategies and procedures in place. The childminder has good awareness of procedures for identifying any child at risk of harm or abuse and implements robust risk assessments and safety measures inside, outside and on outings to provide a safe and supportive environment for children. Through daily discussion and sensitive reminders the children are learning to be safety aware and demonstrate an increasing understanding of how to keep themselves safe from a young age. All the required records and documentation are in place and well maintained to support children's welfare.

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the early years provision

The enthusiastic childminder, is motivated to seek further improvement and is effective in focusing the setting's efforts on priorities to secure positive outcomes for children. The childminder takes account of parents wishes about important issues and children are involved in making decisions to some extent, but opportunities to actively gain parents and children's views and suggestions have not yet been fully explored. Action plans to help evaluate the quality of the provision are based on the Gloucestershire Statutory Requirement Checklist, observations of children's learning and development and findings from other quality checks. As a result, the childminder highlights future plans to share children's learning journals with parents to help them support their children's learning. The childminder's developing understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage practice guidance means target setting, although not robustly

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the early years provision

based on accurate assessment information, is providing sufficient challenge to support children's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder engages well with parents to meet the diverse needs of the children through suitable inductions and individual settling-in programmes. This enables her to identify each child's needs early and begin to prioritise and implement appropriate strategies, such as modelling language, repeating phrases and introducing more opportunities for reading and singing to encourage and extend language and speech development. As a result, children are achieving generally well. The deployment of resources is satisfactory to support and encourage children's learning and development. Play materials are appropriate and of good quality and children confidently ask the childminder for toys of their choice from the under-stairs cupboard.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a generally positive relationship with parents and clear systems of communication about the setting and their children's daily care arrangements, including the useful parent pact outlining policies and procedures for all aspects of care. A regular exchange of information through daily discussion at the beginning and ends of the day and through individual daily diaries for the younger children is providing parents with adequate information on how well their children are progressing and up-to-date information about main events that are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 taking place. The use of photographs and children taking their pictures home provides parents with some information about their children's learning. The childminder has a book ready to communicate with other settings children will be attending shortly and supports children with homework and reading.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well supported in their learning and make sound progress from their individual starting points across most areas of learning. Children are happy, settled and relationships with the childminder and their peers are secure. Planning is led by the children as they make decisions about their play and confidently ask the childminder if they wish to change or extend the toys they play with, for example children asking for more small world characters to extend their imaginary play further. The childminder is observant and cleverly plans activities across the week based on children's ideas and/or observations of their play, such as children taking their socks off and showing an interest in their feet, leading the childminder to ask if they would like to draw around them. Although written activity plans are basic and do not directly link to any form of assessment or children's next steps to ensure planning is purposeful, covers the six areas of learning inside and outside

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and outcomes for children

and provides effective challenge, children benefit from a broad range of good quality, interesting actitivities across most areas of learning throughout the week.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder nurtures children's well-being to help them feel safe. Children play hospitals, talking about what happens in hospitals and pretend to nurse their teddies and dolls with good support and guidance from the childminder to help prepare them for a visit to the hospital. Children know and comply with safety, health and care routines. They wash and dry their hands before meal times, after nappy change and following outside play using paper towels to minimise cross infection. Hand washing posters and sensitive reminders from the childminder helps encourage good hygiene practices. Children make healthy choices through easy access to their specific drinks bottle and use the snack book successfully to select and enjoy a healthy, nutritious snack. Children demonstrate an increasing understanding of how to keep themselves safe through regular practise and questioning of the escape plan and clear explanations and discussion of safety

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and outcomes for children

The very positive childminder is skilled and sensitive in her management of children and their particular behaviours, using frequent praise and continual encouragement to promote their self-esteem and help them to feel secure and display a strong sense of belonging. The childminder is very patient and readily encourages children to be independent in their personal care and learn skills for the future, such as dressing themselves and helping to tidy away the toys. Children use their manners appropriately and are developing skills, working independently as well as alongside their peers. Some children are confident speakers and readily engage in conversation with the childminder during play. The childminder facilitates children's developing problem solving skills generally well, using appropriate questioning and guidance to help them work out which Russian doll This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

nests inside the other, counting and using mathematical language appropriate to the children's own abilities.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy regular walks in the local community helping children to gain some understanding of the society in which they live. Children are curious and show interest in how things change, for example, eagerly placing the play people in the cold water, then the warm water, to watch the clothes change in colour. Children happily explore and investigate different media using their senses, including modelling with clay, play dough and plasticene. They prod, press, role and mould the coloured plasticene into shapes exclaiming, 'ive got two tomatoes here' and 'im going to make a butterfly', showing pride in their achievements. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 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 3 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 3

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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 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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