Childminder in Hillingdon

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY336230 Inspection date 11/10/2010 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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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 registered in 2006. She lives with her husband and three adult children in Harmondsworth, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The whole of the ground floor of the house is used for childminding, and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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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 group. She is currently minding two children in this age group. She is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She attends the local parent and toddler group. The family has a dog and a cat as pets.

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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

The childminder provides an inclusive and safe environment for children, in which each one is valued as a unique individual. The close partnerships with parents ensure that the needs of all the children are met. The range of play resources and the childminder's good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements enable children to make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder recognises the benefit to the children and their parents of continuously reflecting upon and developing her existing good practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure observations, and assessments are carried out sufficiently frequently to cover each learning area in order to ensure each child makes progress towards the early learning goals at an appropriate pace

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the early years provision

The childminder understands that safeguarding children has paramount importance. She has an in-depth knowledge of the indicators of child abuse and the procedure to follow to report concerns. She also attends refresher courses in child protection matters regularly as part of the requirements for being a foster carer. The detailed risk assessments of the home and outings identify hazards and how they are managed effectively. CCTV cameras monitor the outside of the home This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to further protect children from potential harm. The childminder has good organisational skills and maintains all the required documents to further safeguard the well-being of the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder reflects upon her practice and accurately identifies areas needing development. For example, she recognises that the observations on the children need to be carried out more frequently in order to ensure that all learning areas are covered and each child progress at an appropriate pace. Since the last inspection she has developed her garden to enable children to enjoy a wider range of play experiences, such as sand and water play. She has also completed the recommendations made to further support children's safety. Parent questionnaires are used to ensure their views are included in the self-assessment. The childminder enjoys attending courses to develop her skills and considers that it is beneficial to both the children and their parents to keep up-to-date with best practice.

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the early years provision

The childminder is successful in establishing effective partnerships with parents. She has a good knowledge of each child's background and needs through acquiring a wealth of relevant information about them from the parents at the beginning of an arrangement. This ensures that the care she provides is appropriate and consistent. Daily record sheets are completed and given to parents to keep them aware of how their child has spent the day. Parents supplied letters as part of the inspection process. These contain very positive comments about the childminders work with the children. The childminder also understands the importance of working together with any other agencies involved with the care and education of the children to ensure a consistent approach is established.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the children's interests and ensures that she has their favourite play materials available for them all the time. Additional resources are easily accessible for them to help themselves. The kitchen/diner provides sufficient space for children to play in comfort. The posters around the walls create an interesting learning environment, and support children's knowledge in all areas, including counting, the alphabet and nature.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their day with the childminder and make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder has a thorough knowledge of how children learn, and provides activities and resources that are fun and stimulating. Observations are carried out monthly as the children play. These are assessed and linked to the appropriate area of learning to determine each child's achievements. The next step in the child's individual learning journey is then identified and included in the play plans. Children have good opportunities to develop language and pre-writing skills as they enjoy sharing a storybook with the childminder at home and attending story time at the local library. Matching and counting games help children with problem solving and reasoning. They develop the skills required to operate information and communication technology through using This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

programmable toys. The childminder bases activities around themes and topics. The current one is 'fruit and vegetables'. Children help to buy the fruit and make 'fruit pictures'. They also grew cherry tomatoes and peas earlier in the year. Having learnt how to nurture them, they then enjoyed eating them.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn the value of adopting healthy lifestyles. Although the parents supply their child's lunch, the childminder provides a variety of fresh fruit at snack time, with water to drink. She aims to ensure that she gives two or three of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Children benefit from physical exercise as they enjoy nature walks in the nearby park, and feed the ducks. The garden also offers good opportunities for physical exertion as children use the side and generally run around. Although the family have a dog, it is kept in a separate part of the garden in order to ensure the grass the children have access to is clean and does not pose a threat to their health.

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and outcomes for children

Children regularly visit pre-school groups where they mix and play with others. This helps them to develop social skills, and discover the wider community in order to learn about diversity within society. Children also learn the boundaries for good behaviour in the home. This helps them feel secure as they know what is expected of them. Children also learn how to keep themselves safe as the participate in routine fire drills and know what is expected of them, such as holding hands and stopping to look, as they cross the road. Children enjoy the positive interaction with the childminder and warm care that she provides. Consequently, they develop good self-esteem and confidence. 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 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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