Childminder in Devon

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY302562 Inspection date 06/10/2010 Inspector Samantha Powis

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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 to care for children in March 2005. She lives in a semi- detached house in the village of Starcross in Devon with her husband and two children aged six and 13 years. Goldfish are the only family pets. All areas of the home are accessible to minded children, with care mainly provided on the ground floor, which consists of a living room, dining room and a play room. The first floor is used for rest and overnight care. There is a secure garden to the rear.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for up to five children under eight years, of which, not more than three may be in the early years age group. The childminder occasionally works with an assistant. There are currently 16 children on role, five of these are in the early years age group. The childminder is registered to provide overnight care for one child. The childminder is a member of an accredited network and can accept children receiving government funding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder has an extensive understanding of the individual needs of the all the children she cares for, which enables her to offer them excellent support. Children are happy, settled and making excellent progress in their learning and development. Children benefit greatly from being cared for in a welcoming family home environment which is safe, stimulating and very well resourced. This enables all of them to become fully engaged in fun and purposeful activities. The childminder is committed to ensuring the service she provides is the very best it can be, she frequently updates and extends her own knowledge and reviews her practices to identify areas where improvements can be made.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 increasing opportunities for children to make choices about what they wish to play with and where they want to play.

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the early years provision

Priority is given to ensuring children's safety is maintained at all times. The environment is checked daily and termly through detailed risk assessments and outings are carefully planned for. This helps to ensure children remain safe at all This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 times. The childminder has an excellent awareness of safeguarding procedures and is fully aware of her role and responsibilities. She shares her detailed and clear policy with her assistants and with parents to ensure they all understand the importance of following procedures in the event of a concern. The childminder is extremely well organised and maintains accurate records and documentation to help promote children's ongoing safety and welfare.

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the early years provision

Areas within the home are used very well to meet the needs of the children attending. The lounge is made into a peaceful rest area for younger children, whilst the playroom is well equipped and set up to motivate children to become involved. Posters, photos and pictures hang on the walls to capture children's interests. An excellent range of toys are accessible to the children within the play areas, however, there are no systems to make children are aware of other toys which may be stored elsewhere to allow them full choice. The outdoor area is used frequently to enhance children's play and experiences. However, current arrangements mean that it can only be used at certain times during the day which limits children's ability to choose where they want to play. All areas are very well maintained, with easy access to toilet and hand washing facilities to support children's ongoing health. All those entering the play areas are expected to take

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the early years provision

their shoes off at the door, helping to keep the environment spotlessly clean and free from germs. The childminder pays high regard to children's individual routines and needs throughout the day, adapting events and activities to ensure all children feel valued and fully included. Planned activities and spontaneous play opportunities are very well organized. They link closely to children's interests and stage of development ensuring all children can participate and benefit from their experiences. Frequent outings to local places of interest, toddler groups and activity sessions extend children's experiences and their awareness of the world around them. They have regular trips to the beach hut, which is shared by the local childminding group, where they engage in a wide range of activities and enjoy the fresh air and experience of being beside the sea.

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the early years provision

The childminder is highly motivated and strives to provide excellent levels of care to children and support to families. She constantly reviews all areas of the provision to ensure she is meeting the individual needs of each child. She is pro- active in seeking training opportunities for herself and her assistants and also organises training for childminding colleagues to ensure they are all well informed and have the most up-to-date information to support the children they care for. She constantly implements new ideas, systems, policies or procedures to benefit the children in her care. For example, after attending training on specific areas of learning and about planning and assessment, she has made changes to her own monitoring systems which enable her to have a better understanding of where children are at in their learning to support them in their future development. She seeks feedback from parents, children and other early years professionals to

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the early years provision

enable her to make changes that will have a positive impact on the children she is caring for. She has made improvements since her last inspection which contribute to the excellent support children now receive with regards to thier learning and development.

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the early years provision

Supportive and professional relationships are established with parents to ensure that both parties work closely together to meet the needs of the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Comprehensive settling in arrangements ensures she knows each individual child's needs in detail. This helps children to feel secure and settle quickly. Parents receive detailed information about the childminders own policies and procedures and also about the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which helps them to work consistently with the childminder in supporting children's development needs. Daily diaries and ongoing discussions with parents help to ensure they are kept well informed about routines. Frequent opportunities to review children's development records offer parents and the childminder an opportunity to plan future activities together. This helps to ensure each child is supported in reaching

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the early years provision

their full potential. The childminder links with other professionals working with the children to offer consistent support to each of them. She has established close links with the local pre-school which enables them to work together in meeting children's needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely settled and relaxed in the welcoming and stimulating family home environment. They receive excellent levels of interaction from the childminder and her assistant, making them feel valued and included. They are confident and explore the range of toys, resources and activities with excitement. The childminder has an excellent understanding of child development and uses this, along with knowledge gained through the many courses she has attended, to promote children's learning and development. She skilfully poses challenging questions and offers children opportunities to 'have a go' which helps them to build confidence, secure existing skills and develop new ones. For example, a younger child independently finds their own shoes from the box and puts them on and tries determinedly to help to put another child's shoe on. The childminder allows the child to try for a while, and then offers some simple advice and encouragement to

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and outcomes for children

allow the child to succeed in the task before they become bored or frustrated.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate high levels of confidence as they feel valued and included within the setting. They enjoy looking at the photographs of themselves and their friends displayed on the wall, recalling the activities they have been involved in. They share their own experiences with the childminder and her assistant as they know their news will be welcomed. They talk about events they have enjoyed whilst attending pre-school showing their increasing ability to communicate with others, they explain clearly about their outing to the local shop and the route they took to get there. Children develop a love of books. They freely select from the book box stories they enjoy and listen intently as these are read by an adult. Older children are encouraged to listen and hear the rhyming words in some books, showing excitement as they start to link the words together. Children enjoy using equipment that increases their experience of using modern technology. A

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and outcomes for children

computer is regularly used by the children along with a digital camera and electronic toys. Freely accessible small and large construction equipment encourages children to design and build their own models. Children are keen to engage in role play. They frequently use the resources available to act out This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 situations from their own lives and those which are familiar to them from stories. For example, children pretend to be on the bus, 'we're on the number two bus to Starcross' they call. Adults support their play by becoming fully involved, pretending to be the driver of the bus and skilfully posing questions to encourage children's language and thinking. Children enjoy playing with the sand and water, they use their hands and tools to explore the texture of the materials and are encouraged to use problem solving to work out how they can remove the excess

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and outcomes for children

Children are thoughtful towards each other and learn to respect each others needs. A child who has recently left the setting and moved to another country remains in contact with the childminder and children, sharing information about the country in which they now live, increasing children's awareness of the wider world. Projects about this distant country and other places children have visited help them all to build an understanding of the world around them. Fund raising activities encourage children to think of others and be part of the wider community. Children are very polite and are aware of the consistent expectations regarding behaviour. They enjoy the praise and encouragement they receive from the childminder and the assistant for behaving well. Children are actively involved in keeping themselves safe. They are frequently reminded of boundaries within the home that are there to protect them and talk about road safety to support them

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and outcomes for children

when they are out and about in the local community. Older children take part in helping the chidminder to complete risk assessments, making them more aware of how to prevent accidents occurring. They regularly practise the emergency evacuation procedures to ensure they are confident and familiar with what to do should an incident occur. Children enjoy regular visits to their allotment where they help with the planting, growing and harvesting of fruit and vegetables. They learn about the nutritional benefits of fresh produce and how this can benefit their long term health. Children willingly participate in routines such as washing their hands before meals, helping them to learn positive routines to support their own health.

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and outcomes for children

Photographs and written observations of children as they engage in play are used to monitor children's progress in all areas of learning. This information, along with details gathered from parents or other settings which children attend is then used by the childminder to plan future activities which will both challenge and support children. This helps to ensure they make rapid progress in their learning and development. 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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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