Childminder in KentOfsted inspection, 19 Oct 2010

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY217618 Inspection date 19/10/2010 Inspector Jane Wakelen

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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 2002. She lives with her husband and two children aged eight and 13 years in Sheerness, Kent. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. She has a dog and tropical fish.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding four children in this age group. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects children the the local school and attends several toddler groups on a regular basis.

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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 are settled and familiar within the childminder's home. They move around freely, accessing the available resources and transporting them to where they wish to play. The childminder has a sound understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and plans outings to the beach or visits to the local toddler group to help support children's learning. Children make satisfactory progress in their learning, taking into account their starting points, because the childminder offers a range of outings and activities. However, a system to evaluate the observations and plan children's next steps in their learning has not been fully implemented. This results in children not fully extending their learning and development. The childminder has not carried out a self-evaluation of her practice, which results in some weaknesses in the provision not being identified. Therefore outcomes for children are not fully promoted.

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further?

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

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further?

 evaluate all observations and use these to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child  increase the range of resources to meet children's interests and learning needs, including resources to promote positive images of diversity  carry out a self-evaluation of the service provided to fully promote outcomes for children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding about protecting children in her care and has a written safeguarding policy in place. She has attended training and has all the necessary documentation in place to keep her informed about procedures to follow should she have any concerns about children in her care. A visitors book is used to record visitors to her home and the accident and incident book are kept up to date to promote children's welfare. The childminder has conducted a risk assessment of her home to identify any hazards for children. Measures have been put in place, for example a stairgate on the bottom of the stairs and fingers guards on doors. A first aid box is accessible in the kitchen and permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment has been obtained from the parents to protect children in the event of an accident.

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the early years provision

The childminder treats every child with respect and as an individual. She values their differences and encourages all children to play together and share the available resources. Although the childminder has limited resources to reflect diversity, children are able to access additional resources through attendance at several toddler groups. They learn about their local community through attending these groups and benefit from being able to socialise with their peers. Children are able to follow their own care routines from home, which supports their well-being and helps them to settle easily into the childminder's home. Resources are stored in the playroom and children happily make a selection of the satisfactory range available. Older children are able to request alternative choices from the storage unit, although many resources do not provide a challenge or meet all children's individual learning needs.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a caring, safe environment for children to help them settle into her home and feel confident and comfortable. The childminder has made a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection and has addressed the recommendations given. However, she has not carried out a self-evaluation of her practice to identify areas to improve or develop. Therefore, some weaknesses have not been fully identified. For example, the choice of resources and accessibility of them.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and other agencies is good. The childminder works hard at ensuring parents are kept informed about their child's day, what activities they have been doing and the meals they have eaten. She shares all the observations and photographs with the parents and offers them the opportunity to take home their folders on a regular basis. All personal information is obtained regarding the child and recorded on the record form to ensure the child's needs can be met. Parents give written consent for aspects of care, such as photographs and the application of sun cream to support children's well-being. The childminder collects children from a local nursery and understands the importance of sharing information, through the key person to ensure the child is able to reach their full potential. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children settle quickly and easily into the childminder's home because the childminder is responsive to their needs and knows each child well. Each child follows their own care routine for sleep times and nappy changes which ensures they are comfortable and enables them to enjoy their day. Children play in the downstairs of the home, accessing toys from the playroom. Children have a satisfactory range of resources to select from, with limited opportunities to gain an understanding about diversity. Children select different toys and move them to the kitchen/diner where they happily play together. The childminder takes children to the local toddler groups on a regular basis which enables them to have further opportunities to use a wider range of resources. They enjoy trips along the foot path by the canal and have regular trips to the nearby beach, collecting natural materials and exploring their environment. The childminder makes regular

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and outcomes for children

observations and takes photographs of children doing various activities, providing a lovely record for parents. However, the observations are not evaluated to provide next steps for children's learning. This results in some children not being provided with resources or activities that meet their individual needs and therefore does not fully engage their interest or provide a challenge to extend their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about healthy lifestyles, because the childminder ensures children have regular opportunities to benefit from fresh air and exercise. Children sit at the table to eat their lunch, which consists of a hot meal and a yoghurt. Children develop their independence, learning to feed themselves and take themselves to the toilet. The childminder reminds children about washing their hands using the soap and children dry their hands with kitchen roll to prevent cross infection. The childminder's home is clean and tidy and she adopts good hygiene routines when changing children's nappies. Drinks are always available for children, to enable them to be independant and select their drink when they require it. This ensures they remain hydrated and healthy.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to learn about keeping themselves safe through careful guidance from the childminder. She reminds them what might happen if they climb on the chairs and shows them the hazard of the wall when they are crawling through the tunnel. Children are reminded about taking care on the stairs when using the toilet independently and to put the small, plastic chairs against the wall to prevent them slipping. Children show a feeling of being safe as they approach the childminder for a cuddle or for help with the toys. The childminder has carried out a risk assessment of her home and has identified potential hazards. She has put measures in place to minimise these and has carried out a fire drill with the children to ensure a safe evacuation in the event of an emergency. All fire fighting equipment is available, such as the fire blanket and smoke alarms.

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and outcomes for children

Children are treated with respect and learn to care for each other. They have regular opportunities to socialise with their peers at the local toddler groups and at childminding friend's homes, learning about people in their community. Children behave well, and are encouraged to share the toys with occasional intervention from the childminder. They receive lots of praise and encouragement and receive This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 wrist bands or stickers for reward. A written policy is shared with the parents to provide continuity of care. Children have some opportunities to develop their literacy and numeracy skills, doing cooking activities, or looking at books and counting the pictures. They have access to a few resources to develop their understanding about communication technology to support their development of skills for their future. 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 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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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