Childminder in Dorset

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY409020 Inspection date 04/11/2010 Inspector Maria Conroy

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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 was registered in 2010. She works from her mother's home, who is also a registered childminder. Her father and adult sister also live in the home, and the childminder has a child aged two years. The home is in Isleworth, in the London borough of Hounslow. The ground floor of the house is mainly 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 three children at any one time when working on her own. She is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She currently has two children on roll, both of whom are in the early years age range.

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Description of the childminding

When working with another childminder at the above premises, the childminder may care for a total of no more than six children under eight years; of these, not more than five may be in the early years age group and of these, not more than two may be under one year at any one time.

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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 happy and settled, and the childminder enjoys the company of the children in her care. She has recently begun to use processes such as self- evaluation to identify areas for improvement. However, the system in its early stages and has yet to effectively access the areas for improvement in all areas of practice, and as a result there are some weaknesses in the records kept. The childminder has begun to use the process of observation; however, the information obtained has yet to have an impact on planning for children's individual needs.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 obtain prior written permission for each and every medicine from parents before any medication is given (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 04/11/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the use of observations to analyse and use what you have found out about children to identify the next steps in their learning, using the practice guidance for support, to influence planning for children's individual needs  increase the use of planned activities, to promote outcomes for children, for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, to help them learn through play and how to keep safe  develop the process of self-evaluation, to reflect on practice and identify strengths and weaknesses, in order to improve the outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of how to safeguard children and the procedures to be followed in the event of having to make a referral. A safeguarding procedure is in place, which can be referred to if required. The procedure is shared with parents at the beginning of the placement, ensuring they are clear of the responsibility of the childminder. There are a number of policies and procedures in place to keep children safe; however, the childminder has not followed the correct procedure to administer medication, as a result children are not fully protected. The childminder and her co-childminder have undertaken risk assessments on the premises and the outings children take part in. There are systems in place to ensure that children are kept safe on outings, for example, florescent wrist bands and emergency contact details for each child cared for.

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the early years provision

The childminder has only recently begun to care for children, she is in the process of completing the self-evaluation process, however, this is very much in its infancy and as a result the childminder has not yet highlighted some of the weaknesses identified. She has, however, begun to seek the views of the children and the parents for whom she provides the service, enabling her to make changes to help improve the service, for example, one child requested if they could have more access to the computer and this has now been implemented.

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the early years provision

The childminder obtains information from parents enabling her to meet the individual needs of the children who attend, for example, when very young babies start with the childminder she finds out about their daily routine and health needs. As time goes on the childminder consistently liaises with the parents to ensure she is fully updated of the child's needs. Children are learning to respect each other and those from other cultural backgrounds, they take part in art and craft work to help them understand the variety of festivals throughout the year.

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the early years provision

The childminder communicates effectively with parents keeping them informed of their child's care, both verbally and by means of a written daily diary. The childminder shares details of the Early Years Foundation Stage with the parents so they are informed of the curriculum their child is following. The parents' poster and the certificate of registration are prominently displayed where parents can see, and the main policies and procedures are shared with parents. Parents comment they are happy with the care provided for their children, and they particularly like the surveys carried out with parents and children. Parents confirm they like the fact their child is provided with a range of activities both in the home and within the local community. The childminder works in partnership with other professionals; she obtains information on the parents' behalf and shares this with them when they arrive to collect their child. She also obtains details of the themes and topics

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the early years provision

the children will be studying so this can be taken into account when she plans her This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 activities.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a satisfactory knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and its implementation. The childminder plans with her co-childminder to provide a selection of activities that link to a topic or a theme, for example, colours or numbers. The planning generally relates to either older children or younger children, therefore, the activities provided are more general, rather than aimed at the individual developmental needs of each child. The process for observing children is in its infancy and the childminder has yet to use the information obtained effectively to identify the next steps for moving children along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children are becoming confident through the activities they take part in, they enjoy singing songs and reading stories that link to the theme, for example, one child explains they enjoy reading 'The little red hen' which was part of the resources used when looking at the colour red. Parents comment that children enjoy looking at home to find items that will link to their theme and wearing clothes that link to the colour.

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and outcomes for children

Very young children explore sensory toys, they enjoy looking into the mirror at themselves, and feeling and touching the different textures on the 'octopus' toy. Older children are beginning to recognise and understand the meaning of numbers, they enjoy singing number songs, and by counting and organising teddy bears into groups, re-enforcing their understanding of mathematical concepts, such as simple addition and subtraction.

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and outcomes for children

Very young children are developing a sense of security and confidence within the setting, due to positive interaction from the childminder. They regularly initiate signs of warmth and affection, such as eye contact and cuddles, which the childminder actively responds to. Children have some opportunities to learn how to keep themselves safe through daily routines, such as when they go out they talk about road safety. They also take part in fire drills, teaching them how to safely get out of the building in the event of an emergency.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with a varied diet, with regular drinks of water available for all children throughout the day. Children are reminded to wash their hands before lunch and there are opportunities for children to take part in physical activities, for example, they go the park and play in the garden. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to learn through practical activities of how to promote a healthy lifestyle.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the setting; they display a sense of belonging and security. This enables children to feel safe and secure and confident to explore, investigate and try new things. Children are well behaved, and the childminder acts as a positive role model, encouraging good manners and respect This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 for one another.

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and outcomes for children

Children generally make satisfactory progress in communicating, literacy, numeracy and skills relating to information and communication technology. Children are beginning to explore battery operated toys, for example, the 'paint pot' and they have use of appropriate programmes on the laptop computer. Children are provided with regular opportunities to develop their social skills through the outings and groups they attend. 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 3 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 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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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