Gee Nicola

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY263984 Inspection date 27/10/2010 Inspector Jan Moutter

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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 2003. She lives with her partner and son, in a house in North Swindon. The whole of the house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. She is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is within walking distance of shops, green areas and other local amenities. The childminder is registered to care for six children under the age of eight years, and currently cares for four children on a part time and full time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The childminder walks or drives to local schools to take and collect children.

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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 a warm and welcoming environment in which children are valued as individuals. Children make good progress in their learning because they have access to a wide range of play materials that are used well by the childminder to promote their development. The effective partnerships with parents also help to ensure children's well-being. The childminder clearly recognises the importance of self-evaluation and demonstrates a commitment towards continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop observation and assessment skills to clearly identify each child's starting point to effectively monitor their progress in all areas of learning and to involve parents as part of the ongoing observation and assessment recording process  further develop evaluation systems in order to identify all areas of practice for development and how these will be addressed, including a system to review policies and procedures regularly

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the early years provision

The childminder safeguards the welfare of children. She has a good understanding of the indicators of child abuse and the procedure to follow to report concerns. She demonstrates a full understanding of the importance of protecting children from This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 harm, by taking the appropriate steps necessary to ensure their well-being. The childminder has increased her knowledge and awareness of procedures regarding all aspects of safeguarding and welfare, as a result of a recommendation made at the previous inspection. The childminder makes parents and carers aware of her responsibility to protect their children from harm, by giving them her written safeguarding policy. The detailed risk assessments of the home and garden identify potential hazards and the measures taken to minimise them, in order to further protect children from harm. Most records and documents required for the

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the early years provision

safe and efficient management of the setting are maintained. But although she has all the required documents, policies and procedures, she is not recording when, whom and how it was addressed clearly on the documents, which is good practice. For example, by recording the date, time etc, and where appropriate, allowing the children to be involved in some of the daily risk assessment recording of their play environment, gives an awareness of potential hazards. This helps children to keep themselves safe and learn to recognise possible dangers.

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the early years provision

Children benefit greatly from the good relationships the childminder establishes with their parents. Parents complete a "Childminding general information sheet" at the beginning of an arrangement. This ensures that the childminder has all the relevant information required to provide appropriate and consistent care for each child. The childminder also shows parents her portfolio. This includes information about herself and the service she provides for them and their children. Information about how their child has spent the day is shared verbally with parents, to ensure they are kept well informed. Effective links are being established with schools the children attend, to share all relevant information to ensure continuity and coherence in each child's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder evaluates her practice continuously by adapting her routine to suit the needs of the children. She recognises her strengths and weaknesses, and considers how she will enhance her practice. For example, she is considering increasing her range of play resources, to broaden children's experiences. She also recognises that it would benefit herself and the children, to up date her knowledge of how to streamline assessment matters. As part of the processes of inspection and self-evaluation, the childminder provided, to parents, a telephone number for the inspector. This gave parents the opportunity to express their views on the care provided for their child. The positive comments indicate that the setting is friendly and that children are happy and well settled. The childminder has a large variety of clean and safe play materials that support children's learning. They are stored in easily accessible drawers to enable children to help themselves to items of their

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the early years provision

choice, which promotes their independence. The available play space enables children to fully explore and enjoy the play equipment. In addition, the childminder has a range of posters that she uses with the children to promote their understanding of colour recognition, counting, shapes and other relevant subjects. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder understands that children learn through play; she provides play material and activities to promote their learning. She observes them periodically and notes their achievements. However, the observations do not identify the child's level of achievement in each of the six areas of learning, or clearly identify the next step in their individual learning journey. In addition, there is no system to record parent's contributions to their child's profiles. The childminder does, however, regularly review each child's progress verbally with the parents, at the end of each day.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy playing indoors and they have access to pens and pencils to develop their pre-writing skills, as well as books to promote communication skills and an enjoyment of stories. They also use resources to sort and count to develop numeracy. Children use programmable toys regularly, and consequently are developing the skills necessary to operate information and communication technology in the future. They also enjoy imaginative play with "small world" figures in houses and farms, and dressing up in a range of outfits, such as nurses and doctors. The regular trips to local activity groups, such as working farm parks and the library, promote children's social and emotional development because they mix with others and enjoy a broader variety of play opportunities.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy learning about the world around them through the readily accessible range of resources that promote positive images of diversity. The range includes books, puzzles and role-play outfits. The childminder increased her supply of resources that help children learn about and respect differences between people. This demonstrates her commitment to continuously developing her practice.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder enables children to understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle. She adheres to any specific dietary needs a child might have, and provides fresh fruit and vegetables at snack time, such as grapes and cucumber. The childminder encourages children to drink plenty of water in order to prevent the risk of dehydration, particularly on hot days. Children also learn the importance of washing their hands at appropriate times of the day. This includes before meals and after stroking the kitten. Each child has their own towel in the cloakroom to help prevent the risk of cross infection between them. Outdoor physical exercise is also regularly available for the children. They enjoy playing with the equipment in the back garden, and running around local parks.

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and outcomes for children

Children are secure and develop good self-confidence because they understand what is expected of them. For example, they learn rules about good behaviour such as not jumping on the furniture and being nice to each other. They also learn how to walk along pavements safely and how to cross the road. The childminder gives very affectionate care to the children, and they demonstrate their warmth and closeness to her as they happily sit on her lap and enjoy interacting with her. 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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