Childminder in Bolton

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY405744 Inspection date 22/08/2010 Inspector Debra Davey

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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 2009. She lives with her husband and two children aged 7 years and 20 months in Northumberland Heath ,Erith in the London borough of Bexley. The whole of the childminder's 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 four children at any one time. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the Voluntary and Compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently two children aged 19 months and three years on roll. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder attends the local parent/toddler group. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and her local Childminding Network.

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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

The quality of the provision is satisfactory. The welfare needs of children are met with appropriate attention to health and hygiene. Risk assessments are used generally well and most hazards identified. Although the childminder has not sufficiently developed her capacity to identify and plan for improvements, she does show commitment to ongoing training to further develop her ability to meet the needs of children in the early years foundation stage.

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further?

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

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further?

 introduce a system of self-evaluation to develop reflective practice and plan for improvement  improve the quality of the educational programme by planning for children's individual next steps  provide activities that help children learn about diversity  position the fire blanket so that it can be easily accessed in the event of an emergency.

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the early years provision

Children are well safeguarded overall and they clearly feel safe and comfortable in the childminder's care. She takes steps to promote safety in the home and on outings. She has clear procedures for child protection and is able to explain what This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 she would do if she thought that children may be subject to harm or neglect. Risk assessments are used generally well to identify hazards in the home, although the fire blanket in the kitchen has not been attached to the wall in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. In all other respects, however, a good level of attention is paid to keeping children safe and relevant permissions are in place for emergency and medical treatment. The childminder demonstrates a willingness to drive improvement to the service she offers. For example, she keeps up to date with current childcare practices through reading publications and discussions with

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the early years provision

her network childminding group. She intends to attend additional training in the future to further develop her skills. Despite this, her ability to evaluate the quality of her service and thereby make plans for improvement are not strong enough. As a result, there are some gaps in the educational programme due to limited planning for individual children and their next steps. However, a satisfactory range of resources are easily accessible in the home and used to engage children's interests and thereby, help them learn. Partnerships with parents have been developed through the sharing of policies and procedures, discussions of children's progress and a warm and friendly approach. Partnerships with other agencies are emerging, for example, the childminder has developed links with other local childminders to share best practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children in the setting have only attended for a few months and have settled well during this time. This is due to the childminder forging warm relationships with them and they show a sense of trust and security in her company. Detailed and useful information is obtained from parents and policies shared with them to support the care of the children. There is a daily routine which helps children feel secure and meets their needs. They enjoy a clean environment, active physical play indoors and out, as well as fresh snacks and regular drinks. Younger children enjoy frequent cuddles and games with the childminder, as well as regular times for sleep and meals. She sits and reads books to help them develop their understanding of communication and language. Daily trips to the park and the school run enable children to enjoy physical activity, as well as ball games in the garden. Regular outings foster children's understanding of the community in which

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and outcomes for children

they live and helps children develop social skills when playing with others. However, there are few home based activities that provide children with opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures. They do explore their creativity indoors through drawing and painting when older children are encouraged to mix their paints and talk about the colours. Music and dancing make learning fun and they love the instruments such the piano in the playroom. Although the childminder records some observations of child interests, the information is not sufficiently evaluated to plan for the next steps in children's learning. Consequently, there are times when the childminder tends to focus on quite formal learning such as number and letter writing as a prime importance, even for very young children. This approach to learning does not sufficiently focus on individual children's stage of development and is not likely to foster their

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and outcomes for children

progress. However, there is a satisfactory range of play materials available to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children in the play room. They enjoy choosing and responding to activity toys and at these times, the childminder supports their learning through freely chosen play. Trips to the local library and playgroups further support this aim and contributes to the children's ability to develop skills for the 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 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 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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