Childminder in Essex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY412565 Inspection date 06/01/2011 Inspector Moira Oliver

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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 and lives with her family in Harwich, Essex. The whole of the property is registered, however childminding takes place mostly on the ground floor. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre- schools. The family has a cat and goldfish as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. There are currently 10 children on roll, three of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage and attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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

Children have fun in the bright and stimulating learning environment and make very good progress in their development. They build close bonds with the childminder, her family and the other children who attend. Children's welfare is promoted well, they are safe, secure and learn to live healthy lives. Children benefit because the childminder works very closely with the parents and strong trusting relationships are built. The childminder has begun to use self-evaluation to monitor her provision. She is dedicated to her role and strives to improve her good practice further.

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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 reflective practice to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement that will improve the quality of the provision further  carry out regular evacuation drills and record details of any problems encountered and how they were resolved.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of her roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children from abuse and neglect. She has attended training and clear, detailed policies and procedures support her practice. Professionally presented information about the setting is provided for all parents, ensuring they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are aware of all policies and procedures. Children are supervised at all times and very thorough risk assessments ensure her home and garden are safe. The premises are secure, children cannot leave unsupervised and unauthorised persons cannot gain access.

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the early years provision

The good quality care is a result of the childminder's dedication to her role. She is keen to update her knowledge and skills further and is currently working towards accreditation. She has begun to evaluate her setting and has identified her strengths. However, self-evaluation is in the early stages and does not identify or detail areas for development that would improve outcomes for children further.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her home to ensure that children have access to a wealth of resources that are easily accessible both indoors and out. She actively promotes equality and diversity and ensures that all children are included. Resources such as dolls, books, board games, calendars and posters provide opportunities for discussions about similarities and difference. Older children bring ideas from school increasing knowledge and awareness of religions and they celebrate festivals from a range of cultures.

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the early years provision

Beautifully presented, detailed developmental records are shared monthly with the parents providing opportunities for them to contribute and be involved in their child's learning in the setting. Daily diaries are used for the younger children and parents are encouraged to share information in them. Questionnaires are given to all parents to find out their views and encourage feedback. Parents are extremely happy with the setting and state that their children love attending. They speak highly of the childminder and state that their children are achieving well. The childminder works in partnership with other early years settings that the children attend. Reports from previous settings are added to the children's folders to support the childminder to provide appropriate and consistent care.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, confident and settle extremely well in the rich and stimulating play environment. They happily involve the childminder, and her own children, in their play as they chat about what they are making. They make their own choices about the activities they take part in and the outings they go on. Children take pride in their environment, making it their own with pictures and models which hang from the ceiling. The childminder knows the children very well, trusting relationships have developed and it is clear they are very fond of each other. She is constantly taking photographs and noting down development. Next steps in individual children's learning are identified and used to plan exciting and motivating activities covering all areas of development. The childminder supports their play by asking relevant questions encouraging them to solve problems and think for themselves.

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and outcomes for children

The print rich environment encourages the children's love of books and the childminder supports them to make their own stories into books. Children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 communicate together and with the childminder, they are inquisitive and ask lots of questions. Older children have opportunities to write their names and younger ones are supported by the older ones. Babies and young children learn about their faces and where their eyes and nose are. They enjoy filling and emptying containers and explore treasure baskets. Children are becoming confident with counting and compare shape and size as they build a range of towers. They take part in junk modelling and happily explore the range of materials available and offer ideas to others about how they could make their models. They use their imaginations to make a whole city with train track, bricks and other construction

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and outcomes for children

toys, sharing the resources and co-operating together. Children go on many outings and have daily opportunities to play outdoors. They explore their local and wider community with trips to the beach, library, museums, parks, woodland, farms and indoor play areas. They climb, balance, slide and crawl developing their physical skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is promoted well through regular exercise and healthy eating. The childminder prepares home cooked meals and has a good understanding of balanced and varied diets. They eat fruit for snacks and drinks are always available. Allergies and food intolerances are recorded and she has clear procedures in place to ensure children are safe. Children learn about personal hygiene and nappy changing procedures are robust. They learn to keep themselves safe and talk about what they would do if they needed to evacuate the house. However, evacuation procedures have not yet been practised. There are clear rules for the use of the trampoline and a safety net is in place. Children behave well, they play well together, negotiating, co-operating and sharing the equipment. They are taught good manners and are very caring towards each other. The childminder has effective strategies to support children to manage their

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and outcomes for children

own behaviour. She shows them respect and provides a positive role model for them to follow. 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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