Childminder in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY408169 Inspection date 14/01/2011 Inspector Debbie Newbury

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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 lives with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and 17-month-old grandchild in Taplow near Maidenhead in South Buckinghamshire. The home is close to local schools, parks, library and other community facilities. Childminding mostly takes place on the ground floor of the home, with toilet facilities provided in this area. Children sleep downstairs or upstairs as requested. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder's daughter works as her co-childminder.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight, when working on her own, of whom not more than three may be in the early years age range. When working with her co-childminder she is registered to care for a maximum of 11 children under eight, of whom not more than five may be in the early years age range. There are currently 10 children on roll, of whom six are in the early years age range. Days and times of children's attendance vary.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder undertakes school runs as required and regularly takes children to local toddler groups and parks.

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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 at ease in a warm, welcoming environment. They are supported by a newly registered childminder who is developing her knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She provides an inclusive setting although there are currently weaknesses in respect of some aspects of children's learning and development and working in partnership with parents and other providers. There are also some gaps in arrangements for ensuring all areas of children's safety are fully addressed. The childminder's capacity for continuous improvement is satisfactory.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure appropriate fire control equipment, for example, a fire blanket, is in place. (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 31/01/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop systems for tracking children's development in each area of learning to ensure their progress towards the early learning goals is effectively monitored and use the information gathered to plan for the next steps in their learning  gather information about children's starting points and develop a regular two- way flow of information with parents and other providers, such as nurseries, to ensure a shared approach to supporting children's learning and development  review the risk assessment in respect of the garden pond and update further the record of risk assessment to include any assessment of risk for each and every outing.

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the early years provision

The childminder is familiar with issues of child protection and procedures to safeguard children from abuse or neglect. Arrangements for ensuring children's safety are generally effective overall, although there is no fire blanket, which is a specific legal requirement. Children are not left unsupervised when they play in the garden. However, existing measures to ensure safety of the pond are not yet fully developed. This is an area that is receiving attention. Records of risk assessment for the home, garden and some trips children go on are in place, but these do not reflect all outings. Other records relating to childminding activities are maintained appropriately.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for by two childminders who work together as a team and who complement one another well. This arrangement of shared care allows for a degree of flexibility and means that all children receive appropriate levels of support. For instance, it is possible for some children to be taken out whilst others are sleeping. The childminder's home is warm and welcoming and toys are arranged to be easily accessible to children, thus ensuring that they can help themselves and make decisions about what they do. They move around freely and have space to relax and play in comfort. The childminder has attended required training courses and in conjunction with her co-childminder, has begun to consider some areas for further improvement. She has enrolled on some relevant training courses to assist with this. This demonstrates her commitment to develop further. However, current use of self-evaluation as a means of planning for continuous

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the early years provision

improvement is not yet sufficiently well developed.

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the early years provision

The childminder recognises the uniqueness of the children in her care and the importance of meeting their individual needs. Children begin to learn about the wider world through an exploration of those resources that are available within the home which reflect positive images of social diversity. The childminder has identified that this is an area she is able to develop further by gathering information from parents about particular festivals that children celebrate at home with their families. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Arrangements for informing parents about the organisation of the childminding service are generally informal. There is a daily exchange of information with parents about how their children spend their time, which is supplemented by a written diary. Parents are made to feel welcome and they comment very positively in written references provided for the inspection on the service provided and the

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the early years provision

care their children receive. For example, they remark on 'the friendly and welcoming feeling in the house, the way the childminders take a personal interest in each and every child' and they note that their children 'have fun and are happy and enjoy their time'. However, parents are not asked for information about their children's starting points and opportunities to discuss and agree future learning targets are not provided. Additionally, arrangements for working in partnership with other providers who also deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to children attending this setting, to ensure an integrated approach to supporting childrens care, learning and any extended support, have yet to be developed.

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and outcomes for children

Children are accommodated in a clean, well-maintained environment where they learn about good personal hygiene practices. They understand that washing their hands at appropriate times is part of the daily routine and everyone changes out of their outdoor shoes when they come inside. This is important as little children sit and play on the floor. Some children bring food from home whilst the childminders cater for others. They are building on children's awareness of healthy eating and encouraging them to try a wider range of foods. Everyone benefits from fresh air and physical activity each day through outings to parks, playing in the garden and walking to and from school where possible. These measures help ensure children stay healthy and minimise the potential for the spread of infection.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily approach both the childminder and co-childminder to express their needs, thus demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. They learn how to keep themselves and others safe with adult support. For instance, they have begun to take part in fire drills and learn about road safety. The childminder intervenes as necessary to guide children away from potentially unsafe actions.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children are generally supported in developing required skills for their future learning and to enable them to make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals through participation of a suitable range of activities and experiences, inside and outside the home. They enjoy their play and make their own selections from the different toys on offer. The childminder readily joins in and responds to their interests. For instance, she answers their questions as they point to different pictures on an alphabet chart and tells them what the different objects are, for example, explaining that an igloo is a type of house. Children enjoy snuggling up on the sofa with her to listen to stories. The childminder promotes conversation by encouraging children's input and she respects a young child's desire to try to feed themselves, by allowing them to take control of the spoon at lunchtime. The childminder and co-childminder are both developing their

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and outcomes for children

knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their role in supporting children's learning. They respond to children's particular interests. For example, they have recently taken them on a train ride because some show lots of interest in the toy trains. This adds to the different experiences they receive and allows them to explore their local community. The childminders have also gathered information about other events that take place locally and they try to include a variety of these throughout the week, such as attending story time at the library and going to different toddler groups. Thus, all children benefit from different outings, which add variety to their day and enable them to mix with other children outside of the childminding setting. The childminder and co-childminder have started to undertake informal observations on the children. However, they

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and outcomes for children

have not yet developed any system to track their progress towards the early learning goals and to plan effectively for the next steps in their learning. Consequently they cannot be sure that children are always effectively challenged.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and display confidence and a sense of security, both in their surroundings, and in the company of their carers and other children. They are treated with kindness and receive praise and encouragement, which fosters their self-esteem. Any minor issues relating to behaviour, for example, over sharing, are resolved with a minimum of fuss and clear explanations. The childminder's practice of displaying children's artwork places value on their efforts and they proudly point out their pictures. 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 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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