Childminder in West SussexOfsted inspection, 1 Feb 2011

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 155571 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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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 2001. She lives with her two school aged children in Rudgwick, West Sussex. The downstairs of the property and a bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding. The family has pet rabbits and guinea pigs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group. The childminder provides funded early education for three and four-year- olds. She is currently minding four children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 has a good understanding of each child's needs and effectively supports their welfare and learning requirements. The organisation of her home means that children are independent and keen to explore the play materials. They enjoy their activities, have fun and make good progress in their learning and development. Effective arrangements ensure that children are safe and secure in the childminder's home. Good working relationships with parents and carers support the continuity of the children's care and learning. The childminder evaluates her practice and since her last inspection has made some positive changes and improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the opportunities in everyday situations for children to use numbers and mathematical language  improve organisation and accessibility of resources so that children have more opportunities to make independent choices.

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the early years provision

The childminder has completed child protection training and has a good knowledge of safeguarding. She understands how to recognise, record and report any concerns; this means children are well protected. She has the required procedures for the safe and efficient running of the early years provision. Good quality risk assessments show how the childminder keeps children safe in her home. The This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminder has a current first aid qualification and keeps clear accident and medication records.

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the early years provision

Play areas support learning and development and young children move freely and confidently around the living room. Good quality resources are suitable for the developmental stage of the children and this means they are interested to explore and play; however, some resources are not easily accessible and this limits the children's choice. The childminder makes good use of the mobile toy library and children select their own books and resources.

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the early years provision

The childminder strives to provide a service that is inclusive for all children. She has a wide range of experience working alongside children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language. This means if children need additional support she would provide a suitable learning programme in partnership with parents and other agencies. Children learn about the diverse world in which they live through browsing books from other countries and by playing with resources that reflect diversity, such as, small world figures and dolls. Children celebrate different festive occasions and these include Chinese New Year, Australian Day and Diwali.

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the early years provision

The childminder has established good relationships with parents and carers. Before a child starts, she collects a range of information, such as, their routines and food preferences. Young children have a daily diary and this gives details about activities, sleeps and key events in the day. Photographs and learning journals show parents significant features in their child's development and indicate their progress in the areas of learning. These factors support the continuity of the children's care and mean that parents know about their child's achievements. Parents complete written questionnaires and these indicate they are happy with the provision. They comment on the childminder's professional approach, her caring attitude and the interesting activities. The childminder is aware of the importance of working in partnership with other providers and liaises with the local school and pre-school. This sharing of information helps to provide consistency and

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the early years provision

The childminder is dedicated to her childcare provision. Through self-evaluation and reflective practice she has made a number of improvements that have enhanced the quality of the children's care and learning experiences. These include the good use of learning journals and the development of risk assessments. Her self-evaluation shows she has a good understanding of her strengths and ideas for future developments.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. She has a quiet, calm attitude with the children; this means they are happy, settled and spend most of their time purposefully. Learning journals are developing well and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 show that children make good progress in the areas of learning. The childminder effectively uses photographs and observations to record what children can do and to plan their next steps. Children are keen to develop their communication skills because the childminder acknowledges their attempts and this means they vocalise and imitate her language. They learn about the language of books and select stories they would like to browse with the childminder. Her good interaction encourages children to talk about the pictures and to ask questions. Children

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and outcomes for children

explore the properties of shapes and try and fit them in a shape sorter; however, opportunities to learn about numbers and mathematical language through daily activities and routines are limited. Children enjoy musical activities and toddlers begin to respond to songs. In particular, they are enthusiastic to play musical instruments and explore different sounds they can make with the large drum and hand bells. Children find out about the world in which they live when they collect conkers on a nature walk and visit local farms and parks.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure at the childminder's home. They are happy to leave her side and explore their environment. They spend time looking at the resources and then choose their favourites, for example, they select the garage and cars. The childminder praises the children and speaks to them with respect and this helps them to develop a positive self-esteem. When children visit toddler groups, they begin to develop social skills as they play alongside other children.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play in a safe and secure environment. The childminder has a number of safety precautions and procedures in place, such as, guidance to follow if a child is missing or uncollected. Children regularly practise fire evacuation procedures and this means they know what to do in the event of an emergency. Safety equipment includes a smoke detector, fire blanket and safety gates. Supervision is good and the organisation of some resources and play areas mean that children begin to make their own decisions; such as they choose their preferred story book. The childminder teaches children to keep safe, for example, if they are out, she helps them learn about road safety awareness. The childminder has written permission for routine trips and her written risk assessments indicate that children are kept safe on outings.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about healthy routines and wipe their hands before eating their food. They enjoy a varied diet, such as, cereal and fresh fruit for breakfast and their own cup of water. Children engage in a good range of physical activities. In the childminder's garden, they develop their large coordination skills as they use the wheeled vehicles and they enjoy exploring a soft play area at a local group. There are opportunities for children to develop their small motor skills, such as, jigsaw puzzles and tapping shapes with a hammer.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children develop their skills for the future and responds positively to the sounds and gestures they use to communicate their wishes. Toddlers are keen to play with interactive toys and are fascinated to see what happens when they press, twist and turn the buttons on an alphabet interactive toy. They begin to learn about technology skills when they draw on a pad and see the picture on the computer screen. They find out about the community when they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 visit the local school for a reading afternoon or Sports Day. 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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