Childminder in Sunderland

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 305503 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Pauline Pinnegar

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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 1992. She lives with her two adult children and grandson aged 21 months in the Fulwell area of Sunderland. The ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder cares for children on weekdays from 7.45am to 5.30pm for 52 weeks of the year. The family has a pet cat.

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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 range. She currently has three children on roll who are in the early years age range. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years and there are currently two children cared for within this age group. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She escorts children to and from the local school and attends a toddler group on a regular basis.

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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 very warm and welcoming environment where all children and their families are fully included. She demonstrates a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provides a wide range of activities for children, which enables them to make good progress in their learning and development. Systems for observations and assessments are being developed. The childminder works mostly successfully with parents and other early years providers, which supports a regular exchange of information to provide an inclusive setting. Most of the required documentation is in place to safeguard children. The childminder's commitment to ongoing self-evaluation and her proactive approach to implementing changes, ensures she is constantly improving the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the record of risk assessment so that it includes information on who conducted it, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident for the outdoor play area (Documentation). 18/02/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 increase opportunities for parents and other early years providers to contribute to children's learning and development records This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop further procedures to ensure that identified next steps in learning are implemented into planning, matching the observations to the expectations of the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her provision well. She has a sound understanding of child protection issues and of her responsibility to protect children's safety and welfare, which ensures children are well protected. In addition, the childminder ensures all adults who have contact with children are suitable and appropriately vetted. The childminder has a good understanding of the requirements and the information she needs to obtain from parents to ensure all records are in place. Effective documentation is maintained with regard to the children's attendance, medication and accidents. All records are stored to maintain confidentiality. The childminder effectively records all risk assessments carried out on the premises indoors.She visually completes risk assessments for all outings and outdoors. However, the record does not reflect all identified risks for the outdoor environment which is a legal requirement. The childminder provides a service that

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the early years provision

is inclusive for all children and their families to ensure children get the support they need to make good progress. She demonstrates a genuine commitment to inclusion and has identified this as an area to update her training in order to be more proactive.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity in a very natural way, which is meaningful to the children. Children's play opportunities are maximised through the effective organisation of space, time and resources. For example, she provides a wide range of good quality resources that are easily accessible so that all children can make good choices and decisions in their play. Toys are rotated regularly to keep children interested and stimulated and the childminder makes good use of her local library for extra books. The childminder reviews her practice on a regular basis and gains feedback from parents, her local network coordinator, and other childminders to broaden his view of the service she provides. She has addressed the one recommendation raised at the previous inspection and has a clear understanding of her areas for development. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to improving her provision and is committed to improving her

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the early years provision

childcare practice by attending training.

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the early years provision

The childminder has implemented effective procedures to ensure there is good communication between herself and parents. For example, before children attend the setting the childminder builds a complete picture of their likes, dislikes, routines, individual care needs and developmental achievements through discussions with the parents. This information is recorded in the development folders. Children's learning and development records are shared regularly. However, opportunities for parents to contribute to these records are not fully explored. Parents receive detailed information in the daily communication diary and copies of all relevant policies and procedures. Parents report the childminder is 'very reliable, flexible and provides excellent childcare' and 'we are extremely pleased with the service provided and feel privileged that the children are cared for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

by such a caring childminder'. The childminder is currently developing systems to support both transitions into school and to work in partnerships with other early years providers, however, plans are in their infancy.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy and settled in the childminder's home. The childminder interacts very well with the children in their freely chosen play and she is warm and caring towards them. She has a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation as a result of attending relevant training. Flexible plans are in place to ensure that children receive a balance of adult and child-led activities delivered through indoor and outdoor play. Children are beginning to learn about the world around them as they celebrate festivals, such as, Diwali and Chinese New Year, and access varied range of resources which depict positive images of diversity. Children enjoy a wealth of outdoor experiences both in the outside play area and in the wider community, such as, parks and soft play facilities. Children particularly enjoy trips to local places of interest, such as, museums and the aquarium to investigate creatures, such as, turtles. Children use their investigative skills as they

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and outcomes for children

learn to weigh and measure ingredients for cooking and they explore the natural world as they plant tomatoes and carrots and watch them grow. The childminder has developed individual learning records for each child. These include some photographs of the children and examples of their work. Systems to link observations to the early learning goals and identify next steps are in their infancy and under development. Nevertheless, the children are making good progress in their learning and development, as the childminder knows them well and has a good understanding about their next steps in development.

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and outcomes for children

Children use their imagination well as they paint, make collage pictures and making models of ladybirds. They have fun practising early writing skills and develop their own books relating to colours, numbers and phonic sounds. Children love books and listening to stories and this is complemented with the childminder taking them to visit their local library. Children's communication and language is promoted further as they explore music and singing and also gain confidence as they socialise with their peers as they attend various groups. Children explore information and technology, such as, cameras, simple computers, magnets and 'cause and effect toys' which helps them to develop skills for the future. Children begin to concentrate well as they play with the garage and cars and are fascinated by the lever on the train track and how changes can be made as they pull the lever in different directions. This support children's early problem solving skills. The

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and outcomes for children

childminder supports children's learning well. She sits on the floor with children and encourages them in their play as she asks appropriate questions, such as, 'what will happen if we press this button' and 'how many cars do you have'.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder interacts well with the children, providing regular praise and encouragement to promote self-esteem and as a result, children behave well. Children are encouraged to share and take turns. Children's safety is fully supported. They feel safe within the childminder's home and they confidently approach her and any visitors to the home. They are independent and are clearly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 able to make independent choices about activities and foods for snack time. The childminder maintains good standards of hygiene throughout the home, which helps to prevent the spread of infection. Children's health and welfare is fully supported through a varied and balanced diet of healthy meals and snacks which the childminder provides, such as, fresh fruits and vegetables. Children have good fun as they help to prepare their sandwiches for lunch. They gain awareness of

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and outcomes for children

their own personal hygiene and know and follow rigorous hygiene procedures, such as, washing their hands before eating. Each child has an individual in the bathroom. Safety is paramount within the setting and children visit the local fire station to help them to feel confident with the fire service and the role they play in the community. Children also take part in regular fire evacuation drills to help raise their awareness of what to do in an emergency situation. 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 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 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 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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