Childminder in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY400013 Inspection date 07/02/2011 Inspector Karen Tervit

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 has been registered since September 2009. She lives with her husband and their two sons, aged seven and 13 years, in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough. The whole of the ground floor of the house and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding purposes and there is an enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play. The home is close to local shops, playgroups, primary schools, a recreation centre and a lake. The family have two pet cats.

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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 five children under eight years of age, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group. She is currently caring for five children in the early years age range. All of whom attend on a part-time basis. She takes and collects children from the local school. The childminder attends local parent and toddler groups, is a member of the National Childminding Association and of a local childminding support group.

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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 are cared for in a very warm, welcoming and inclusive environment. The childminder has a good awareness of children's individual abilities. Consequently, they are making overall good progress in their learning. Partnerships with parents and others are good. The childminder is constantly evaluating her strengths and areas for development. She is committed and enthusiastic about continually improving her practice and she attends regular training, to help her promote better outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to build upon the systems already in place for recording all children's progress, including matching observations to the expectations of the early learning goals and identifying learning priorities

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the early years provision

Children are well protected. The childminder has a wealth of written policies and procedures, including child protection, uncollected child and complaints, and she uses these effectively to underpin her practice. She has good systems in place to review these on a regular basis. All adults in the household have been suitably vetted. Well-maintained systems are in place to record children's details, medication and accidents. These are all up to date and stored to promote This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 confidentiality. The childminder completes comprehensive risk assessments for her home and outings and there is a detailed written record of these. She has completed recent safeguarding training and has a good understanding of child protection issues, including procedures to follow should she have any concerns. This helps to safeguard children.

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the early years provision

Children's play opportunities are maximised through the effective organisation of space, time and resources. Children enjoy playing in the dedicated play room, which is a number and print rich environment. They also access other ground floor rooms for meals and rests. Excellent storage systems enable even the youngest of children to self-select resources and make choices safely. This helps to foster their decision making and independence skills. The childminder does not have any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities attending the setting. However, she has a positive attitude towards ensuring that all children are included and for working closely with parents, to meet individual needs. The childminder has an extremely positive approach to equality and diversity and provides a welcoming environment for all children and their families. She provides a wide range of resources and activities which help to promote children's awareness of a

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the early years provision

diverse society. The childminder is continually evaluating her provision, in order to further develop the quality of care and learning she provides. She is a member of the local support network and regularly attends training, to inform and enhance her practice. The childminder is in the process of completing a Level 3 qualification in childcare and education. She has positively addressed the actions and recommendation made at her last inspection and children's welfare in now further assured.

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the early years provision

Children are able to settle according to their individual needs. Parents discuss children's needs with the childminder before they start and supply detailed 'All about me' information. They are extremely well informed about the provision, the activities provided and routines, through daily conversations and a wide range of written and photographic information. Parents written comments about the setting are very positive. The childminder has built strong links with the local nurseries children attend, in order to promote continuity of care.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled and relate exceptionally well to the childminder, as she joins in with their play. The childminder talks to them constantly as they play together. For example, she names the different animals they play with and the sounds they make, encouraging their growing vocabularies. She is skilled at asking them questions to help them think about what they are doing, which extends their learning. The childminder also uses some 'baby signing' techniques, alongside talking to babies to encourage their communication skills. The clear routine for the day includes a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play.

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and outcomes for children

Individual files for each of the children have been developed. The childminder makes perceptive and interesting observations of the children. She uses these to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assess children's progress, inform her planning to cover all areas of learning and takes very good account of children's interests. However, these are in the early stages of development for the youngest children. Children especially enjoy outings in the local environment to places, such as toddler groups, the nearby lake and parks. They delight in playing with the musical instruments and rolling the different sized balls along the bamboo pipes. They thoroughly enjoy being creative with paint, sand and water. They develop their physical skills as they walk, run, climb and scramble at the local play park and in the garden or enjoy sit and ride toys in the house. They have good opportunities to follow their interests, as they complete

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and outcomes for children

simple inset puzzles or investigate the lights and sounds made by the electronic ball. Regular opportunities are provided for children to explore numbers and to sort and match objects through fun activities. Children celebrate festivals and special events and learn to respect similarities and differences of each other. For example, they make lanterns for Chinese New Year and salt dough candle holders for Diwali.

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and outcomes for children

Children are welcomed into a safe home, where they have sufficient space to play. They experience good levels of supervision and appropriate safety equipment is in place to ensure hazards are reduced. For example, there is a fire blanket on the kitchen wall and safety gate at the play room entrance. Children are learning to keep themselves safe, for example, they know they have to be securely fastened into their highchairs. Age-appropriate techniques, such as discussion and distraction, along with clear and consistent boundaries, are used to good effect to promote children's positive behaviour. The childminder talks to the children about sharing toys and resources and the importance of helping to tidy up. Children do not attend if they are sick, which enables the childminder to protect others from illness. Children are beginning to understand simple health and hygiene practices, for example, they know they need to have their hands washed before they have

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and outcomes for children

snack. The childminder provides children with a healthy and balanced diet. 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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