Kwadu-Amponsem, Pauletta

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY364249 Inspection date 10/02/2011 Inspector Marcia Robinson

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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 was registered in 2007. She lives with her sister, her sister's husband and their four children aged two, three, six and nine years old. They live in a three bedroom house in the area of Thamesmead in the London borough of Greenwich. The whole of the ground floor of the premises is used for childminding. The children's bedroom on the first floor is also used for sleeping purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. When working alone, the childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children under the age of eight, of which no more than one may be in the early years age range. Currently she is caring for one child in this early years age group. When working with her sister as her assistant, the childminder is registered to provide care for a maximum of five children under the age of eight, of these not more than four may be in the early years age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11

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Description of the childminding

years. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a NVQ Level 2 qualification in childcare.

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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 experience a close relationship with the childminder and they are making sound progress in their learning and development. The childminder plans activities around children's interests and has suitable systems in place to observe children's progress and achievements. However, she is continuing to develop observations and assessments to ensure these involve parents in the ongoing process and consistently relate to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Despite there being one breach in the welfare requirements, the childminder generally safeguards and promotes children's welfare. Equality and diversity is positively promoted within the childminder's setting. She has an effective working relationship with parents, which contribute to children's emotional wellbeing and provides consistent care routines. The childminder generally reflects on the service she provides, but robust systems for monitoring the provision and identifying all areas for improvement are not fully

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further?

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

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further?

 develop knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures including the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation made against the childminder or household members (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to both 04/03/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 parts of the Childcare Register)

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure next steps are consistently identified for children and are regularly followed up and reviewed in order to track children's progress towards the early learning goals  encourage parents to be become involved in the ongoing observation of their children  develop further the use of self-evaluation to encourage a culture of reflective practice and identify aspects of the childcare provision that require further improvement

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the early years provision

The childminder has attended safeguarding training and demonstrates a sound understanding of some of the associated issues. This includes plans to update the brief written procedure, and easily accessible contact numbers are available, should she need to make a referral. However, she is not fully aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse, the appropriate action to take if she has concerns about a child or of the procedures to follow if an allegation is made against her or a member of the household. This is a breach of the welfare requirements. Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded in other aspects, as the childminder and other household members have had suitable checks completed. They are kept safe and secure in the childminder's comfortable and child-friendly home. Careful assessments for the home, garden and outings are implemented effectively to reduce the risk of accidental injury. All of the required records and the

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the early years provision

documentation that promotes children's health and wellbeing is in place. The home is well organised and welcoming, with space for children to play and access a wide variety of good quality resources that support their learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder works closely with parents to make sure she is well informed about children's individual backgrounds and needs, so that equality and diversity is effectively promoted. For instance, detailed information is obtained from parents at the start of the placement to ensure the childminder is well equipped to meet children's needs. Children benefit from the good relationship which is established with their parents. The childminder ensures they are kept up to date through daily discussions. They are given the choice of the useful daily diary or discussions for details of activities, routines and meals. Hence, the childminder reports that she kept detailed diaries in the past although, currently she gives verbal feedback to parents as this is the lines of communication they prefer. Parents are kept updated about their children's learning and development through the childminder sharing plans and observations. However, they have not been encouraged to contribute

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the early years provision

their own observations of their child through this ongoing process of observation and assessment, so that the childminder can gain a fuller picture of their development. Effective links with the local school has been established which ensures they all work closely together to promote children's continuity of care, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning and development. The childminder is currently completing an NVQ3 course in Children's Care, Learning and Development and she routinely accesses training provided by the local authority. Although, she has developed some knowledge of self-evaluation, the system in place is not fully developed to offer a fully reflective evaluation of existing practice. For instance, the childminder is aware of the strengths of the setting, but she has not been able to securely identify weaknesses in the self-evaluation process, such as knowledge and

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the early years provision

understanding of safeguarding and the further development of the next steps for children's learning and development. Nonetheless, she reviews her provision and keeps up to date by sharing ideas with other childminders and listening to feedback from parents. However, she does not yet thoroughly evaluate the quality of the provision on a regular basis so that all relevant areas for improvement are quickly identified and addressed.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implements it reasonably well. Children enjoy painting and drawing and have their creations displayed on the childminder's walls and in their portfolios, giving them pride in their work. Children show a positive relationship with the childminder and behaviour management is calm and effective. Children ask for help when they want it and take part in conversations with the childminder willingly. Praise is used appropriately and the childminder takes every opportunity to build on children's self-esteem. Children develop a sensitive awareness of diversity and an understanding of the needs of others. An example of this is the recent celebration of Chinese New Year where the children made dragons and ate noodles for their tea. They also enjoy discussions about similarities and differences using a good selection of resources reflecting diversity in books, puzzles and role-

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and outcomes for children

play resources, helping develop a positive self image. Children are happy and relate well to the childminder, as she joins in with their play. They enjoy their time in the childminding environment and are happy to participate in the activities provided. These include choosing to play with play figures and drawing. They benefit from a flexible routine, including a balance of child-centred and adult-led activities. Their communication, language and literacy skills are fostered well, through various activities, including the childminder helping them with their homework, drawing and regular visits to the library for choosing books and taking part in reading competitions. Children use information and communication technology, to support their learning, for example, as they explore a range of interactive resources. Appropriate use is made of the local area, giving children opportunities to learn about their local community through trips to the shops and

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and outcomes for children

the local soft play centre. Older and more able children are challenged sufficiently as the childminder plans to suit their growing needs. This includes providing a range of toys and activities including more difficult jigsaws and games. Mathematical concepts are developed when the children weigh and measure ingredients during cooking activities and they use numbers for counting when helping to cut up fruits for snacks. A variety of creative activities, including painting, drawing, cutting and sticking promote children's self-expression whilst This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 having fun. Sufficient effective support is given, which nurtures children's independence. Examples of this are where children use the toilet independently and put their own coats on, needing little help from the childminder. The childminder plans activities around children's interests and capabilities. There are

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and outcomes for children

satisfactory systems in place for observing and documenting children's progress and capabilities, although as yet plans for the next steps in children's progress are not consistently identified or clearly followed up and reviewed. Consequently, the system does not make it is easy to monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe indoor and outdoor environment. The childminder provides good levels of adult supervision, so children take appropriate risks as part of their development. Children's knowledge about personal safety is encouraged by consistent routines when crossing the road and regular fire drill practises. This positively contributes to children developing a sense of danger and how to keep themselves safe. Children enjoy physical play and have a variety of outdoor toys and resources to use in the rear garden. They also benefit from daily outings and trips to local children's facilities and visits to the local parks, where they have fun running around or developing their skills on the climbing frame. They are learning about the importance of good personal hygiene and are becoming increasingly independent in their personal care. For example, they know they must wash their hands after going to the toilet using liquid soap

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and outcomes for children

and individual towels to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Children are encouraged to make healthy choices when they enjoy the childminder making dishes that reflect the same cultural background of her own, such as Jollof rice or choose from a selection of fresh fruit for snacks. They benefit from independent access to fresh drinking water from the water filter machine, which helps children develop their self-help skills and understand their own thirst needs. Children's learning and understanding of healthy options are further supported by posters and pictorial displays which encourage children to eat their five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Systems are in place to gather information with regard to special dietary needs, which ensures children's individual needs are met. The childminder has a good understanding of relevant policies and procedures, such as, the action to be taken regarding a sick child and the administration of medication. This helps to

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and outcomes for children

minimise the risk of cross infection and safeguards children's health. Most of the required procedures and documentation is in place to safeguard children although the childminder is less certain of the procedures to follow if she has concerns about children's welfare. 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 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Arrangements for Safeguarding children) 04/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Arrangements for Safeguarding children) 04/03/2011

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