Childminder in Shropshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 223719 Inspection date 15/02/2011 Inspector Sarah Rhodes

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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 1990. She lives with her husband and adult daughter in Whitchurch, Shropshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. She has two cats and a dog as pets.

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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, no more than three of whom may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding four children in this age group on a part-time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder collects children from the local school and nursery.

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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

The childminder aims to provide a home-from-home environment with care that meets each individual child's needs. The children are happy, settled and enjoy their time with her. The childminder is still developing her knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage's six areas of learning. She is also in the early stages of implementing the observation and assessment requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and procedures for assessing each child's progress are not yet robust. Clear systems for evaluating the provisions strengths and weaknesses and driving improvements in the provision are not currently in place. However, the childminder has taken positive steps to meet the recommendations identified at the last inspection and attend additional training.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the methods for recording observations and assessments and use these to identify and plan the learning priorities for each child, matching the observations to the expectations of the early learning goals, and monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals, involving parents in the process  develop the use of self-evaluation as part of an internal review to inform planning of future improvements  update the complaints policy to include the contact details for Ofsted  consider the promotion of children's health by taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection; this relates to the use of towels  develop links with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers to ensure continuity of care and education. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded appropriately. The childminder ensures that she has a secure knowledge of child protection procedures, her ultimate role and what records need to be kept. She can demonstrate a confidence and competence in her ability to ensure children are protected from harm or neglect. She has undertaken risk assessments for both the premises and outings and maintains a safe and secure building. She is also aware of the need to be vigilant when on trips out.

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the early years provision

The childminder has completed all recommendations made at the last inspection. She welcomes the suggestions made by the local authority development worker and has implemented some changes following these visits. Lack of an organised self-evaluation means that there is limited drive to maintain continuous improvement, resulting in observation and assessment systems remaining at an early implementation stage and links with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers remaining at the planning stage. She has attended a number of courses to enhance her knowledge and seeks courses to expand her knowledge in areas she is interested in. Most paperwork is in place and well organised, with only the complaints policy lacking some necessary detail.

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the early years provision

The childminder places much emphasis on building partnerships with parents and has a range of ways of sharing information with them. Daily verbal exchanges with parents help her build partnerships with them to ensure continuity in the children's care between the home and the setting. These are supported by written policies which give parents a further insight into how their child's care is organised. The childminder understands the needs of the individual children she cares for and has organised her play space to allow children to access a range of appropriate equipment. This ensures that no child is disadvantaged and all children have their needs met appropriately.

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and outcomes for children

The provision for children's learning, development and welfare is satisfactory. The children benefit from a warm, homely atmosphere where they can enjoy a lot of individual attention. This means that each child's interests and care needs can be catered for. The childminder has introduced a system for recording brief observations of some of the children's achievements each month. However, the childminder makes only limited use of the Early Years Foundation Stage to guide her assessment of these observations. This impacts on her planning of the next steps in children's learning to ensure they make adequate progress towards all of the early learning goals. It also impacts on her ability to monitor that a full range of activities covering all aspects of the six areas of learning are being provided for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled and happy in the childminder's home. She ensures an adequate range of activities are provided which keep children well occupied. They This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enjoy lots of conversation to encourage their speech and they share books. Rhymes and songs are used to encourage an enjoyment of words and rhythm, and the childminder has undertaken training to expand her knowledge of phonics and her ability to support the children's learning. Children are starting to make marks with a variety of crayons and pencils. Counting and identifying colour and shape are woven into the daily routines. The natural world is explored during walks in the local area, as well as through growing vegetables in a dedicated vegetable bed in the garden. Provision of equipment and activities that extend children's knowledge of cultures and beliefs are provided. Children have access to larger equipment in

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and outcomes for children

indoor play centres and local parks, giving them opportunities to develop their balancing and climbing skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to enjoy fresh air and walk to school and nursery. They learn how to keep themselves safe by learning to cross roads and they are involved in emergency evacuation drills which consolidate their knowledge in this area. The childminder serves healthy food, including fruit and vegetables, which is supplied by the children's parents. Clear procedures about hygiene, both personal hygiene and hygiene of the home, allow children to enjoy a generally clean and healthy environment. However, the use of a communal towel does expose them to possible cross-infection. The childminder manages the children's behaviour in a positive way, praising the children, using distraction and ensuring simple rules are clear to them. Children are making acceptable progress in developing skills for the future and the move to school when the time comes. 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 2 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 3 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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