Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 201624 Inspection date 23/02/2011 Inspector Sue McCourt

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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 has been registered since 2001. She lives with her two children aged 11 and 16 years in a residential area of Hastings. The ground floor is generally used for childminding although children have access to the whole house. There is also a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for six children under eight years, three of whom can be in the early years age range. She is currently minding 10 children for a variety of part-time sessions including three in the early years age range.

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Description of the childminding

The family keeps two dogs and two guinea pigs as pets. There is an area of the garden sectioned off for use by the dogs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 makes good provision for meeting children's needs. Children benefit from a caring and nurturing atmosphere and the childminder gets to know them as individuals, provides for their interests and overall plans a good variety of stimulating activities. The childminder is always looking for new ideas and ways to improve and consults informally with parents and children, as well as evaluating her own practice. Her capacity for continuous improvement is therefore good.

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further?

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

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further?

 support children's exploratory play and build on their personal ways of playing with different materials.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a robust attitude to safeguarding and is clear with parents about her duties and responsibilities. She is aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and is very protective of children's privacy. The childminder has a current first aid certificate and takes her record-keeping very seriously in terms of the accident and medication records. She has created a very safe environment for children in her home and has risk assessed everything that they may come into This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 contact with. The childminder manages risk well so that children can learn new skills such as climbing stairs in an appropriate way.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear ethos at the heart of her work with children and aims to foster their independence, treating them with courtesy, and expecting them to treat each other in the same way. This feeds directly into her anti-discriminatory practice as she creates an atmosphere where children can share ideas and learn to respect a variety of different cultures and views. She has good skills with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is particularly experienced with children on the autistic spectrum. She is beginning to use self-evaluation as a formal method of improving her practice, and has always taken ideas from children, parents and other settings to fulfill her ambitions for her work. Her enjoyment of the work is evident, and her commitment to the children is strong.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good range of resources and play equipment to meet children's needs across all areas of learning. She uses these resources skillfully to provide themed days and lots of interactive games, and also makes good use of the local amenities such as the beach, parks and physical play areas. The childminder is always alongside children in her care so that they can consistently benefit from her communicative and friendly interaction. Parents appreciate her open and flexible approach, and value the warmth and security she provides for their children. The childminder in turn values their ideas and works with them to ensure good continuity of care. The childminder extends this work with other daycare settings and works to improve the communication systems so that the children's needs are central. They share information about the child's day both verbally and in a book, so that all three parties are well informed. This gives the

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the early years provision

children good support, especially where a child has a special educational need.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is very closely supported. Young children can follow their personal routine when in the childminder's care and enjoy a balance of busy and restful times. Children have regular snacks and meals, and can have a drink at any time. Children are evidently very secure in the childminder's home, and enjoy a warm and affectionate relationship, confident that they can go to her at any time for reassurance. The childminder gets to know each child well, and plans her activities to suit their interests. For example, she has a range of books easily available for the child who is particularly fond of them. Each child's achievements and development milestones are recorded in a scrapbook and the childminder makes links with the Early Years Foundation Stage to track their progress and note their next steps. She then adapts the learning environment or activities to facilitate the next stage. The childminder is very communicative with children to ensure that

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and outcomes for children

they build a good vocabulary and are confident talkers. She is alongside to teach skills and promote children's independence. Sometimes, however, the childminder errs on the side of teaching skills when a child is experimenting and handling materials such as paint and paper in unconventional ways. This can have an impact on children's capacity to explore and investigate. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are very safe in the childminder's care. The learning environment is carefully managed to reduce any risk of harm and the children's health and well- being is closely watched. Children enjoy a healthy lifestyle with active play and regular outings to play in the fresh air. Parents provide the food, and the childminder works with them to ensure that children have a healthy, balanced diet. Hygiene standards are high which reduces the risk of cross-infection and ensures

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and outcomes for children

that children learn good personal hygiene habits, such as putting tissues straight in the bin and washing their hands before eating.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in the childminder's care and enjoy active, independent play. They are confident to ask questions and initiate new games. They have good access to quality play materials, and relish the exciting themed days that the childminder organises. For example, they design and make their own monsters out of art materials, choose names for their creations and then role play as the characters. They also have time to build play over time by selecting stones from the beach one day and painting them the next, or watch the flowers they planted grow in the garden. This helps them to reflect on the past and know that their activities have value. The childminder sets high expectations for social skills and is an excellent role model for using 'please' and 'thank you' and being considerate of others. Children behave very well in her care and can be sure that they will be listened to and valued. Children are free to chat about their day and

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and outcomes for children

what they think and the childminder encourages cooperation and respect. The skills that children build in being cooperative and independent learners give them good skills for the future. 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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