Childminder in GloucestershireOfsted inspection, 28 Feb 2011

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY343519 Inspection date 28/02/2011 Inspector Angela Cole

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and their two children aged four and seven years in a three-bedroom house in Bishops Cleeve on the outskirts of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The whole house is registered for childminding and children play on the ground floor and in the enclosed front and rear gardens with paved, decked and grassed areas. They use upstairs, bathroom facilities.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for four children at any one time, including two in the early years age group. There are variations for her to childmind extra, named children on given days. She is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to offer childcare before, during and after school. There are currently five children on roll aged from ten months to three years on a full and part-time basis. The childminder also cares for older children.

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Description of the childminding

The house is within easy walking distance of shops, a park, a library and a toddler group and the childminder takes and collects children to and from a playgroup and a primary school. The childminder holds a Level 3 qualification and is a member of the National Childminding Association. She is an accredited childminder and is currently in receipt of funding for early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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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 achieve well as the childminder gets to know the children well and ensures that activities and experiences, overall, actively promote their learning and development. Children's health and safety are effectively promoted through well implemented policies and procedures that are mostly up to date. Strong links with parents and other early years providers help to involve them in the children's care and education, and they are kept very well informed of their progress. Ongoing improvement is given due consideration as the conscientious childminder reflects on her practice and takes effective action to improve the quality of her provision for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 maximise children's involvement in activities and extend their independent access to natural materials  review the policies and procedures, including those for complaints, to provide parents with up-to-date information about the children's welfare. 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 effectively safeguarded as the childminder has a secure knowledge of the different aspects of child protection. She is aware of the procedure to follow if she has any concerns about a child in her care. Both adults in the household are vetted and the childminder keeps a list of suitable people to act as cover in emergency. Overall, she implements detailed policies and which accurately reflect her daily practice with the children, although the complaints procedures are not fully reviewed to provide parents with up-to-date information. The childminder has conducted comprehensive risk assessments on her home, garden and for all outings taken with the children. These are all shared with parents to ensure they are fully informed about the setting. All other required documentation is in place to meet all the needs of the children and to ensure the safe and efficient management of the provision.

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the early years provision

The childminder is well organised and makes effective use of the available space within her home. Children are able to move freely, depending on which activities they are taking part in. Babies and children use a good range of quality, well presented toys and resources. A number of these are stored in low-level units, giving them independent access and choice in their play and learning. The childminder displays photographs of the children's activities during that week; this gives them a sense of belonging and values what they do.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides an enjoyable, caring environment for children where equality and diversity are effectively promoted. She recognises the importance of liaising closely with other professionals delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to support consistency in children's learning. Her partnerships with parents and carers are highly effective. Families are provided with good quality information when they first contact the childminder. Ongoing information is then shared through detailed daily diaries, informal feedback and informative children's assessment to which several parents contribute. This helps parents to feel involved in their child's learning and they value her calm, flexible approach.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to improving her knowledge and practice. Since her last inspection she has used a variety of sources for training to enable her to extend her practice. The recommendations raised at the last inspection have been well addressed, showing a commitment to continuous improvement. Her ongoing, reflective practice has helped her to identify areas for development. This has resulted in her becoming accredited to further improve outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and children make good progress in their learning and development. This is because the childminder takes care to identify their individual needs and interests This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and uses these effectively to plan and foster experiences that interest, stimulate and equip them with skills for the future. They confidently use their initiative to solve problems, such as counting threaded beads and solving puzzles. As their key person, the childminder knows the children and their families well. This, along with an extensive programme of observation, means that children's activities are regularly assessed and monitored to plan for their next steps.

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and outcomes for children

All children achieve well in their learning and development as they persevere at their chosen play and develop good self-esteem. They are often challenged to be fully involved and to progress to higher levels in all areas of learning, and particularly in communication, language and literacy. This is because children are well engaged in interesting conversations, in varied mark-making and in listening to story books that they have chosen from the childminder's shelves and the public library. They become engrossed in their own ideas using a wide range of creative media, including dough, paint and collage materials. They develop good skills on challenging physical equipment in the garden where they have access to some natural materials, such as sand and water. In the summer, they grow a wide range of vegetables, fruit and flowers and investigate mini beasts, including ladybirds.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages feel safe and secure with the childminder as they develop strong attachments to her. They enjoy their time in her home and settle quickly to their chosen play. They keep themselves safe as they handle tools correctly, for example, learning to use cutlery carefully in cooking activities and at meal times. They have a good awareness of potential dangers and how to avoid them, for example, talking about pretend 'ovens' being 'hot' and using a pedestrian crossing to enhance their road safety. They are familiar with emergency procedures as they frequently practise evacuation drills. Children readily adopt healthy lifestyles, spending time out of doors in the fresh air each day, willingly following hygiene routines and making healthy food choices at meal times.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate caring attitudes towards younger ones as they include them in their play. They learn to share the resources and to take turns, for example, with battery toys. The clear expectations of the childminder and the appropriate boundaries set mean that children receive effective support to behave and to have good manners. The children are confident, inquisitive and enthusiastic because the childminding provision effectively meets their needs and provides interest and enjoyment. 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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