Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 208811 Inspection date 28/02/2011 Inspector Janice Walker

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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 2000. She lives with her husband and two children aged 12 and 16 years in Lincoln. The home is within walking distance of local facilities including schools, a park and shops and is accessible by one step. All areas of the property are used for childminding although this mainly takes place on the ground floor with toilet facilities situated on the first floor. There is an enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play. The family have a pet rabbit which is kept in a cage in the hallway.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, three of whom may be in the early years age range. Currently, there are 10 children on roll, five of whom are in the early years range. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She provides care all year round and 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's clear policies, procedures and effective practices ensure all children are safeguarded. They make good progress in their learning and development because they participate in an interesting range of experiences within the home and in the local community. Effective relationships with parents contribute to continuity of care and learning experiences for each individual child and good relationships with other providers ensure that their welfare is promoted to a good standard. The childminder has responded positively to recommendations made at her last inspection and evidences a good awareness of her current strengths and areas for improvement. She has established effective systems to support her in continuing to develop and improve her provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 make better use of observations to inform planning in order to ensure that children are provided with an appropriate level of challenge and consider the organisation of resources to best support this  improve the systems for sharing information with other providers where the care of children is shared, in order to fully promote consistency and continuity of care and learning  improve the level of detail on the risk assessment relating to the indoor area so that it covers anything with which a child may come into contact. 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 kept safe in the childminder's care. The childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibilities regarding child protection. She has attended relevant training to ensure her knowledge is up to date and shares her written policy with parents so that they are clear of requirements. Robust procedures are in place to ensure that adults remain suitable to be in contact with young children. Policies and procedures, such as those relating to emergency care arrangements, children not being collected and dealing with accidents, ensure that unplanned situations can be dealt with efficiently. Risk assessments for outings and transporting children are comprehensive, helping to keep children safe when outside of the home. The childminder has undertaken a risk assessment of the home environment, but the level of detail does not cover anything with which a child may come into contact. However, the childminder's practice is good. She

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the early years provision

undertakes a daily check of the areas used by children to ensure that they are hazard-free and that identified safety measures are in place. All other required records and documents are comprehensively maintained and used to underpin the safe and efficient management of the setting. The childminder is well-organised to ensure that she is able to effectively meet children's needs. She makes good use of space within the home using the conservatory as the children's designated play space with room in the lounge for younger children to sleep undisturbed. The storage of toys enables children to see what is available and access some of them independently.

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the early years provision

The childminder has established positive relationships with parents. She gathers detailed information from them regarding children's backgrounds, beliefs, routines and preferences so that she can meet children's individual needs. She has established effective communication systems to ensure that information is shared regarding children's daily care and parents value the opportunity to view their children's assessment records. The childminder has good relationships with providers where the care of children is shared. However, systems are not yet fully effective in ensuring that children receive an integrated approach to their care and learning. The childminder has undertaken a self evaluation and demonstrates a good awareness of her current strengths and areas requiring further development. She seeks verbal feedback about her service from parents and responds positively to advice from other childcare professionals. She has acted upon the

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the early years provision

recommendation from her last inspection, which has resulted in her increased knowledge of some specific aspects of child protection issues. She keeps abreast of current issues through her regular attendance at training events, use of information from childcare organisations and through the strong links she has with other local childcare providers. She makes effective use of information gathered to support the continual improvement of her service. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder forms good relationships with children and they are happy and settled in her care. She is developing a sound knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provides a wide variety activities and experiences, which cover all areas of learning. She makes ongoing, useful observations to identify children's interests and achievements and makes good use of these to monitor their progress towards each of the early learning goals. However, she is not yet making best use of the information gathered from observations to influence the planning of activities in order to ensure that they provide an appropriate level of challenge. Children freely move around their identified play space and confidently select the toys they can reach or request those they cannot, but can see. The organisation of toys means that there is a good range and they are easily accessible but there is scope to develop this further, extending opportunities for

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and outcomes for children

children to access a wider selection of play materials of their choice independently. Young children are beginning to vocalise and imitate adults and, through gestures and basic attempts at speaking, they are able to make their needs and wishes known. Children particularly enjoy jigsaw puzzles, showing great pleasure as they competently complete quite complex ones. Craft activities are a firm favourite and children happily create their own designs using a selection of materials. They confidently attempt to use new peel-and-stick resources, showing good hand and eye coordination and concentration skills. Planned outings provide wider experiences for children. They learn basic mathematical skills as they count identified objects on the way to school, learn new songs and rhyming patterns, move to music during dance sessions and develop an awareness and understanding of the natural world through visits to the park to feed the ducks.

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and outcomes for children

They also begin to learn about others through taking part in fundraising activities. Children are constantly stimulated due to the childminder's active engagement with them as they play effectively supporting their continued progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children remain safe due to the childminder's vigilant supervision and appropriate use of safety equipment, such as her use of gates to ensure children remain within her sight. Young children begin to develop an understanding of possible dangers and how to stay safe through routines such as practising the emergency evacuation plan. The childminder's ongoing communication helps to raise children's awareness of general safety issues, such as not running indoors and being gentle near younger children. Children's good health is promoted through regular opportunities for fresh air and exercise. Children walk to and from school each day and enjoy many opportunities for physical activity. For example, they regularly visit local parks with large apparatus, play in the well-equipped garden and visit indoor soft play areas. They enjoy regular meals and snacks and the childminder supports them to eat a well balanced meal. Good standards of cleanliness are maintained

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and outcomes for children

within the home and the childminder has effective procedures for hygiene and encourages children to learn about this during the daily routines. Along with clear policies, such as those relating to children who are unwell, this contributes to minimising the risk of spreading infection. The childminder encourages good manners, positive behaviour and respect for others through her high levels of attention and effective use of praise. She provides clear and consistent guidance This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 regarding what is acceptable behaviour and children are beginning to understand that they must share and take turns. They enjoy regular opportunities to attend groups in the local community which supports their developing social skills and provides opportunities to learn about the local environment. The childminder provides a good range of books, toys and activities about people from different

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and outcomes for children

backgrounds to increase children's awareness and understanding of differences. The range of experiences provided along with the good level of support children receive, ensures that they have good opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need 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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