Childminder in Derby

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 205919 Inspection date 08/03/2011 Inspector Diana Pidgeon

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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 1989. She lives with her husband and nine year old child in a suburb of Derby. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding and children have use of a bedroom on the first floor for rest periods. There is supervised access to a garden area for outside play. The family has a cat, five rabbits and a tank of fish.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for five children under eight years at any one time and when working with an assistant is registered to care for six children in the early years age group. Currently there are two children on roll, both in the early years age group. The childminder has an appropriate early years qualification and has British Sign Language stage two. She 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 provides a welcoming environment where children access a broad range of age-appropriate activities that effectively support their learning. She builds strong partnerships with parents and shares information in a number of ways to ensure children's individual needs are fully understood and met. The childminder has not yet developed systems to fully support children whose care is shared with others. Children's health and safety is promoted through good daily practices and secure documentation. In her self-evaluation the childminder accurately assesses her strengths and recognises areas for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the use of observation and assessment to identify children's next steps and plan for their future learning  develop systems to share information with other providers who share the care of children to ensure continuity and progression.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes a relevant range of measures to promote children's safety in the home and when they are on outings. For example, risk assessments are in place for the home environment and the childminder is clear about the levels of supervision she provides, especially in the garden. Children take part in fire evacuation procedures and understand the boundaries in place to keep them safe. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder has safe arrangements for any outings and ensures all relevant documentation is taken with her to enable her to act in children's best interests in the event of any emergency. She is trained to administer first aid and keeps reliable records of any accidents, which are shared with parents to enable suitable further care to be given. The childminder has a secure understanding of her responsibilities towards safeguarding children from abuse and neglect and knows

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the early years provision

the action to take in the event of any concerns. She ensures she holds clear information about the children, enabling their individual needs to be known and met.

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the early years provision

The childminder creates a welcoming environment for children by setting out toys and activities in the playroom before children arrive. This allows them to quickly settle and to become absorbed with toys they like to use. She has a wealth of items for all ages and keeps the majority in a storage cupboard that is easily accessible so that she can respond to any specific requests and change items throughout the day. The daily routines respond to children's interests and include time to be outdoors and to visit places in the local community. In this way children are active and benefit from many everyday experiences, such as, travelling on a bus, visiting shops and libraries. The childminder works closely with parents and provides them with clear information about the service she offers. On a daily basis they communicate verbally and this is backed by the exchange of daily diaries that document the children's care arrangements and the activities they have done. The

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the early years provision

childminder does not currently share the care of children with other providers and has not fully considered how she would work collaboratively with them. This means children may not benefit from continuity in learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder continues to build upon her knowledge and skills by keeping her training, such as first aid, up to date. She has attended a number of short courses to enhance her practice since her last inspection and has addressed the recommendation made in relation to gaining consent before administering any medication. This is now undertaken and ensures the arrangements to safeguard and promote children's good health are improved. The childminder has started to evaluate her practice and takes account of parents' views that are expressed through written references. She shows a good commitment to ongoing improvement.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They play happily both alone and with others, becoming absorbed in their own freely chosen activities. For example, children like to arrange furniture in a dolls house and use the small people to enact scenarios that are familiar to them such as taking the children to school. Children demonstrate an understanding of sharing as they decide that by having one small pram each they are being fair. Children show good levels of confidence and are keen to experiment with and use a range of art materials. They use paper plates, crayons and different coloured streamers to create sea creatures and the childminder takes opportunities to reinforce their understanding and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 recognition of different colours. Older children start to use scissors with care and learn how to handle these safely. Younger children count to two as they choose

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and outcomes for children

wobbly eyes to put on their pictures. They proudly stick their completed work onto the door so they can see it until it is time to take it home with them. Children also learn through everyday activities, such as, helping to feed the childminder's rabbits. They are clearly familiar with this routine, naming each of the rabbits in turn and knowing how to carefully open and close the door to the hutches. Children take turns to put greens and carrots into the hutches and count carefully to make sure all have been fed. They show a very good understanding of the necessity to wash their hands after handling the animals and immediately do this on returning to the home, drying their hands on individually colour coded towels.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder plans what activities she will do with the children each day, but is flexible in her approach and is led by their interests. Through her interactions with them and involvement in activities she extends their learning well. She makes observations of what they do and is beginning to keep records of their progress. However, she is not currently making best use of these to fully support children because she is not identifying what individual children need to learn next so this can be prioritised. Through discussion and photographs the childminder demonstrates how children receive a varied and balanced curriculum across time. This includes opportunities for sensory activities such as playing with cornflour and cookie dough, playing actively on toys and equipment outdoors and enjoying a range of outings to places such as a farm. She helps children to learn about their own and other cultures through access to suitable resources and by activities such

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and outcomes for children

as making divas and carving pumpkins. Children look forward to helping make pancakes for their lunch and learn why this is a tradition on Shrove Tuesday. They routinely take part in cooking activities, such as, making cookies and muffins, which they take home to share with their families. Their knowledge of healthy eating is extended as they make fruit kebabs using a range of unfamiliar fruits and then enjoy tasting these. The childminder recognises the importance of providing healthy foods for children who enjoy fish, potatoes and peas at lunchtime. Children understand the importance of using cutlery safely and help with small tasks such as setting the table. They use good manners as they say 'please' and 'thank you' consistently and show care and kindness towards others. Children are becoming increasingly independent as they remove their own shoes as they come in from outdoors and feed themselves at lunch time. They recognise their own needs and

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and outcomes for children

are beginning to express their ideas and opinions to others. This shows that they are developing the skills needed 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 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 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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