Childminder in Sheffield

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 300649 Inspection date 15/02/2011 Inspector Jacqueline Nation

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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, one adult child and two children aged 14 and 12 years in Sheffield. The whole ground floor of the property is used for childminding. First floor rooms are not used. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. Local shops, parks and schools are within walking distance. The premises are accessible via a number of steps up to the front door. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time. Currently there are 10 children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age range. All children attend on varied days. 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

Children benefit from being cared for by this dedicated and experienced childminder. The childminder provides very good opportunities for children to learn and develop within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are happy and relaxed as they learn through play in this welcoming and inclusive environment. Children's welfare is promoted as the childminder has developed good partnerships with parents. The childminder shows a capacity to maintain continuous improvement by reflecting on her practice and she has given some consideration to developing the system for self-evaluation.

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further?

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

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further?

 update the risk assessment record to include assessments for each specific outing  develop further the self-evaluation process to identify the strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to safeguarding children. She has a good understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and shares her role and responsibility with parents. The childminder is vigilant with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 regard to safety issues and conducts risk assessments for the home and garden. She has appropriate safety and fire detection equipment in place and children practise the emergency evacuation procedures. While the childminder is vigilant when taking children outdoors, she has yet to update her risk assessment to include all the places she visits with the children to further ensure their safety while on outings. The childminder maintains organised and effective recording systems with regard to the children's attendance, medication and accidents to ensure their welfare is promoted and their needs are met. All records are stored to

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the early years provision

The childminder offers children warm, affectionate care that supports their welfare and learning. Good quality interactions and well-established routines help children to become secure and confident in the childminder's home. The childminder uses and manages her resources very effectively to meet the needs of children. Outcomes for children are clearly attributed to the excellent use of space and the availability of a wide range of toys and resources. The childminder is committed to ensuring the provision is inclusive for all families. She demonstrates a clear understanding of how to support children with specific needs by working closely with parents. Children are encouraged to develop their understanding of a wider society and play with a range of positive images resources. They take part in planned activities about different festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is successful and valued by the childminder. The childminder gathers information from parents about their child's individual needs and parents' preferences. She gives very good consideration to the settling-in process by arranging meetings with parents and their child at a local group. This is followed by visits to the childminder's home to help the child become accustomed to the environment. Parents are kept fully informed about all aspects of their child's care and daily routine through daily discussions and the use of a diary. The childminder recognises the importance of working with outside agencies and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to support children's development and continuity of care and learning. Parents' comments about the childminding provision are very positive.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to ongoing improvement and has implemented the recommendation from the last inspection. She has updated her procedures with regards to complaints and notifiable diseases, and shares this information with parents. The childminder uses articles from early years magazines to enhance her knowledge of different aspects of childcare and shares this information with parents, for example, ideas about how to boost children's language and communication skills. Consideration has been given to the self- evaluation process, although the childminder has yet to put a system in place to monitor and evaluate the provision in order to identify her strengths and any ar eas for improvement. The childminder is taking positive steps to ensure resources and the environment are sustainable. She makes good use of local amenities and helps children to learn about recycling household materials.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from being cared for by an experienced childminder who is very committed to all the children in her care. The childminder spends time playing at their level and it is evident that children enjoy her involvement in their play. She has a good knowledge of child development and is able to support the children's learning effectively. As a result, children make significant gains in their learning in relation to their starting points and capabilities. The childminder has introduced a system to observe and assess children's progress towards the early learning goals. When planning experiences to help them take the next steps in their learning, she successfully integrates her knowledge of their abilities, individual interests and play preferences. Children's individual development books are shared with parents on a regular basis and include a lovely range of photographs showing children's achievement and enjoyment.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is a good role model and children benefit from her enthusiasm and commitment to providing fun and entertaining learning experiences. The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn through play and recognises the learning opportunities in everyday activities. Children develop confidence and social skills as they explore the local environment, visit stay and play groups and local parks. Children work extremely well independently, using their own initiative, and play a full and active role in their learning. A very good emphasis is placed on developing children's communication, language and literacy skills, which helps them to make significant progress in this area. They regularly visit the library where they play in a ball pool, listen to stories and are learning to use 'Makaton' signing when they sing songs. Children are provided with good opportunities to practise their mark-making and writing skills. The childminder

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and outcomes for children

encourages them to look at the letters that make up their name using magnetic letters and by writing their name on artwork. Children's awareness of problem solving, reasoning and numeracy is fostered very effectively using a wide range of resources. The childminder talks to children about colour, size and shape names as they play games and children confidently talk about a 'diamond' shape. They solve problems when completing puzzles and putting road and rail tracks together. Children's creativity is fully supported with a variety of resources for art and craft activities. They like to paint, dress up, dance and take part in role play. Children explore the properties of sand and water, and manipulate materials, such as, play dough and model clay, into small dishes which they decorate. The childminder skilfully creates activities and small world scenarios based on children's interests, which they thoroughly enjoy, such as, a construction site and beach scene. The

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and outcomes for children

provision for children's physical development is good and they have access to a range of resources in the garden, such as a slide, rocker and balls. Children learn about the benefits of healthy eating and posters showing fruit and vegetables are displayed in the kitchen. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is supported as they investigate a range of electronic toys and look at maps, an atlas, flags and a world globe. Overall, children have very good opportunities to develop skills to support their future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is sensitively managed and the childminder encourages This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children to think about the consequences of their actions. Children have good manners and they are encouraged to share, take turns and respect each other. Children develop a very good understanding of keeping themselves safe through their play and interactions. The childminder talks to children about road safety while on outings and creates road safety activities in the garden where children practise crossing the road. Children's welfare needs are supported effectively. The childminder has appropriate parental consent in place for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. She has completed first aid training and a first aid box is easily accessible. Children's good health and well-being is supported and positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection. Children adopt good

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and outcomes for children

personal hygiene routines and they wash their hands after using the bathroom and before meal times. Children's dietary needs are met as the childminder ascertains relevant information relating to their individual needs and parents' preferences. Most parents provide a packed lunch for their child, which is stored safely by the childminder. The childminder ensures children are provided with healthy meals and snacks to meet their needs and they have regular drinks to ensure that they remain hydrated throughout the day. 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 1 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 1 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 1

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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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