Childminder in Peterborough

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY357249 Inspection date 09/03/2011 Inspector Anna Davies

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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 2007. She lives with her husband and one child aged four years in a township, south of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. The whole of the childminder's house is used for childminding apart from the top floor and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The house is within walking distance of local amenities, such as, schools, the library, shops, parks, toddler groups. The family has a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years register as well as the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom, no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding eight children in this age group who all attend on a part time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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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 very safe and welcoming environment where children are offered a good range of stimulating activities and learning experiences, ensuring that they make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder has established close working relationships with parents and this ensures children's individual needs are well met. Resources are deployed effectively so that children can make independent choices and become active learners. All of the required documentation is in place to promote children's welfare and systems for observing children's development are in place. The childminder has a strong capacity to maintain continuous improvement; she clearly understands her own strengths and has identified areas that she wishes to further develop in the future. She demonstrates a high commitment to her childminding and is enthusiastic about making and sustaining improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further ways to effectively use information given by parents about what they know their children can do, to further enhance assessment arrangements  develop the use of children's next steps of learning so that this information can be used during activities to offer highly individualised learning opportunities and appropriate challenge. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children procedures. She has refreshed her training in child protection to ensure that her knowledge and understanding is kept up-to-date and relevant. A clear written policy is in place and this is shared with parents so that they are aware of her duty to protect children. All relevant literature is in place and easily accessible should the childminder have concerns about a child in her care and need to make a prompt referral. Good quality risk assessments are conducted on a fortnightly and annual basis and appropriate records maintained. Those for outings are comprehensive; detailing any amendments that have needed to be made, such as, places for crossing roads due to road works. They also detail the discussions and activities that the childminder does with the children in order that they understand about keeping safe when out, such as, stranger danger and road safety. Risk

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the early years provision

assessments show the childminder has a clear understanding of minimising risks and organising the environment so that children are safe and secure. For example, doors are kept locked with the keys kept out of reach of children and a stair gate placed across the bottom of the stairs prevents children leaving the ground floor where most of the childminding takes place, unsupervised. The childminder is well organised; clear documentation and good record keeping promotes the safety and welfare of the children and underpins the good quality care offered.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a welcoming and inclusive environment where each child is valued and they are clearly happy, settled and comfortable in her care. She gives all children equal levels of attention and interaction whilst ensuring that their individual needs are well met. The childminder knows individual children very well; she understands that each is unique and that they all learn in different ways. The learning environment is very stimulating and welcoming for all; the designated, ground-floor playroom is very well-resourced with toys of good quality and condition. Children love looking at their work, photographs and displays on the walls which gives them a strong sense of belonging. For example, they look at the pictures of animals and recall which ones they saw on a trip to a local farm. Toys, resources and play equipment are stored at low-level which means that children can freely access them and make independent choices in their play. Regular trips

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the early years provision

out to local toddler groups and places of interest offer children an extended range of activities as well as good opportunities to socialise with others.

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the early years provision

The childminder works very positively in partnership with parents. A good range of information is discussed and recorded when children start so that the childminder knows children's individual needs, backgrounds and starting points. A comprehensive range of written policies and procedures ensure that parents are fully aware of the service provided. Daily diaries give parents clear information about their child's day as well as specific achievements and regular discussions between the childminder and parents contribute to positive partnership working. Children's records of achievement are regularly shared with parents so that they are well informed about their child's progress. Parents verbally share information on a regular basis with the childminder about what their children can do. However, a system is yet to be fully established to make more effective use of this This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

information to further enhance assessment procedures and ensure that the childminder gains a complete picture of children's learning and development. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children's learning, for example, by bringing in leaflets and information about places of interest they have visited or holidays they have been on with their children so that this can be extended. The childminder seeks both parent's and children's views about her service. Feedback from questionnaires and letters seen at inspection is extremely positive, commenting that the childminder is very committed to making the children's time in her care stimulating and exciting as well as being a very positive part of the children's lives. The childminder has a positive attitude towards working with other providers when children attend more than one setting even though she does not currently care for children in this position. She demonstrates that in the

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the early years provision

past she has established good partnerships, sharing information about individual children's learning and development and maintaining regular communication with staff. This ensures that consistency is promoted between settings.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment towards continuing to provide a good and improving quality service for both children and parents. She has completed the Ofsted self-evaluation form to help her formally evaluate her practice and demonstrates a very clear understanding of both her strengths and aspects she wishes to further develop. Some of these she has actioned. For example, to enable the children to have better access to the outdoor area, she has installed French doors. In this way, children can see the outdoor environment and she is able to offer free flow indoor and outdoor play when the weather is fine. Recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed effectively. For example, children's safety has been enhanced because carrier bags are now placed out of children's reach and the hose is stored in a locked garage. Furthermore, resources and images reflecting diversity have been improved so that children

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the early years provision

receive positive messages through their everyday play, visual stimulus and planned activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with a wide variety of activities and experiences which ensures that they make good progress in their learning. The childminder has a good understanding of children's interests, the stage of development they are at and the general areas of development she wishes to promote next. She encourages children's language development as she models simple conversations on the toy telephone and points and labels key items in the indoor and outdoor environment. The childminder understands the importance of sensory activities for younger children to help them to explore different textures and materials and so provides treasure baskets and a wide range of messy play activities, such as, shaving foam, sand, water and gloop. For example, she describes a 'fluffy' piece of material in the treasure basket and points to the picture of the sheep on the wall to enable children to make connections in their learning. The childminder uses a

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and outcomes for children

wide range of resources to further extend children's play ideas and interests. For example, when they investigate the digital cash register, she fetches a box of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 empty food boxes to further support their play.

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and outcomes for children

Observation and assessment arrangements are well established. Each child has a 'Record Of Achievement' where the childminder records regular observations which clearly link to the areas of learning. Some next steps are identified from the longer observations conducted. However, these tend to relate to activities the childminder wants to offer and provide for the children rather than specific aspects of learning that she wishes to promote next. As a result, some activities are not always supported effectively to ensure that every learning opportunity is used and so that activities provide highly individualised learning opportunities. Weekly planning reflects these activities for individual children as well as those offered to all children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They have warm relationships with her and are instantly reassured when their parents leave them because the childminder knows them well, reassures and cuddles them, and gets them involved in activities to distract them. Children act as good role models for each other. For example, a younger child watches an older child press buttons on the cash register before trying and succeeding herself. Children behave well as they play, learning to take turns with resources. Children have good opportunities to mark make. For example, they use the drawing mat, make marks in sand and use paintbrushes and water outside. Children's early literacy skills benefit from access to a wide range of books and regular visits to the local library for story time and rhyme time, further extends children's enjoyment of reading. The childminder perseveres sensitively when children use unclear words to explain what they want,

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and outcomes for children

giving them options until she finds out what they mean. Children enjoy vocalising as they bounce on the childminder's knee and listen to her responses. Babies and young children use a good range of resources, such as, shape sorters to develop their understanding of size and shape and develop problem solving skills with toys, for example, that require them to fit the ball in the top and watch it roll down until it lights up and plays sounds. Counting is introduced during play, for example, when counting the dots on dice or the balls won in a game. Children find out about the world around them as they go on bug and insect hunts and the childminder extends this interest with associated stories and songs, such as, 'Incy wincy spider' and 'The hungry caterpillar'. They have opportunities to learn about growing as they plant and tend to vegetables and salad items. Children use a good range of electronic play equipment to introduce them to early information technology. They

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and outcomes for children

learn about different festivals and traditions. For example, they celebrate Pancake Day by following simple recipe cards to make and flip pancakes and taking part in races. All of these simple activities begin to lay secure foundations to support the children's future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical development is supported well. They enjoy regular opportunities for fresh air and exercise in the garden where children can use a good range of play equipment to support their physical development. Frequent walks and visits to places of interest ensure that children have plenty of fresh air and exercise therefore promoting their good heath and well-being. Visits to the local gymnastic centre give children good opportunities to enjoy facilities and equipment that help develop their balance and coordination. Activities, such as, making 'hot cross bunnies' help to develop children's small motor skills as they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knead, poke and rub the mixture. They have good opportunities to develop their creativity through a range of art and craft, role play, imaginative play and music activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is effectively promoted. Children are cared for in a very clean and hygienic environment. They follow good hygiene routines, for example, all washing their hands prior to snack and mealtimes. Disposable wipes ensure that cross-infection is minimised when children's faces and hands are wiped after eating. Nappy changing procedures reduce the risk of cross-contamination successfully; the mat is wiped between changes and the childminder wears gloves for each change. All meals and snacks are healthy, nutritious and balanced. The childminder gives careful consideration to ensuring that children have their 'five-a- day'. Children begin to learn about healthy living through many cookery activities and growing their own food produce so that they develop an awareness of where food comes from as well as developing an interest in its preparation. Reward charts are used to encourage children to try new tastes. Children feel safe and

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and outcomes for children

secure and this is demonstrated through their very contented and happy disposition. They begin to learn about their own safety through activities, such as, road safety projects, being asked questions, such as, 'What would happen if you did that?' and through wearing high visibility bands to enable them to be seen. Clear documentation is in place for the recording of any medication needing to be administered. Accident records are maintained effectively to ensure that all relevant information can be shared with parents. The childminder has renewed her first aid qualification which ensures that she is able to deal effectively with minor injuries. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of behaviour management. She has a quiet, calm manner with the children and offers them regular praise for their efforts and achievements which boosts their self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities. 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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