Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 260484 Inspection date 21/03/2011 Inspector Margaret Barnsley

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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 13 and 11 in Potterhanworth Booths, Lincolnshire. All areas of the property except the bedrooms are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has a mini bus to access amenities such as shops, schools, a pre- school and parks. The family keeps two goldfish as pets.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to on the Early years Regsiter to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time of whom no more than three may be in the early yers age group. She currently has a total of 12 children on roll under eight years of whom nine are in the early years age group. She is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Regsiter and has four children on roll who are over eight years of age.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She meets regularly with other childminders in the local area. She receives support from the local authority.

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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

This is a homely and inclusive environment where children enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities. All areas of learning are provided for and children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Systems for observation and assessment are used effectively in most cases to progress children. The setting is very well organised and policies and procedures are comprehensive and reflect the practice that takes place. Partnerships are firmly established and contribute positively to the outcomes for children in most areas. Self-evaluation is used well to target future developments and to drive continuous improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop links further where children attend other settings by ensuring that children's development and learning records are regularly shared with practitioners  use observation and assessment to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child with specific reference to their next steps in learning. 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 good knowledge about safeguarding. She has completed several different safeguarding and child protection courses and is fully conversant with her duty to protect children and the procedure she must follow. She prioritises children's safety effectively by ensuring that her assistant and other adults who have regular contact with children are vetted for their suitability. She undertakes robust risk assessments of all aspects of the setting that children have contact with including outings and transport arrangements. She has effective safety measures in place, which are reviewed daily to ensure the continued safety of children. All other polices and procedures that are required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are maintained and reviewed regularly. These are shared with parents to ensure they are fully aware of her duty to protect children and how she organises her setting. The supervision of children is vigilant and

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements. She operates an equal opportunities policy and promotes equality and diversity well through inclusive practice. She has an in-depth knowledge of each child's background and fosters a harmonious environment in which children learn to appreciate and respect each other's differences. She has many resources that promote positive images of diversity and challenge children's thinking and encourage them to ask questions. The childminder works very closely with parents and sets time aside each day to discuss what children have been doing and any issues that a parent may wish to be considered. She follows children's home routines so that they have continuity in their care and she discusses new routines with parents as developmental changes occur. The childminder requests that all parents complete purposeful information about their

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the early years provision

child when they first start so that she can prepare and provide for their needs from the onset. Individualised and flexible planning ensures that every child is suitably challenged by the learning experiences provided, however, it is less clear how their identified next steps are planned for. In spite of this, the childminder knows the children very well and engages them in stimulating and memorable experiences, which have meaning to them and which they greatly enjoy. For example, a great deal of focus is placed on discussing things with children at circle time and considering their views about how they wish to spend their time. This is a well- resourced setting and children have a wide range of choice, which they make for themselves. The childminder uses her knowledge and skills well to promote all the areas of learning through children's choices and by taking into account their preferred learning styles.

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the early years provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation well to reflect on the quality of her setting and identify ways in which she can make improvements. Since the last inspection she has made many improvements which improve the outcomes for children and promote equality of opportunity. She has completed the recommendation that was raised and ensures that the premises are secure by always checking that she has locked the door after a parent has left. She has developed her knowledge through further training and has introduced an effective system of observation and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assessment. All policies and procedures have been reviewed and updated and new systems for working in partnership with parents have been introduced. She has bought many new resources and has organised these well by labelling and putting pictures on all the storage containers so that children can self-select with ease.

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the early years provision

She has also invested in a minibus so that all children can be taken out and about on trips and no child is disadvantaged.

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed effective partnerships with parents and other settings that children attend. She has many testimonials on file from parents, both current and former, all of whom comment favourably on the quality of care and learning she provides. She talks to practitioners regularly where children attend another setting, but does not have a consistent or continuous system in place for working in partnership around children's learning and development. However, she knows the children and practitioners very well as she works in the school and the pre-school where children go. Purposeful information is exchanged regularly with parents so that they are well informed about their child's achievements, wellbeing and development. The childminder regularly asks parents for their views and ensures that these are used to inform important decisions about the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy and settled in this setting and are active participants in their learning. Babies have plenty of space to be active and move around in. They develop their physical skills very well from crawling, to pulling up and then walking unaided. They explore their surroundings and investigate the toys with great curiosity. The childminder interacts very warmly and young babies show that they feel very secure as they enjoy being cuddled by her and follow her when she moves position. They play with toys together such as shape sorters, press button toys, stacker toys, books and musical toys including CD players and songs. Babies make happy sounds and show their pleasure when they smile and want to do something again. All children make their own choices about what they wish to play with as the resources are stored extremely well to enable this. A great deal of discussion and conversation takes place between the childminder and children so

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and outcomes for children

that they contribute their ideas and have a strong sense of belonging. Children feel valued by the childminder as she shows them great levels of respect and listens well to what they have to say. She recognises their efforts as achievements and gives them lots of praise. Children behave very well in this setting as they feel secure as they have a consistent and stable routine with which they are familiar. They have simple rules to follow that they understand such as sharing and taking turns and they know what is expected of them. Children are very well supported by the childminder and in turn they support younger children in the group very well by being helpful and kind.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress towards the early learning goals as each area of learning is provided for well. Children are appropriately challenged in their play and are very well supported when learning new skills. The childminder knows what each child is capable of and how much challenge or support they need. She ensures that children have variety in their day so that they learn through things This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that they like doing. They go out and about on trips to places of interest and they spend lots of time in the garden where they overlook fields of cows that come up to the fence to see them. They grow their own vegetables, flowers and sun flowers and enjoy watering them and seeing the changes that take place. On occasions they help prepare food and use their produce in the meals they eat, which gives them a sense of achievement. They enjoy playing outside with sand and water and

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and outcomes for children

they have many other resources such as drainpipes, chalk boards and some large apparatus. They also go to the park to use the large apparatus there and have a change of scenery. Children use lots of electronic toys in their play from early learning toys to a computer to develop their understanding of technology further. Children understand how to use a computer mouse and are becoming proficient with using this to click on images to get a reaction. They dance and sing to music and enjoy dressing up and acting out real life experiences through role play. For example, children play doctors, mummies and daddies, fairies and pirates. They use tills, calculators and credit card machines in their play and they have good opportunities to socialise outside the setting and to learn about their community and wider environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They are supported very well with their personal hygiene routines. This extends from nappy changing procedures to children having potties, toilet seats and steps in the bathroom to promote their independence as they develop greater skills. Children learn about the importance of hand washing and have paper towels to reduce the risk of cross infections. The childminder promotes healthy eating in her setting and shares her healthy eating policy and sample menus with parents. She provides healthy snacks for children to supplement their main meals, such as fresh fruit, bread sticks, crackers and raisins. She cooks children their evening meal if parents wish them to stay and always finds out about their dietary requirements, likes and dislikes. Children contribute to planning meals as they are fully consulted with and each gets a meal of their choice during the week such as a

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and outcomes for children

mild chicken curry, lasagne or jacket potatoes with beans and salad. Children have access to fresh water and milk at all times and parents can send other drinks of their choice if they wish. Children develop their understanding of safety by learning about road safety and through practising evacuation drills. They learn to share, take turns and to help tidy away their toys and to be kind to each other. Children are becoming responsible and learn well about right and wrong. They have very good relationships with the childminder and are effectively developing skills that they need for their 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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