Childminder in Dorset

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY349739 Inspection date 28/03/2011 Inspector Brenda Flewitt

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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 partner and their 4 year old child in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Childminding takes place mainly on the ground floor of the property which includes a dedicated playroom plus living room, conservatory, kitchen and ground-floor toilet facilities. There is an enclosed rear garden available for outside play. The family has several pets including a cat, dog, tortoises, guinea pigs and rabbits, to which the children have supervised access.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for maximum of five children under eight years old at any one time; of these no more than two may be in the Early Years age group, and of these, no more than one may be under one year of age at any one time. . She is also registered for the Overnight Care of one child under eight years of age. There are currently five children on roll, four of whom are in the Early Years age range, who attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also cares for some children over the age of eight years. There are no children currently staying overnight. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and holds an Early Years National Vocational Qualification at level 3.

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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 are well cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming family home by a childminder who knows each of them well. They are involved in a good range of activities over time, both inside and outside the house which promotes learning through play and everyday experiences. Overall, the childminder establishes positive relationships with parents and others in order to meet individual needs. The childminder has limited methods for self-evaluation. However, she updates her knowledge of various areas of childcare by liaising with Early Years professionals and attending some training, which contributes to continuous improvement in the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the organisation of toys and equipment to improve children's access to resources, enabling them to make spontaneous choices to extend their own play and learning .  establish dialogue with the other settings that children attend to share information to fully promote their learning and development .  develop a clear self-evaluation system to identify areas for development in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 meeting individual children's needs. .

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the early years provision

The childminder implements policies and procedures to promote children's welfare and safety. She completes risk assessments to ensure that children play in a safe environment, both in the home and on outings. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding children, which includes how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow if there are concerns. She has a system for recording children's existing injuries as routine. This all helps to protect children from harm. The required records are in place, completed appropriately and stored securely to ensure confidentiality.

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the early years provision

Overall, the childminder organises her home well to meet the needs of the children in her care. Children use a good range of toys and equipment. However, the storage arrangements sometimes mean that the playroom is cluttered, making it difficult for children to make their own choices to extend their play. The childminder makes use of local facilities to provide outings to enhance children's learning. This enables children to meet a range of people and use an extended choice of equipment. They learn a positive attitude to people's differences through the good example set by the childminder and as they use resources that present positive images of physical and cultural diversity.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes positive relationships with parents. She supplies clear information about the setting, which includes written policy statements. There are daily opportunities for sharing information verbally in order to meet individual children's needs. The childminder also offers two-way diaries, which promote communication about children's welfare, achievements and interests. The childminder is aware of her responsibility in sharing information with other settings that minded children attend, but has not yet established dialogue with them to promote fully the learning and development. of the children she cares for.

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the early years provision

The childminder has addressed the recommendations set at the last inspection, which has improved aspects of children's safety and awareness of the wider world. Although self-evaluation is still being developed, the childminder welcomes input from Early Years advisors and other childminders to help improve her own practice. She is currently attending a training course to improve her knowledge in aspects of caring for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and secure in the care of their childminder. They develop good relationships with her and her family. Children behave well. They understand about taking turns and help pack away toys when they have finished with them. Children receive regular praise and encouragement for effort and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 achievement, which helps boost their self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children participate in a good range of activities that help them learn through play. They develop a meaningful sense of number and measure through games and everyday activities. For example, counting cake cases and weighing ingredients during cooking activities. Children enjoy memory games, which encourage their recall and awareness of colour and number. Weekly visits to a local toddler group promote children's social skills, developing confidence in mixing with other children and with adults. Outings to the local book library allow children to experience the pleasure of books and stories in an alternative environment. Helping with shopping promotes young children's understanding of technology as they assist with using the self-service checkout. The childminder has developed good observation and assessment records that clearly link to the six areas of learning. She annotates dated photos of children enjoying activities and plans the

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and outcomes for children

next steps in their learning from her observations. The childminder knows the children well as individuals, which enables her to support each of them to make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder interacts positively with the children, which helps them learn good communication skills, solve problems and start to understand the world around them.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a healthy lifestyle. They learn good routines for their own personal hygiene. Children make choices from healthy options for meals and snacks, and learn about the importance of healthy eating through discussion. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise by way of walks, and visits to local play parks where they use a range of equipment to develop large muscle skills and coordination. Children learn about aspects of their own safety, such as routines for crossing roads, and clear boundaries are established by the childminder when out. They get to understand what is expected if they must leave in an emergency because they are involved in regular drills of the escape plan. 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 3 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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