Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY362415 Inspection date 24/03/2011 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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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 three children aged 14 and twin children aged eight years in Deanshanger, Buckinghamshire. The whole of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term-time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of three children in the early years age range and is currently minding two children in this age group, both of whom attend on a part-time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years and this provision is registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently two children on roll in this age group.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds the Level 3 National Vocational Qualification in Children's Care, Learning and Development.

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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 works well with parents, carers and other professionals, enabling her to gain a good understanding of each child's needs and interests. She uses this information to make sure that children's needs are consistently met and they are offered appropriate support so that they are included in all activities. The childminder uses effective self-evaluation procedures in order to obtain a clear overview of her work and to support her in implementing ongoing improvements. This helps her to maintain a childminding service which is responsive to the needs of children and their families. The childminder's excellent safety procedures are a key strength and mean that children's welfare is promoted and they play in a secure, well-organised environment.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the planning procedures to show how children's next steps are consistently fed into the overall planning in order to provide further experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development  improve the systems for organisation of the setting by developing the use of self-evaluation to support ongoing improvements. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is very well promoted because the childminder has a comprehensive understanding of her responsibilities relating to safeguarding children. This is further supported by practical written procedures and additional information, enabling her to identify any child at risk and take relevant action. Exceptionally thorough risk assessments cover all areas, meaning that hazards are minimised and children's safety is consistently promoted. Good daily practice and ongoing explanations enable children to build a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, young children explain competently the procedure for crossing the road safely.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a good awareness of issues relating to anti- discriminatory practice. She ensures that her policies and procedures reflect children's needs and are therefore inclusive to children and their families. She has clear procedures for gathering relevant information from parents. This enables her to obtain a thorough knowledge of each child's background and needs, and to take these into account when planning activities. The childminder acts as a good role model, showing respect for all and encouraging children to understand and respect each other. She maintains good relationships with parents, keeping them well informed of their child's progress and activities, for example, through the use of communication books and the regular sharing of children's assessment records. Consistency of care is promoted as the childminder works well with other professionals. For example, she has procedures in place to ensure that she is

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the early years provision

aware of what children are doing at pre-school, enabling her to offer complementary activities to further promote their development.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to attending further training and to reviewing her work continuously in order to make changes that improve the outcomes for children. Recent improvements include the organisation of specific activity sessions with other childminders, thereby offering children an extended range of activities and play opportunities. Although the childminder has clear plans for the future, the self-evaluation process is not fully utilised to inform the overall review of practice. Children are offered a variety of activities that support their learning because the childminder makes good use of resources. For example, she uses local facilities such as a toy library, parks and a music group.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress because the childminder has a thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She implements appropriate procedures for observing and assessing children. She therefore has a clear understanding of their current developmental needs and is able to plan specific activities to support their individual development. However, this is not fully promoted because the planning procedures do not clearly show how children's next steps are consistently fed into the overall activity planning. The childminder has paid close attention to ensuring This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that her home is safe, and children's behaviour demonstrates that they feel secure. They move happily around the home, making independent choices about their toys and activities. They are therefore supported in taking an active role in their learning and are developing positive attitudes to this.

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and outcomes for children

Children's emotional development is promoted and they gain skills for use in future life as they develop appropriate relationships with the childminder and their peers. The childminder explains issues to children, encouraging them to understand and respect other people's feelings, thus developing their awareness of appropriate behaviour. Children's understanding of diversity and the world around them is promoted as they participate in activities and access relevant resources. For example, they celebrate Chinese New Year by getting together with other children and childminders to taste a range of traditional Chinese dishes. The childminder's good procedures for working with parents mean that she is able to offer appropriate support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is confident and encourages children to explore the resources and develop their own play. They are well supported in this because the childminder joins in appropriately and further promotes children's development. For example, children exploring play food and cooking utensils are encouraged to name the different items of food and their colours, going on to use simple mathematical language as they pretend to cut the food in half. Good forward-planning means that children are offered further learning opportunities. For example, they learn about the seasons as they go for an autumn walk, collecting leaves, twigs and conkers to make a collage.

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and outcomes for children

Children's development is promoted because the childminder makes good use of incidental learning opportunities. For example, whilst eating lunch, children discuss a nearby poster; they count the different animals depicted, identify the written numerals and go on to discuss simple concepts such as 'more than' and 'less than'. The childminder's thoughtful practice means that children's learning is gently reinforced. For example, when children go for a walk and notice crocuses growing, they are offered the opportunity to paint these when they return home.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the uses of information and communication technology and therefore gain further skills for the future. For example, young children play with equipment such as age-appropriate keyboards, telephones and interactive toys. Children's awareness of the relevance of healthy lifestyles and practices is promoted. For example, they talk with the childminder about the importance of washing their hands thoroughly before mealtimes. They are offered effective opportunities to be active and explore a range of physical skills. For example, their participation in music and movement sessions and the use of large play equipment at the park help children develop skills such as balance, control and co-ordination. 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 1 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 1 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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