Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 954403 Inspection date 22/03/2011 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 has been registered since 2001. She lives with her two children aged 16 and 13 in a village south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire. Shops, parks, a nursery, a pre-school and schools are within walking distance. All areas of the home are available for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family has a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and currently looks after 12 children on a part-time basis, of whom four are in the early years age group. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the complusory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and attends local group meetings. 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 warm and welcoming setting where the individual needs of children are met well. All children are fully included in a broad range of activities and make good progress towards the early learning goals. The systems used for observation, assessment and planning are mostly effective. All required documentation is in place. Partnerships are firmly established and contribute positively to the outcomes for children in most areas. Self-evaluation is used well to target priorities and drive forward ongoing improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that children's development and learning records are regularly shared with practitioners where children attend other settings  use observation and assessment to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child with particular focus on their next steps in learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder prioritises children's safety and fully understands her duty to safeguard and protect children. She has strong knowledge of child protection and a good awareness of the different types of abuse and of the signs that would alert her to a child at risk. She has a comprehensive safeguarding policy and procedure in place. She keeps herself up to date with safeguarding information and has the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 relevant forms to hand should she need to make a referral. All details about safeguarding are shared with parents to ensure they are well informed about her duty. Full risk assessments are undertaken of all aspects of the setting that children are involved in and these are reviewed, at least annually, or sooner when changes occur. Robust safety measures are in place and children are well supervised. All adults who have regular contact with children are appropriately

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the early years provision

vetted. All other polices and procedures that are required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place and shared with parents.

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the early years provision

This is a homely setting, which is organised well around the individual needs of the children. The close partnerships that are established with parents ensure that children's changing and developing needs are met well through a consistent approach. Purposeful information is both gathered from and shared with parents so that they are fully involved in their child's care and learning and are kept well informed about all aspects of the setting. Observations show children engaging in a wide variety of stimulating activities and experiences that cover all areas of learning. These are shared with parents to enable them to contribute ideas or to carry on meaningful experiences at home. There are many testimonials from the parents on file in which they comment favourably about the care and learning their child receives. Observation and assessment show the achievements children make in their learning and also the next steps that have been identified to progress them

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the early years provision

further. However, it is less clear how these next steps are planned for. In spite of this the childminder knows the children well and is able to demonstrate how she progresses children's learning through the choices they make and her good interaction with them. The childminder is clear about her role in working effectively in partnership with other settings that children attend and exchanges information verbally with other practitioners. Secure systems between practitioners are not yet in place for sharing children's assessments and working together to close any gaps in their learning. However, children's transition to school and other settings is supported well through the many activities the childminder introduces to prepare them for this new experience. The childminder operates an equal opportunities policy and promotes equality and diversity well. She has a good selection of resources that promote positive images of diversity and that encourage children to

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the early years provision

ask questions about the wider world. She has good knowledge of each child's background and promotes an harmonious environment in which children learn to appreciate and respect each other's differences.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is used well and shows clear targets for future improvements that are realistic and achievable. Since the last inspection the childminder has made many improvements to the service she provides. She has successfully met the recommendation that was raised at the last inspection and now practises fire drills with children, which safeguards them and develops their understanding of safety. She has fully implemented the Early years Foundation Stage and has completed relevant training around this. She has updated all her polices and procedures and has introduced a system of observation, assessment and planning. She has obtained many more resources to add further dimension to children's learning, in particular many more small world toys, dressing-up clothes and musical instruments. She also takes the children out and about more to places of interest and has started to use the toy library and toddler groups. She shows a keen

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the early years provision

interest in updating her training and has a proven track record of this through the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 gold star training award she has received.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy and enjoy playing with each other. They make good friendships and play co-operatively with each other, inventing games and making decisions about how they wish to spend their time. Children are articulate and very confident. They express their views well. They talk to the childminder continuously about what they like doing and what their ideas are. She listens very well to what children say and facilitates their choices and often joins in with them in their play. Children feel valued and display a strong sense of belonging as result. For example, children have an avid interest in fairy tales and dressing up as princesses to act out their favourite stories. The childminder has a wide range of dressing-up clothes for the children to use and supports their interest further by telling stories that she knows have meaning to them.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a wide range of crafts such as gluing, drawing and painting. They learn about important events in history, for example a topic they did about the Titanic, which was planned around a child's individual interest. Children settle very well, including very young babies. Babies have lots of toys that fascinate them by making sounds or doing actions when they press buttons. They have lots of soft toys that they can put in their mouth safely and activity toys that start their understanding of problem solving such as shape sorters, stacking rings and links. All children enjoy a wide range of electronic toys and technology, including using the computer. They develop a good understanding of how to use the computer and some are becoming competent using the mouse. Children are developing their counting skills well and can recognise different shapes, colours and letters. They have good exposure to books and writing materials that help develop their

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and outcomes for children

language and early literacy skills. The childminder plans activities that extend their knowledge of the world around them as well as their own community. Children often go for walks around their village and visit places of interest such as toddler groups and the toy library. Children have access to a wide range of toys, which they can access themselves. These are updated regularly to ensure that the resources meet the specific needs of the children who attend. They have plenty of space indoors to move around and be creative in and they have a secure garden for outdoor play, which they use regularly.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well nourished with healthy eating options such as snacks of fruit, bread sticks, raw carrots and crackers. They have occasional treats of biscuits and chocolate for birthdays. They learn well that treats are occasional foods, but not forbidden. They have plenty of milk to drink and are encouraged to drink water as opposed to squash. Children's dietary needs are met well as they either bring packed lunches from home or the childminder provides cooked meals in consultation with their parents. Cooked meals are balanced and nutritious such as stews, jacket potatoes, pasta, pizza or lasagne with fresh salads. Children eat together at the table, which promotes their social learning and understanding of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 being part of a group. They develop a good understanding of hygiene and understand the importance of washing their hands before handling food, after

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and outcomes for children

doing activities and after handling the dog. They are well supported with their hygiene routines and have age- and stage-appropriate equipment to help them to do this independently as they grow. Children ask to use the toilet and show increasing independence in understanding their own needs. Often when one child asks to go to the toilet it prompts another child to do likewise; hence children learn very well through each other. Children also learn well about safety and being responsible as they have simple rules to follow that they understand. They practise fire evacuation and learn about road safety. All children have high visibility vests that they wear when they are out and about. Children are very helpful, for example helping to tidy away their toys and responding well to the childminder. They learn to share and to take turns and are very well supported in remembering the importance of this. Children behave extremely well and are successfully

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and outcomes for children

learning 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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