Childminder in Brighton and Hove

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY417855 Inspection date 24/03/2011 Inspector Fler Wright

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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 first registered in 2010. He works with his wife, who is also a registered childminder, in Portslade, East Sussex where they live with their three children aged five years, two years and under one year. The ground floor of the house is used for childminding with both toilet and sleeping facilities upstairs. There is a rear garden available for outside play. The family have no pets.

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Description of the childminding

Working on his own, the childminder is registered to care for six children under eight years of age of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range, and of these no more than one may be under one year at any one time. These numbers do not allow for any situations where the childminder is also caring for his own children. When working with his co-childminder, they may together care for a maximum of nine children under eight years, of whom no more than four may be in the early years age range, with no more than one under one year at any one time. When working with both his co-childminder and their assistant, they may care for a maximum of 15 children, no more than seven of whom may be in the early years age range, and of these, no more than two may be under one year. Currently there are 15 children on the roll, nine of whom are in the Early Years age range. One child attends full time, and all other children attend on a

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Description of the childminding

part-time basis. He also offers care to children aged over five years. He is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Both childminders have equal responsibility for the childminding practice, and they also work with an assistant three days a week.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder does regular school pick-ups and takes children on a variety of outings. He also helps to run a toddler group once a week.

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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 and his co-worker provide a happy and relaxed environment. Children are making good progress in their development as the childminder offers an exciting range of purposeful activities and experiences to children both in the home environment and the surrounding areas.. Children's individual needs and abilities are well catered for. The childminder is committed to his work and is continually developing his knowledge as he gains further experience working alongside his co-worker and fully involving himself with the children as they learn through their play. The policies and procedures are of a good standard, and the vast majority of all other paperwork is in place. Systematic observations help to inform the planning, and the assessment process is effective although it is currently informal. Strong partnerships with parents and others ensure good continuity and learning opportunities for children. The childminder and his co-

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

worker are keen to improve their knowledge and practice, and are beginning to investigate self-evaluation. This, coupled with their plans for future training, indicates the capacity to maintain continuous improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure public liability insurance is in place at all times (Premises, environment & equipment) also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register 25/03/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the arrangements for periodically assessing young children to ascertain their achievements and help plan for the next steps in their learning develop further the use of reflective practice and self-evaluation to identify strengths and priorities for development that will continuously improve the quality of the provision for all children

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear awareness of the signs and symptoms that may indicate child abuse or neglect, and has a good understanding of the procedures to follow. The home environment is a safe place for children, and risk assessments of these areas as well as the various venues they visit together, help to ensure children are kept safe and free from harm. Children are well supervised, fire drills are carried out regularly and there are fully operational smoke alarms on each level of the property. The childminder has a current first aid certificate and he is able to act appropriately in the event of a medical emergency. Although the childminder shares joint responsibility for the childminding practice with his wife (who is also a registered childminder), he does not currently have insurance in his own name which is a breach of requirement. However, this has a very minimal impact on children as he is covered as an employee under his co-childminder's policy.

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the early years provision

The childminder and his co-worker work closely together in all aspects of the service; they bounce ideas off each other well and each brings different skills to the children. Through daily routines they have clearly defined roles; for example, the childminder maintains overall responsibility for all food preparation as he is a trained chef. The two childminders also work with an assistant on some days. This assistant is appropriately vetted and is well informed about the ways the setting runs. Routines are well planned to ensure that the child-centered environment remains calm and tranquil. Children's individual needs are well met through effective key observations of what they know, can do and understand. Both childminders have a good knowledge of each child's individual abilities and informally assess their development - although this is not always done systematically. The childminder and his co-worker have regular discussions about

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the early years provision

the ways they can improve their business and have some ideas planned for the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 future. These include training as the childminder would like to increase his knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage in order to drive improvement. They are beginning to discover the benefits of self-evaluation and reflective practice.

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the early years provision

The childminders liaise regularly with primary school reception classes and have access to their planning, enabling them to provide continuity in both education and care for the children. Parents are very happy with the care provided. They particularly like the warm, friendly environment where their children feel completely at home, and the range of activities available to encourage their children's imagination and creativity. They also comment that their children love the childminder's cooking. Parents are kept well informed about what their children have been doing, as they are supplied with daily sheets detailing this information. Monthly 'Wow' pages summarise what their children have been doing on a monthly basis, and these record progress such as commenting on the development of individual children' fine motor skills when painting or using cutlery.

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the early years provision

There is a committment to equality and diversity, with appropriate resources and celebration of festivals such as Mardi Gras. The childminder also regularly cooks foods from different cultures for the children to enjoy.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a strong sense of security. Even the youngest children play contently on their own or with peers, freely exploring the environment, and are eager to become involved in the activities and experiences available. Children are gently reminded by the childminder about how to keep themselves safe during everyday situations, and they are well supervised by the childminder and his co- workers to ensure their safety.

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and outcomes for children

Good use is made of the entire setting, enabling children to experience both indoor and outdoor activities as they please. Children have access to a good range of age- appropriate equipment that they are able to choose from independently. The wall displays of their work show their contributions are highly valued. Children are able to learn about the wider world by participating in festivals such as the Mardi Gras, and freely access a good range of activities and resources to promote equality and diversity. They also enjoy a wealth of cultural dishes as part of a tasty and varied daily menu prepared by the childminder who is also a trained chef. Meal times are made sociable occasions, and all children sit together and eat well. Young children are very used to the routine, and independently feed themselves using the cutlery available, and drink from their cups themselves. Many of the activities take place in

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and outcomes for children

the garden so that children can get fresh air as they play. Picnic snacks are also very popular.. Children help to grow vegetables such as courgettes and beetroot in the garden's vegetable patch, and once ready, they are able to help pick the fresh produce growing there.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and are praised regularly, helping to ensure they develop This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 appropriate self-esteem from an early age. They benefit from a very good range of activities and experiences whilst in the care of the childminder. Many relate directly to children's individual interests, helping to ensure children gain the most from them. For example, the childminder encourages those interested in the role-play kitchen by providing opportunities for baking activities. This shows activities are carefully planned to follow each child's leads and interests. Other exciting activities and experiences include regular visits to local toddler groups and to nature reserves, opportunities for messy play with lentils and split peas, reading stories and role play. A recent art topic has also introduced children to a wide variety of mark making techniques used by famous artists such as Van Gogh, Pollock and

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and outcomes for children

Together the childminders have a good awareness of individual children in their care They are concious of their differing needs and abilitie, and plan activities and experiences accordingly. They discuss children's achievements and make regular observations of the children's play, ensuring the opportunities available cater for each child as a developing individual. Children are learning important skills for the future and their language development is particularly well supported. The childminder's appropriate explanations, and the varied curriculum on offer, both helps to ensure young children have many opportunities to develop their communication, language and early mark making skills during the time they spend with him. Overall, the children's learning and development is very well supported and they are making good progress towards the early learning goals within the Early Years Foundation Stage. 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 3 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Insurance) 25/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Insurance) 25/03/2011

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