Childminder in Suffolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY255781 Inspection date 23/03/2011 Inspector ISP Inspection

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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 2003. She lives with her family in Brandon, Suffolk. All areas of the property are used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. Accessibility to the premises is via a step. The childminder has a pet dog and cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently five children on roll, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder walks and drives to local schools to take and collect children. She takes children to the local park. The childminder supports children who speak English as additional language. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder ensures that children's welfare, learning and development are appropriately supported. The childminder ensures that she works closely with parents so that all children's individual interests and needs are understood. This helps children to feel secure and to develop close relationships with the childminder. The childminder has clear policies and procedures in place to ensure children's health and safety is supported in most areas. She has begun to implement procedures to support the learning and development of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has evaluated her practice and identified areas for improvement to maintain continuous development of the setting.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide opportunities for children to self-select toys and activities that motivate and interest them  develop further the observations to identify children's next steps in their learning and ensure that they are linked to the six areas of learning  extend resources, activities and play opportunities to ensure that children develop an appreciation of diversity and the beliefs of others  update the record of risk assessments to include any assessments of risks for each outing and trips. 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 clear policies and procedures in place regarding safeguarding children. She ensures that maintaining children's welfare is a high priority and has attended training around safeguarding children to develop her knowledge. She practices the fire evacuation procedures with children on a monthly basis and keeps a written record of them. This is a regular reminder to children, which helps them develop a clear knowledge of what to do in an emergency. The childminder completes written risk assessments for all areas of the home and garden to ensure that children are protected from any potential hazards. The childminder completes a daily checklist to ensure that her home is safe for children. Risk assessments for outings in general are completed to promote children's safety when away from the home. However, potential risks have not been clearly identified for each outing to ensure that children are protected from any possible dangers.

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the early years provision

The childminder has developed close relationships with parents of minded children. They exchange information each day on the children's day-to-day care needs and home routines. Parents have added comments to children's learning journey records, to show that they are fully involved with their children's learning. The childminder exchanges information with staff of other settings minded children attend for consistency of their care and to support their learning and development. Parents have provided the childminder with positive feedback through questionnaires which they completed on the care she provides for their children. This information can then be used to implement changes to the childminder's practice to benefit children.

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the early years provision

The childminder has begun to implement the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements appropriately. She has put in place clear systems to support children's learning and development successfully. The childminder continues to attend further training to support and benefit children. She is booked on additional training to support children's understanding of letters and sounds to develop their knowledge of literacy. She has completed an evaluation of her practice and areas for development have been clearly identified to maintain continuous improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures that food provided by parents is stored appropriately and she has in place policies and procedures to fully promote children's health and medical needs. Children have regular access to physical play and are taken on walks to the park and access the garden to promote their physical development appropriately. Children's independence regarding personal care and toileting is supported by the childminder. The childminder ensures that the family's pets receive regular treatment to prevent fleas and worms so that children's health is safeguarded from possible infections. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are taken on regular outings within the local community to develop their understanding of the world around them and their environment. The childminder has no resources in place to help children learn about diversity and the beliefs of

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and outcomes for children

others. Children's independence is limited as they can only access resources if they ask for them. The childminder asks children what they want to play with and they are able to make some choices. The childminder interacts well with minded children to develop their speech and language skills. Children enjoy playing with cars and develop their understanding of numeracy as the childminder helps them to count how many cars and trucks they have and what colours they are. She asks them questions about where the cars are going and talks with children about going on holiday. The childminder discusses different methods of transport with children and how they get to their destination. She talks about flying in an aeroplane high in the sky and going on a train and a boat in the water. This develops children's understanding of the wider world.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder undertakes regular observations and records children's progress. She includes examples of their work and what they have achieved and can do in children's learning journey records. However, the learning journey records do not link the observations to the six areas of learning, to show that children are receiving a broad and balanced curriculum. The next steps in their learning have not been identified to ensure that their learning is fully supported. 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 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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