Childminder in Leeds

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 319853 Inspection date 28/03/2011 Inspector Ingrid Szczerban

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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 1993. She lives with her husband and four children, two of whom are adults and two aged eight and 14, in the Horsforth area of Leeds. The whole ground floor of the house is used for childminding purposes and there is an enclosed garden for outside play.

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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 is currently minding six children on a part-time basis. Of these, five are within the early years age range. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children and visits local parks and other amenities. She is qualified practitioner to level 3.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Superb attention is given to meeting the individual learning and development needs of children. They take part in an extensive range of activities and make excellent progress in all areas of learning. Inclusive practice is promoted very well and children are much valued and respected as individuals. There are robust systems in place to promote the welfare needs of children and relationships with parents, carers, and links with external agencies, are second to none. The provider assesses the effectiveness of the setting very well indeed, and areas for improvement are accurately identified. An outstanding capacity to continuously drive improvement is demonstrated in order to ensure that outcomes for children develop positively.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 include in the written risk assessments the dates of all the reviews.

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the early years provision

Highly effective safeguarding procedures and practices ensure that children are well protected. All household members are vetted, and the childminder has recently attended training in safeguarding children. She holds a current first aid certificate and has devised comprehensive risk assessments which are effectively implemented. The risk assessments are reviewed and updated as needed but dates of reviews are not always entered in the record. Security procedures are considered paramount to ensure that children remain safe. For instance, the door This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 is locked and the fireguard is used when children are present. All required policies and procedures are in place and all necessary written consents are obtained from parents.

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the early years provision

Systems in place to keep children healthy are excellent. The house is clean and well maintained. Excellent hygiene practice is followed to prevent the risk of any cross-infection. The childminder washes her hands before preparing food and after changing nappies. After nappy changes the childminder washes children's hands as well as her own to develop their understanding of good hygiene, and each child has their own towel in the bathroom. All accidents and medication are meticulously recorded and countersigned by parents, including injuries which are sustained at home.

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the early years provision

The exemplary organisation of space and resources meets each child's individual needs and fully enables them to develop independence and make choices, and ensures inclusion. The childminder gives high levels of supervision to children. Children safely choose from a very wide selection of toys and games which are stored at their height, so they are autonomous and supremely confident. All resources used by children are of high quality, suitably challenging and appropriate to their ages and stages of development.

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the early years provision

Relationships with parents, carers, and links with external agencies, are second to none. Parents are very much partners in their child's learning. Innovative practice, such as sharing toys and activities between the settings, means that children consolidate their learning faster. Parents receive packs of information containing the policies and procedures, and the childminder shares with them written diaries of the daily progress of the youngest children. Many photographs are displayed showing children engaged in recent activities and also depict their own family groups. This makes both children and parents feel welcome. Numerous thank you cards and letters from parents confirm their satisfaction with the service they receive. Their comments include, 'the childminder provides a wonderful, inspiring, stimulating environment in which my children flourish and have joy filled days'.

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the early years provision

Links with external agencies are successful in promoting very positive outcomes for children. The childminder has extremely good relationships with the staff at the pre-school where children attend. She goes, on the parent's behalf, to their regular coffee mornings to discuss and share observations about children's progress. She goes to school assemblies and has completed a sponsored walk with the children at the toddler group so learning between the settings is complimented most effectively. Inclusive practice is promoted very well and children are much valued and respected as individuals. For example, the childminder purchased a tall chair because one child wanted to be up at the big table with the others but he did not want to be in the high chair. She is vigilant to meet the individual dietary requirements of children. There are excellent resources available which reflect diversity and the customs and cultures of the children attending and from around

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation demonstrates rigorous monitoring and searching analysis of what the childminder does well and areas of development. Parents and children are highly involved in the evaluation of the service. The childminder is enthusiastic and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 highly-motivated to constantly improve outcomes for the children. She asks children for their opinions and evaluates activities constantly to plan for their interests, and parents complete questionnaires about the service. To improve her service, the childminder meets with other childminders, attends training courses, reads books and magazine articles, follows advice from the local authority's development worker and fully implements the recommendations made at her last Ofsted inspection. As a result, the standards of documentation, hygiene practice, resources, safeguarding, and play opportunities for children are enhanced.

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and outcomes for children

A rich, vibrant and varied environment, coupled with meticulous individual observations, assessments and plans, means that children thrive in the childminder's care and make significant gains in their learning. Children are completely relaxed and happy in their warm and loving relationships with the childminder. Daily routines are based entirely around the children's needs and their interests. The walls show interesting posters, children's free artwork and photographs of themselves engaged in activities. The children learn well about personal safety because the childminder teaches them through play, books and practical experiences how to stay safe. For instance, how to cross the road safely, to walk by the wall not by the kerb, stranger danger, personal hygiene, washing hands before eating, and not to throw sand.

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and outcomes for children

Children are polite, well behaved and learn to share because the childminder uses exemplary behaviour management skills. She listens to children, acknowledges their points of view and shows great patience and sensitivity. Children show advanced concentration skills. Two-year-olds can listen to whole stories with great interest. The childminder encourages this interest very well embracing two young children on her lap as she reads to them. She invites them to help her tell the story of the three little pigs and they joyously recite by heart the repeated sentence 'I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!' The childminder further promotes the use of language and communication by asking children to recall past events and she asks many open-ended questions, such as 'what do you think will happen if the sandwiches fall into the water?' so children develop extremely well their skill in communication, language and literacy.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn very well about the world around them because the childminder takes them to visit many local attractions such as a tropical world centre, adventure and soft play sites, and museums. At one such visit, an industrial museum showed a knitted, life-sized exhibit of the Three Little Pigs story. Knowing this was one of the children's favourites, the childminder delighted the exhibitors and the children by encouraging them to act out the story.

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and outcomes for children

Active healthy lifestyles are promoted exceptionally well. The children are confident climbers, runners and jumpers. The youngest children have ample free space to practise their walking skills. Children can kick throw and catch balls, and they learn to ride wheeled toys in the childminder's garden. The childminder only gives children healthy snacks of fruit which they eat readily, and lunches are provided by This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 parents. The childminder is involved in planning the themes at the local toddler group where she takes children. She organised a healthy eating session where good and bad foods were discussed with children and they made their own sandwiches. Colourful posters of different types of fruit and vegetables are displayed on the wall to help children identify them and to extend their knowledge of foods from other countries.

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and outcomes for children

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 1 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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