Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY217859 Inspection date 14/04/2011 Inspector Nicola Hill

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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 2002. She lives with her partner, one adult child and one child of school age in a semi-detached house in Yateley, Hampshire. The property is close to local schools and amenities and there is a park nearby. The ground floor of the house is mainly used for childminding, with toilet and sleeping facilities available on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family have two pet dogs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a network childminder and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to provide care for a maximum of six children under eight years, of these, three may be in the early years age group at any one time. She currently has two children on roll in the early years age group and two children on the Childcare Register. The childminder is also registered to provide overnight care for two children aged under eight years.

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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

Children benefit from being cared for by an experienced and dedicated childminder, who values each child as a unique individual. Children engage in an outstanding range of valuable first hand learning experiences and share warm, friendly relationships with the childminder and their peers. Their behaviour is exemplary. The childminder maintains and regularly reviews her provision through her effective self-evaluation process and is fully committed to maintaining continuous improvement. Most welfare requirements are being met, although some required parental consents are not in place.

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further?

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

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further?

 request written parental permission, at the time of each child's admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 30/04/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the partnerships with other settings providing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for minded children, so that relevant information is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 shared to support continuity in learning  update the record of risk assessment to include identification of hazards for all outings/trips children go on.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes appropriate steps to promote children's safety and well- being. For example, all adult members of the household are vetted, and the childminder has a clear and confident understanding of child protection procedures. She ensures her knowledge is kept up-to-date by regularly attending training on safeguarding. The childminder uses clear, practical procedures, such as daily safety checks and comprehensive risk assessments, for monitoring the premises, equipment and garden. However, formal risk assessments are not in place for all outings and trips children go on. The childminder maintains most other required documentation relating to her registration appropriately. However, she has omitted to obtain written parental consent to seek emergency medical treatment or advice for one of the children in her care. This could potentially compromise the other effective measures she implements to safeguard children,

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the early years provision

although she does include information about how she will deal with accidents involving children in a relevant policy statement.

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the early years provision

The childminder is highly committed to improving her practice and has addressed the recommendations set at her previous inspection. Since the last inspection, the childminder has also gained a Foundation Degree in Early Years and a BA in Early Years (amongst other qualifications), and continues to attend a range of short training courses, showing an exceptional desire to improve knowledge and high aspirations for quality. The childminder's formal self-evaluation is comprehensive and detailed; it shows rigorous monitoring and analysis of what she does well and what she wishes to improve. Involvement from parents is also evident in the self- evaluation process, as their views are sought via annual questionnaires and any suggestions for improvement are acted upon. For example, when one parent suggested more input about the day-to-day running of the setting, the childminder introduced regular newsletters about the planned topics, activities and outings,

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the early years provision

enabling them to be more involved in their child's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder's home is generally well maintained, although some areas, such as the kitchen are currently undergoing some repair. The indoor and outdoor environments are well resourced, with easy access to a range of good quality toys and resources which encourage children to make choices. The childminder makes sure that resources are appropriate to children's individual ages and stage of development and that toys are maintained in a good state of repair. The childminder has a very good understanding of the children's needs and the activities they enjoy. She promotes all aspects of children's care and education in a genuinely inclusive manner, and effectively helps them to learn about the society in which they live through a variety of outings, well planned activities and a good selection of resources which reflect positive images.

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the early years provision

Children benefit enormously from the warm and friendly relationships that are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 established between the parents and the childminder. Children settle with ease and feel secure because the childminder dedicates time to get to know them and their parents. New parents are well informed about the childminding service by way of a welcome pack which includes a condensed version of all the childminder's policies and procedures that inform her practice. Parents are kept very well informed of their child's progress through regular discussions, and access to their child's development records. Parents also receive a progress review sheet each term, about their child's learning and development and their future learning goals. Comments from parents are highly positive, such as, 'We like the warm, friendly family atmosphere, the garden and resources and the choice available', 'My child

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the early years provision

feels that he is loved and listened to'. Although some children being cared for by the childminder attend other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, the childminder has yet to develop a comprehensive system for liaising with other providers to fully ensure continuity of care and learning for individual children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a very clear understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to implement it effectively. This ensures that children are provided with fun and stimulating activities that enhance and promote their development across all areas of learning. There is a very good planning system in place; the childminder plans themes such as 'growing', 'hot and cold', 'all about me' and 'animals from around the world' to focus the children's learning. She then provides different activities and resources to support the theme and which also cover each of the six areas of learning. Planning is flexible however, with the needs and interests of the children taken into account. The childminder seeks parents' views about their child's abilities before the child starts at the setting, and then monitors the children's progress very well through observing and assessing them during play. She effectively tracks children's

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and outcomes for children

progression towards the early learning goals and clearly identifies each child's next steps for learning, which are shared with parents.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making very good progress in the childminder's care. She has a warm and natural approach to supporting children in their play. The childminder takes an interest in what the children say and do. Consequently the children eagerly chat with the childminder and approach her for help and support. During the play sessions, the childminder makes very good use of questions to encourage the children's thinking, particularly their knowledge of colours, shapes and counting, although she does not always make best use of labelling, for example, to help children understand that print carries meaning. Children are relaxed, happy and confidently make themselves at home. They absorb themselves in a colouring activity and feel proud in their achievements as the childminder tells them to use whatever colours they like and praises their end results. The children enjoy playing on ride-on toys and show very good imagination as they pretend their tricycles are

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and outcomes for children

broken. They get out the toy toolkits and pretend to fix them with saws, screwdrivers and drills. The children have clearly developed excellent relationships with their peers. For example, when one child wants a hammer to fix her tricycle, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 she asks another child 'Can I borrow your hammer please?' to which the child replies 'Yes, of course you can borrow my hammer', showing excellent manners and co-operation skills. Other fun activities include cooking, educational games on the computer, going on bug hunts in the garden, making masks and a range of other craft activities. The children also benefit greatly from a range of outings, which support their learning effectively and enable them to develop valuable skills for the future. For example, children visit places such as the local park, toddler groups, a local science and nature discovery centre, soft play centres and a local

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and outcomes for children

The childminder implements highly effective practices and procedures so that all children enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Children gain an excellent awareness and understanding of hygiene through discussion with the childminder and through consistent daily routines, such as hand washing before mealtimes. Children eat food that is highly nutritious and freshly prepared and are encouraged to make healthy choices about what they eat and drink. They are also developing a very good understanding of healthy eating, by helping to grow salad items and vegetables in the garden, such as cress and potatoes. The childminder has an excellent attitude towards the benefits of being outside and encourages children to be out in the fresh air every day. Good security precautions contribute to child safety, as the front door remains locked at all times. The childminder encourages children to be aware of their own safety as she talks to them about road safety

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and outcomes for children

and ensures fire drills are practised regularly. The childminder is patient and calm with the children and models the positive behaviour she desires, recognising that children learn from the adults they are with. The children's behaviour is exemplary and they respond very positively to the praise and encouragement that is given throughout the day. The childminder consistently provides children with the necessary resources, activities and opportunities they need to help them gain important skills for the 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 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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