Childminder in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY339845 Inspection date 16/05/2011 Inspector Paula Fretwell

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged four and two years in Thorp Arch, near Wetherby. The ground floor and upstairs rooms of the property are used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, no more than one of whom may be in the early years age range. She is currently caring for one child in this age group. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are well cared for in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment. The childminder supports children's individual welfare, learning and development needs well and they make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Positive partnerships with parents enable the childminder to promote the individual well- being of each child and she is aware of the importance of establishing links with others to improve outcomes for children. The childminder is committed to promoting outcomes for children and the recommendations from the last inspection have been fully addressed.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the system for evaluation and monitoring the quality of the provision in order to consistently assess the strengths of the setting and target areas to improve  use information obtained from parents about what they know about their child when recording children's progress and the next steps in their development.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and she is clear about the procedure to follow for dealing with any child protection concerns or allegations. Children are safe and secure through the childminder being vigilant at all times and closely supervising them. Robust procedures ensure children can not be collected by anyone unauthorised and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 visitors to the setting are clearly recorded. Children freely explore and access the space they need to play and resources are used well. Toy storage promotes children's independence and choice as they can easily access what they need. Risk assessments ensure hazards are kept to a minimum. All documentation is well organised and underpins the good practice. The childminder ensures she has very up to date first aid knowledge, giving her confidence to deal effectively with

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the early years provision

The childminder uses skilled interaction to promote children's learning across all areas and she ensures each child has plenty of individual attention appropriate for their needs. This time spent with each child ensures she knows their individual personalities and development stages so that she can plan for the next steps in their learning. Children's care is based upon their individual needs and fully discussed with parents, both verbally and in their child's daily diary. Parents are very happy with the standard of care given and they complete questionnaires, expressing that they 'have only good things to say' and say they 'would definitely recommend' the childminder to others. Well-presented records of children's progress contain lovely photographs and observational examples of their time with the childminder, along with plans for the next steps in their learning. However, information and observations from parents about children's achievement are not

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the early years provision

yet included in these records. The necessary written parental consent is in place for all aspects of children's care. The childminder understands the importance of developing partnerships with others who have responsibility for the child, when this is relevant to children in her care. The childminder sometimes reflects on her practice to improve outcomes for children. For example, she identifies a plan to obtain a playhouse for the garden and has revised the way she records her risk assessments. However, self-evaluation systems are not securely in place to regularly monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very confident, happy and settled in the childminder's care and they are learning through play. Caring relationships with the childminder enable the children to be self-assured, very 'at home' and explore their surroundings. The childminder is very responsive and she knows each child very well. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities to promote children's development across all six areas of learning. Children thoroughly enjoy looking at books with the childminder and they help to turn the pages. Children access toys from a wide range of man-made and natural objects as these are within easy reach to help them to choose. Very young children enjoy emptying toy boxes and choosing what interests them and the childminder ensures all things that they access are safe. Children enjoy getting inside the toy boxes and they grin widely when the childminder facilitates this. They delight in making discoveries as they play. For

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and outcomes for children

example, an object placed in a shiny tin makes a lovely sound as it rolls around inside. Very young children are beginning to use their imaginations as they play with small world toys, such as the train and track. Children enjoy a range of opportunities outside the home, giving them opportunities to develop their social This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 skills with other childminders and their children. They visit local groups, such as story-time at the library or outdoor play space, such as the park.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is supported through effective policies, practices and personal hygiene routines. Good attention is given to hand washing and nappy changes, with hygienic practices in place to minimise the risk of infection. Children are encouraged to be aware of what they need, such as a drink or a snack. They enjoy a wide range of fresh fruit and healthy meals and snacks. For example, they eat apple and bread sticks and very young children enjoy a cuddle and a bottle of milk. The childminder skilfully follows young children's cues, such as for sleep and she is aware of their need to rest and relax. They enjoy the opportunity to snuggle on a bean bag for a rest between playing and a quiet space upstairs is used for longer sleeps if required. Children are secure in their familiar routine, such as for sleeping, and the childminder is consistent in meeting their needs, promoting their emotional well-being.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children to understand and value diversity through the provision of positive images, daily activities and play. Children develop skills for the future through the childminder promoting their independence in all aspects of their development. Positive strategies are used to manage children's behaviour and the childminder has a calm and patient approach. She uses effective techniques, such as singing with very young children to distract them from unwanted behaviour and this soon has them smiling and joining in. She encourages children to respect each other's play and organises activities so that younger children cannot disrupt the older children's game and vice versa. Sharing is promoted and the childminder understands children's frustrations when learning this important skill, showing sensitivity when dealing with minor conflict. Children smile as the childminder gives plenty of meaningful praise and encouragement to make them feel valued and

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and outcomes for children

important. 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 3 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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