Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 110981 Inspection date 26/05/2011 Inspector Catherine Sample

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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 a registered childminder since 1986. She lives with her daughter and her daughter's partner in a three bedroom semi-detached house in Little Basing, Hampshire. The ground floor and bedrooms of the property are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for no more than six children under eight years, of these no more than three may be in the early years age group and of these, no more than one may be aged under one year at any one time. There is no provision for overnight care. There are currently a total of 12 children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age group. Most children attend on a part-time basis.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has a Level 3 childcare qualification.

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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

Overall, children are safe, content and making good progress in the care of this experienced childminder. Their unique needs are met well due to the effective partnership working between their parents, other providers and the childminder. The childminder ensures that all children can take part in all activities and have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. She monitors the effectiveness of her provision and remains committed to continuously improving outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems for observing and assessing children's progress and use these observations to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child  develop further the accessibility of toys and resources to support children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder is well-organised. She keeps all necessary records and effectively implements a range of policies and procedures which promote children's care and learning. She arranges her home to provide suitable play space for children and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 has a large and attractive garden which enables them to explore outdoors as well as playing inside. A good range of toys are set out for easy access by children although many more are stored in other places. The childminder is examining ways to make these resources more accessible to increase children's opportunities to make choices.

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the early years provision

She has a good understanding of safeguarding issues and how to protect children at risk of harm. She knows the possible indicators of abuse and what to do if she is concerned about the welfare of a child in her care. She makes full risk assessments of her home and for outings which ensures children's safety whilst they are in her care.

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the early years provision

She evaluates the quality of her practice and seeks feedback from parents to help her in this process. She identifies areas for improvement that will positively benefit children and has continued to extend her skills and knowledge since her last inspection. This shows her commitment to continuous improvement of her childcare provision.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the close working relationship between their parents and the childminder. Information is shared effectively through frequent discussion and the childminder also shares children's written of progress with parents They are invited to contribute to these records which involves them fully in their children's learning. The childminder has systems in place to share information with other providers which ensure a shared approach to each child's care and learning.

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the early years provision

She knows each child well and this enables her to take positive steps to ensure they all are included and valued. She adapts activities or arranges alternatives to ensure that children all have opportunities to succeed and to play and learn in the way that best suits them. She ensures that individual requirements, such as dietary needs are fully catered for.

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the early years provision

Children are developing an awareness of the diversity of people within their community, and the childminder has a good range of appropriate toys with different skin tones and small world toys that include people with disabilities. She is committed to providing children with a positive image of diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning about how to stay safe. They talk about road safety with e childminder when they go out and also discuss stranger danger and who to go to if they get lost. They practise the fire drill regularly so that they know what to do in an emergency. The childminder reminds them about safety issues, such as why it is not safe to stand on a toy, which helps them learn to identify risks.

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and outcomes for children

The children demonstrate how settled and secure they are in the childminder's care by the way in which they move around with great confidence and make independent choices about what to do. They snuggle up with her to look at books This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and clearly enjoy being with her.

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and outcomes for children

They are also learning about healthy lifestyles. They talk about healthy food as they eat and know they can help themselves to drinks at any time. They follow good hygiene routines as they use soap and individual hand towels when washing their hands and they are learning to cover their mouths when they cough. They thoroughly enjoy pretending to be doctors and listening to the childminder's heart. They are well-behaved and have good manners. They ask politely if they can leave the table and say thank you when a bag is moved out of their way. They are learning to share and take turns and any tussles over toys are quickly resolved. They interact very well with one another and with adults which demonstrates the way the childminder supports the development of their confidence and self-esteem and the empahasis she puts of developing good social skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a good balance of self-chosen and adult-led activities. They enjoy using their imaginations as they explore sound with musical instruments and pretending to be doctors. They also do various art and craft activities and use different construction sets.

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and outcomes for children

They have good opportunities to take part in physical play. The childminder has a large garden with a variety of apparatus, including balance beams and a tunnel, where they can run around freely. They are learning good skills for the future. They are good communicators who chat animatedly about what they are doing. They choose books to look at and sit with the childminder as she reads to them. They use various electronic resources that help them learn about technology, including remote control toys, and the childminder is extending the range available.

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and outcomes for children

The children are developing good numeracy and problem-solving skills. They count the segments of orange as they eat and the childminder consistently introduces counting into everyday activities. They solve problems using resources such as puzzles, games and construction materials. The childminder makes regular observations of their progress which helps her assess what they need to do next. However, she has still to develop her confidence in this process and fully implement systems for using her observations to inform her planning. 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 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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