Childminder in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY413284 Inspection date 08/06/2011 Inspector Donna Lancater

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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 October 2010. She lives with her husband and their adult son and two other children aged 13 and 15 years in a house in Guisbrough, in Cleveland. The home is close to shops and schools. The ground floor of the home, except for the office is used for childminding. Bathroom facilities are situated on the first floor of the home. There is no access to an outdoor play area at the present time. The family has two dogs, a rabbit, two guinea pigs, fish and a horse.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding two children in this age group. The childminder operates Monday to Friday from 8am till 5.30pm, for 49 weeks of the year. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. She is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 provides a warm, welcoming family environment and has a good understanding of each child's individual needs. Children have suitable play and learning opportunities which supports their overall development appropriately. As a result, children are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Relationships with parents are beginning to develop, however systems for sharing information with them and other providers are in their infancy. The childminder is motivated and has a sound attitude towards making further improvements to the services she provides; however, these systems are not yet fully established.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure regular evacuation drills are carried out and details are recorded in a fire log book of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  continue to develop systems for observations and assessments to help with promoting children's learning and development  promote effective continuity and progression by sharing relevant information about children's learning and development with other provisions and parents  develop procedures to promote reflective practice, self-evaluation and identify priorities for development to improve outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted appropriately. The childminder has a sound understanding of child protection issues and this is reflected in the clearly written safeguarding policy. She is aware of the signs and symptoms that indicate abuse or neglect and knows who she would contact if she had concerns about a child. The childminder's home is safe and secure, with suitable risk assessments conducted and recorded to help her minimise potential dangers. The childminder is trained in first aid and has appropriate procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and administration of medication. Documentation is well organised and available for inspection.

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the early years provision

The childminder has begun to develop positive relationships with parents. She gathers sufficient information in order to meet children's individual needs, including children's starting points in their learning and development. Parents are kept up to date about their child's care and daily activities mainly through verbal feedback. The childminder passes on relevant information about children's care to other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, ongoing systems to effectively share information about children's learning and development with parents and other providers are not in place. This does not fully support continuity of learning and care for children. The childminder has no children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she demonstrates a positive attitude towards working closely with parents and other agencies to support children's individual needs.

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the early years provision

The childminder is keen to improve the quality of the service she offers. She does reflect on the service she provides in order to maintain continuous improvement, for example, she reviews activities and routines and by seeking parental views and she regularly meets with other childminders in her area to share good practice ideas. However, formal self-evaluation is in the early stages of development. There is a range of resources which are set up before the children arrive. Children can go into the office whilst supervised by the childminder to get more resources out. Consequently, children are able to make independent choices. Resources include some which reflect diversity to raise children's awareness and appreciation of the world in which they live. The childminder provides an inclusive service which is welcoming to children and parents alike.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is warm and caring and children are happy and relaxed in her care. Children's learning and development is satisfactorily promoted and their individual routines are followed in line with their home routine which provides consistency of care. The childminder is beginning to complete basic written observations of children's play, but she is not yet using the information fully to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 identify next steps or plan for future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing early problem solving skills, as they play with simple jigsaws and construction toys. They are developing their communication skills well as they attempt to copy words, such as, 'dog, cat and car' they imitate the noises that the animals make. Children enjoy singing songs and doing actions to the rhymes, in particular 'The wheels on the bus'. Children independently select their own books from the low storage basket and sit either on their own on the bean bag looking at the pictures or with the childminder, who reads the story and asks them questions about the animals in the pictures. Children practice early mark- making skills with pens and paper. Evidence in children's files shows that they have opportunities to develop their creative skills. For example, they paint pictures and stick and glue collage pictures. The childminder describes how rhymes and everyday play activities are used to help children begin to develop basic numeracy

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and outcomes for children

skills. For example, they count how many steps and they count the bricks when building. Children engage in early role play based on first hand experiences as they play with the toy kitchen and food. Information and communication technology resources, such as, battery operated, wind-up toys and the computer are readily available which helps to develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being.

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and outcomes for children

Children go out daily in the local area, for example, they go to a park which helps them develop their physical skills. They begin to gain a sense of the community in which they live as they go for walks with the dogs in the local area and they help feed the childminder's horse. Appropriate procedures, such as, hand washing after the toilet, help to maintain children's good health. The childminder provides all meals for the children and has a sound understanding of the importance of providing a healthy and balanced diet. Children do not attend if they are sick. This enables the childminder to protect others from illness and supports children's good health. The childminder promotes positive behaviour by using effective strategies, such as giving praise and simple explanations of why some behaviour is not acceptable. As a result, children behave well. They are developing some awareness of how to stay safe as the childminder reminds them about road safety and other

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and outcomes for children

dangers when on outings. However, although the childminder is clear about the evacuation routes, she has not yet practised these when children are present to ensure the premises can be evacuated quickly and safely. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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