King, Nicola

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY319186 Inspection date 29/06/2011 Inspector Susan Scott

p.1

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.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder was registered in October 2006. She lives with her husband and two young children in the Barming area of Maidstone. The ground floor of the premises is used for childminding with access to the upstairs toilet. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years, of which two may be in the early years age group at any one time. Her husband is also registered as a childminder. When they work together, they can care for no more than six children under eight years; of these, not more than five may be in the early years age group, and of these, not more than two may be under one year at any one time. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently minding five children, one of these is in the early years age group. All children are minded on a part-time basis. The childminder collects children from the local school and nursery nearby. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of each child's individual needs, and meets these in partnership with parents. Her commitment to providing children with a happy and secure experience in her care, enables her to successfully promote all aspects of their learning with success, though her planning is informal. Overall, children's welfare is well promoted and they enjoy their learning, because they have positive support and good attention from the childminder. They therefore make good progress, given their age, ability and starting points. The childminder has successfully evaluated her service which enables her to maintain continuous improvement, building upon the quality experienced by families who use the service.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 further develop the use of observational assessment, to inform planning for each child's continuing development  clarify the record of risk assessments, to show clearly how identified risks have been minimised. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

Children's care and learning is effectively promoted. The childminder has spent time reflecting on how to record her observations, and devising a system to cover all areas of development. She has a clear understanding of her responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare. She is familiar with the actions she can take if she has concerns about safeguarding children. However, her knowledge of safeguarding procedures has not been updated, though she intends to address this by enrolling on a course. Positive partnerships with parents and clear written procedures that she shares with parents, safeguard all the children who are cared for. Children are protected by the good supervision offered as the childminder works with her husband, who has completed training to become a registered childminder at their home. Although there is a risk assessment in place, the childminder has misunderstood how to complete this. Although she has made sure

p.5

the early years provision

all possible hazards are safe, she has not noted these. Her provision reduces the risks to children, such as ensuring doors are secure but easily opened in an emergency. Children are well protected by policies and procedures for lost or missing children, emergencies, medication administration and accidents.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder ensures that there are plenty of good quality and varied resources available for all children. These are appropriate to the ages and stages of children who attend, and are plentiful enough to interest all children, and provide them with a broad range of choices. For example, there are puzzles, games, books and musical instruments that appeal to a wide age and ability range. She has completed a clear evaluation of her service and continuously develops her practice by reviewing the needs of the children. She uses her skills to deliver a service that is responsive to their needs. Children and their families are all welcomed into the home which is well-organised and child-friendly.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder is committed to providing a good quality service, through meeting the needs of the families who use her service. She is keen to obtain feedback from parents and encourages them to talk to her about any requests they may have; their contributions are also welcomed in the daily contact book. Information about children's progress and the experiences they have in the childminder's care, is exchanged with parents and other providers of care, such as schools. This ensures children are supported well and promotes their welfare. For example, the childminder exchanges information with the school that older children attend. The parents are provided with a contact book containing information about their activities, achievements and experiences they have in the childminder's care. Additionally, the childminder ensures there are varied activities and resources provided that enable children to enjoy their time in her care. Children's

p.5

the early years provision

understanding of society is supported well through the provision of resources, which reflect diversity and the childminder's willingness to welcome families from various backgrounds. The childminder is successful in meeting every child's individual needs, and she is effective in ensuring that all children receive the support they need to make good progress. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

and outcomes for children

The childminder is competent at identifying children's individual needs. She provides a range of interesting experiences and well-supported play. Children benefit from the records of observations of their play, and the childminder assesses their development. The childminder ensures that activities consistently cover all aspects, in each area of learning so that she offers opportunities, for all round developmental progress for each child. However, the records for children do not yet show the next steps in the children's learning, which would enable the childminder to prioritise experiences, that support swifter progress in their development.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children learn effective hygienic routines when they have used the toilet or are about to eat food, as they understand that they have to wash their hands. This effectively promotes their independence and a sense of responsibility. Children learn how to share and be kind to each other, through the clear instructions and explanations given by the childminder. They enjoy a variety of outdoor activities; physical activities, playing in the garden and visiting various places, such as the local park. This enables them to develop their understanding of nature and the locality. Children learn how to keep safe, by discussing possible emergencies with the childminder and what they must do. For example, they talk about where they must go if they hear the smoke alarm, and how they can safely cross roads. Children enjoy good opportunities to build upon their social skills, as they mix with children of varied ages and learn about their lives and experiences. For instance,

p.6

and outcomes for children

younger children learn about school as they regularly visit and hear about what the older children do there.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children enjoy learning because they receive lots of attention and kind, loving support from the childminder. Very young children like to sit on the floor or on the childminder's lap and listen to stories or play with the childminder, using construction or small world toys. Babies happily babble to the childminder during the activities and receive good encouragement to develop their communication skills. For example, the childminder offers them a variety of words and names for things they play with. This shows children are confident and are keen to develop their skills. Children's understanding is further supported, by the childminder's participation in their play and her comments and questions, which encourage their communication skills. Children develop their mathematical skills, through encouragement to identify and talk about shapes, size and colours when they use the puzzles, and play with the toys. They enjoy sharing books and are encouraged

p.6

and outcomes for children

to learn about different cultures and celebrations, through books and resources, which reflect various backgrounds.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Older children are encouraged to be active learners and build their independence skills; taking themselves to the toilet and washing their hands before eating. They explore and develop their creative skills by colouring, drawing and making a variety of items. For example, they have made and illustrated a simple list of rules. Children enjoy using the various construction resources and the small figures, which encourages their imaginative play and understanding of real life situations. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder provides a variety of easily accessible activities that interest children, ensuring that she provides play and resources that reflect their preferences. Children experience interesting play and learning through the varied activities. For example, one baby likes butterflies, so they look at a book with pictures of butterflies. The baby clearly feels very safe in the care of the

p.6

and outcomes for children

childminder who successfully promotes confidence, by encouraging attempts at walking with great vigilance and encouragement. They go out to several different places such as, the local children's centre, where they participate in a programme of events for children. The childminder encourages their ideas through discussions and practical experiences, that are well adapted to each child's abilities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

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

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.8

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

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9