Childminder in Camden

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY346014 Inspection date 12/07/2011 Inspector ISP Inspection

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 2007. She lives with her three children in a house in the NW5 area of the London Borough of Camden. Children have access to the ground floor and the first floor of the home. They also have access to an enclosed garden. The family have a pet dog.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of three children under eight may attend at any one time, of whom two may be in the early years age range. There are currently two children on roll in the early years age range.

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

Children are happy and well supported here. The childminder has effective partnerships with parents which provides her with good information about children's individual needs. Children access a generally secure environment and are able to make choices easily. However, some areas of safety have not been addressed. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals and the childminder uses effective systems for observation. The childminder is committed to making improvements to her service and has identified some areas for improvement including, her systems for assessment and involving parents in their child's learning.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 enhance children's good progress towards the early learning goals by obtaining information from new parents about their starting points in all areas, monitor and assess their progress and continue to develop ways to involve parents in their child's learning  develop the process for risk assessment to cover anything with which a child may come into contact, with particular regard to the garden and regularly practise the emergency evacuation procedure

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder has clear procedures to follow and systems in place for appropriate advice and support in case of child protection concerns. Furthermore, parents are provided with copies of her policies and procedures which ensure they are informed of her responsibility to protect children. Children's safety is generally This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 well promoted. The home and individual outings are risk assessed, however some items in the garden have not been removed that are a potential risk to children's safety. The childminder has an effective evacuation procedure in place, although this has not been practised with the children to encourage their awareness of how to keep safe in an emergency.

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder provides an inclusive service. She is fluent in both Italian and English and as a result, children are learning bi-lingual skills. The childminder has identified that she wishes to develop her service by providing further support for children who speak other languages at home. The childminder has good information about each child's individual needs which helps them to feel secure, as she knows them very well.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder enjoys her work and is committed to making continuous improvements. She has identified some areas for improvement and has developed her service well since registration. She has accessed secure support through her local early years service and uses feedback from her NVQ assessments to make further improvements to her service. Resources at the setting provide children with good opportunities to take part in both adult-led and child initiated play.

p.5

the early years provision

Successful relationships have been developed with parents. They are provided with very useful information about her service at the beginning of the placement. Effective communication systems between the childminder and parents ensure that consistent care is provided for each child. The childminder demonstrates a positive attitude towards developing partnerships with others to benefit the children in her care.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are happy and receive good levels of support to promote their learning and development. Their confidence is increasing as they are able to easily access play materials both inside and out. They thoroughly enjoy being able to independently access their own outdoor clothing for the garden. They are developing useful social skills as they learn to share the play materials and to consider the needs of younger children. Furthermore, they attend a variety of local drop-in groups. This provides them with good opportunities to develop their confidence in larger groups of children.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is managed positively. They receive praise for their efforts and achievements. Minor squabbles are resolved quickly; the children are provided with clear explanations to help them to understand why some behaviour is not safe or how this may affect the other children. They have very good opportunities for learning outdoors and the garden is organised with an interesting range of play materials; children quickly become involved in sand play and are interested to see how the sand changes when the childminder adds water. She provides effective support as they make shapes with the sand using moulds. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The children are developing good communication skills as the childminder takes time to listen to them and is very aware that each child is unique and develops at their own pace. Consequently, if children require quiet time to relax, they are able

p.5

and outcomes for children

to access books and play equipment indoors. Children are developing knowledge and understanding of the world during outdoor play. For example, when a child identifies an unusual noise the childminder encourages the children to listen and find out what it might be. As a result they learn to distinguish the difference between aeroplanes and helicopters as well as watching carefully for birds that hop around the back of the garden.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The childminder has a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Useful information is provided by parents at the beginning of their placement about their child's individual needs. However, this is not organised in to the six areas of learning to help assess their initial progress. The childminder regularly observes children's progress using individual profiles books, these include text and photographs. The childminder also identifies ideas for the next steps in their learning. Their profiles are regularly shared with parents. Although the childminder knows the children well, she has not developed systems to assess their progress towards the early learning goals and encourage parents to be involved in their learning.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children's health is well promoted as they are provided with home cooked meals and healthy snacks. They eat at their own pace and enjoy fresh fruits such as raspberries and bananas. A good balance of indoor and outdoor play in the fresh air provides them with good exercise and stimulation. Consequently they eat and sleep well at the setting. They are learning the importance of safety in a variety of ways. For example, even very young children are learning how to use the stairs safely as they are well supervised and monitored. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

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.7

Stage

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

p.7

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.7

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.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.8