Childminder in Leeds

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY421165 Inspection date 14/07/2011 Inspector Ingrid Szczerban

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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 2010. She lives with her husband and two children aged 11 and nine years, in the Horsforth area of Leeds. The ground floor rooms and toileting facilities on the first floor are used by children. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family have pets, a cockatiel, a rabbit and stick insects.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum number of six children under eight years. She is currently caring for six children, of these, two are in the early years age group and four are aged over eight years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

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

The needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are met well. Good attention is given to promoting their learning and development. Children take part in a wide range of activities and make good progress in all areas of learning. Inclusive practice is promoted well and children are valued and respected as individuals. Partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies are good. The childminder assesses her provision quite effectively. She identifies areas for improvement and demonstrates a good capacity to continuously improve.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the risk assessment in relation to the security of the front door and take action to make sure the keys are always inaccessible to children so they may not leave unsupervised.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded very well in the main. All adults in the home have appropriate checks. The childminder keeps a record of all visitors to her home when children are present. She has attended safeguarding training so she has a good awareness of the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and she knows how to report any concerns she may have about children. Comprehensive written risk assessments are effectively implemented in the main by the childminder to ensure that children are kept from harm. The keys to the front door are normally kept out of reach, however, on the day of inspection they were seen to be left in the lock, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 presenting the potential risk of children being able to leave unsupervised. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate, she seeks all necessary written consents from parents and meticulous records of accidents and medication are

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the early years provision

The home is clean, warm and well maintained and separate towels are used to prevent the risk of any cross-infection. A clear sickness policy is implemented. All the toys and resources are well-organised at a level for the age and stage of each child so that they can access appropriate resources safely and independently. All items used by children are of high quality and in good condition. The children are free to choose where they want to play because the conservatory door is open and they can readily access outdoors, so they are autonomous and gain in confidence.

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the early years provision

The childminder manages her provision well and shows a positive commitment to continuous improvement. She has made good strides to evaluate and improve the service she provides. For example, she has completed further training and meets with other childminders regularly to discuss good practice issues. She seeks the views of parents in questionnaires and children's interests are followed when planning activities. For instance, she bought a popular children's fireman character jigsaw because one of the children is keen on the character.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are good. Parents have access to all of the policies and procedures. They are informed of their child's daily activities verbally at drop-off and collection times and they have free access to their child's development record so that learning is shared between the settings. Regular summaries of children's progress are recorded in their file and parents write their comments too. The childminder has established good links with the school where children attend, to ensure that individual learning is complemented well.

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and outcomes for children

The children make good progress in their learning and development. Accurate observations and assessments are made by the childminder in the development records. These include what children are interested in and what they are learning, and their individual next steps for progression. There are good systems in place to ensure that the six learning areas are consistently covered. The childminder gathers detailed information from parents before children begin their placement in order to plan activities for their individual interests.

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and outcomes for children

Plans are used flexibly to follow the direction that children may wish to take, thereby, sustaining their interest and promoting children's self-esteem. For instance, children's pleasure in role play is extended very well by the childminder to promote their understanding of staying safe. When practising the fire drill with the children, one child was delighted to pretend to be a popular children's fireman character and put the fire out.

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and outcomes for children

Children are polite, well behaved and get on well together. They display good This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 consideration for the needs of others, as the older children help the younger children and involve them in their play. For instance, when playing football in the garden children take turns to be in goal and to shoot penalties. The children are happy and settled because the childminder provides a regular routine for them based entirely around their needs. When they arrive home after school she gives them a snack and a drink. They feel safe and are at ease in their warm and loving relationships with their childminder who provides them with lots of smiles, words of encouragement and practical support. High levels of individual attention are given to children and they are self-assured in their surroundings.

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and outcomes for children

Active, healthy lifestyles are promoted. Through discussions children learn about which foods are good and bad for them and the childminder provides them with fresh fruit, vegetable sticks and drinks of water for snacks. She praises them as they finish off the last cucumber stick saying 'you will be nice and healthy'. Children love to be active and opportunities for them to run, climb and balance are provided in the garden by the childminder. They can kick and throw balls and balance well on the scooter.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about themselves and others very well. They are encouraged to appreciate similarities and differences of diversity, for instance, by looking at how people live around the world, supported well by the childminder through books, craft activities, dressing up, music and food. Children communicate well. They talk with each other as they sit at the table and the childminder asks them what they did at school that day.

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and outcomes for children

Creativity and numeracy are fostered very well by the childminder. She provides biscuits shaped as numbers for children to decorate, with food colouring pens, tubes of icing and small sweets. They find the biscuits which reflect their age and use their imaginations well. On completing her task, one child declared, 'I've made a one-eyed alien'. 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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