Childminder in Devon

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY346933 Inspection date 05/07/2011 Inspector Dawn Biggers

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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 2007. She lives with her with her husband and two children aged seven and nine years in the village of Denbury, Newton Abbott, Devon. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight at any one time; of these, three may be within the early years age group and of these one may be under one year. When working with an assistant, she is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time; of these, four may be within the early years age group and of these one may be under one year. The childminder is currently caring for six children in the early years age group. She also cares for children over eight years.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder attends the local toddler group and takes children on various outings to the local park, beach and zoo.

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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

Children's welfare is promoted well. The childminder has a good knowledge of children's individual needs. Children make good progress in their learning and development through the establishment of caring relationships, the provision of a supportive environment and good engagement with parents and partnerships. Overall, assessments of children and safety measures meet the individual needs of all children. Self-evaluation has begun to identify areas for the childminder's own development, and she has good capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the use of observational assessment to identify and plan for children?s next steps towards the early learning goals  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. The childminder has completed effective risk assessments of her home and keeps the required records. She is aware of potential risks associated with outings, although does not include this in the written record of risk assessments. She takes emergency contact numbers with her and uses good equipment for all ages, such as a pushchair. She acts as a good role model for younger children in developing their awareness of potential hazards. The childminder has good knowledge of child protection issues, including appropriate procedures to follow, to ensure children are safeguarded.

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the early years provision

The childminder has begun to implement an effective system to evaluate and identify plans to bring about further improvements for children, such as attending training to develop her practice and procedures, and introducing more resources. She builds upon topics from school, for example transport, by taking the children to visit the train station. Policies have been reviewed as part of her effective implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and she has set priorities for future development.

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the early years provision

The childminder's good organisation enables her to plan flexibly to meet children's individual needs. The play area is comfortable and welcoming, with a good range of stimulating and well-maintained toys, which are rotated; therefore, children are engaged and interested in their play. Toys are well organised and take account of children's ages and stages of development. Children enjoy the space, where they practise their newly learnt crawling skills. They receive individual attention and support and their needs are met well. The childminder has good knowledge of children's background and individual needs, as good information is obtained about their interests and routines from the beginning. She raises their awareness of diversity through play opportunities and encourages their awareness of people in the local community. Children say 'hello' to the local bus driver and visit the post office to post letters. Good use is made of the local environment to encourage

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the early years provision

children's understanding of the wider world and to enable children to explore the rural community and the natural world.

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the early years provision

Good engagement with parents ensures continuity in children's care, learning and development. Positive relationships are established through daily discussions and the sharing of her good policies and procedures, which support the childminder's effective practice. Settling-in processes effectively support children, and the good information shared with parents contributes to how well they settle. Parents give positive feedback regarding the childminding service. The childminder has established good links with other settings children attend, forming partnerships with them to further support children's learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has good knowledge of how children learn and plans flexibly to meet their individual needs. Therefore, children have positive attitudes to learning. She is developing her system to assess children's progress. She uses a daily diary to share children's achievements, alongside photographs which meaningfully link to the six areas of learning. She makes clear reference to the Early Years Foundation Stage Practice Guidance to support her practice. The childminder's generally good knowledge of how to support children ensures that they make good progress in their learning. However, the systems to use observations to identify children's next steps are less well established in order to fully promote individual learning..

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy learning; they are happy, settled and secure. They have good relationships with the childminder and their peers. She engages well at their level and is responsive to their individual needs. Therefore, they confidently bring her toys and enjoy her involvement in their play. She encourages their exploration and extends their play well by providing a good variety of resources that interest them, such as opportunities to investigate how things open and close. She asks questions and offers suggestions, which means they are eager to explore. For example, older children solve problems together as they build a tower out of cotton reels.

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and outcomes for children

Toddlers are encouraged to use their senses well. For instance, they touch textured books and use vocalisations to express their enjoyment. They are fascinated by the sparkly surfaces and run their fingers over them. Children are relaxed. They investigate pushing and pulling wheeled toys and put items inside the toy kitchen cupboard. They are introduced to pretend food, and the childminder relates this to the things they enjoy eating, such as bananas. Children develop their mobility well, pulling themselves up to stand and crawling confidently. They develop confidence by walking around the room and making choices for themselves. For example, they access the bricks and experiment with them to see what happens if they bang them together. They practise early communication skills using vocalisations and some words, developing skills for the future. They improve their dexterity by opening and shutting the bus door and

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and outcomes for children

putting the people inside. They learn about sounds and rhythm by pressing the buttons on a key board and listening to the music. They learn about the wider world and how things grow by visiting the allotment to water the seeds they planted.

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and outcomes for children

Children receive praise and encouragement. They are responsive, and develop confidence and social skills. They are well stimulated and respond to the childminder's positive interactions. The childminder helps children learn how to keep themselves safe, and they learn about road safety from a young age. She acts as a good role model and plans a safe environment for children to explore as they become mobile. Children learn about healthy lifestyles by enjoying lots of fresh air and physical exercise in the outdoor area, and on outings, which include daily walks and visits to the park and beach. Children enjoy a well-balanced diet as This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 nutritious meals and snacks are provided by their parents. 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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