Childminder in East Sussex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 505715 Inspection date 25/02/2011 Inspector Alison Weaver

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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 1987. She lives with her husband and adult child aged 19 who is at university and only stays during the holidays, in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is an enclosed rear garden for outside play. The family have two dogs and a cat.

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Description of the childminding

She attends the local parent/toddler group and takes children to the local park.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and is currently minding three children under five years at varying times during the week. She also cares for children over seven years. The childminder is registered 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

Overall, children are happy and settled with the childminder as she works closely with parents to meet their needs. Children make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals although the planning and assessment process is an area for development and the opportunities for them to participate in activities that promote their understanding of diversity are not extensive. Apart from the outdoor area, satisfactory arrangements are in place to keep children safe so they can play freely and independently. Children's health is adequately promoted although not all good hygiene measures are consistently implemented. The childminder has a satisfactory awareness of her weaknesses and takes some steps to address these to secure continuous improvement and benefit children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the use of the assessment process and identified learning priorities to plan relevant learning experiences for each child  improve safety and accessibility of the outdoor area for children, including the pond area  improve everyday hygiene practices with the children to promote their good health and awareness of good personal hygiene  develop further opportunities for children to develop their awareness of diversity by learning about different cultures and beliefs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a firm grasp of her responsibility to report any possible cases of abuse or neglect with regard to a child in her care. She has attended training to ensure she is up-to-date in her knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. In general, the childminder shows a satisfactory awareness of how to keep children safe and secure at all times. She has produced adequate risk assessments that help her identify and minimise most risks to children so they do not come to any harm. However, she has not taken sufficient steps to ensure the pond is fully safe and that the outdoor area is suitable for children's use. The childminder has a varied range of safe and suitable resources available for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder forms satisfactory partnerships with parents. She ensures that she obtains all the necessary information from them about their child's background and individual needs so she can care for them appropriately. She keeps parents well informed about their child's day and achievements through the good use of care diaries. However, she has no systematic systems in place for the ongoing sharing of children's learning records with parents and to encourage them to continue learning at home. In addition, the childminder has not established effective links with other providers who share the care of individual children to promote continuity and coherence in their learning. She is fully aware of the need to work closely with interagency teams involved with caring for a child needing additional support.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes satisfactory steps to review and evaluate her practices, for example, by taking part in a quality assurance scheme and addressing any areas of weakness that she identifies. She has also recently completed a childcare qualification to improve her knowledge and skills so that she can improve outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are cared for in a homely environment. They show they feel settled and secure as they confidently move around indoors and approach adults. The childminder provides a sufficient range of activities and experiences that promote children's learning and development. Observations and assessments are used satisfactorily to plan further activities although there is less focus on identifying learning priorities for each child to help them make further progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children are generally interested and engaged in activities but there are times when they are not well occupied and this sometimes leads to disputes and poorer behaviour. In general, the childminder manages children's behaviour well when incidents arise. She uses praise and encouragement to help them feel good about themselves. She promotes their independence by giving them some choices about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their play. The childminder takes children on outings to develop their social skills and to help them develop an awareness of the wider world. Children have some opportunities to develop a positive awareness of diversity although the childminder is less confident in planning activities that will promote their understanding in this area. They learn about safety and health as they attend local childcare events. They have regular outdoor play where they benefit from fresh air and physical

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy planned cooking activities. They learn to take responsibilities as they help to prepare the room. They enjoy cracking the eggs, measuring, counting and mixing the ingredients using different tools. Children begin to take turns but sometimes need reminders. The childminder develops their understanding of safety as they talk together about the oven and things getting hot. They learn about the importance of good hygiene as the childminder talks to them about not licking the spoons. However, she does not always reinforce good hygiene procedures with regard to hand washing and the use of drinking cups.

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and outcomes for children

Children are helped to become confident speakers as they share their experiences. They develop skills in solving problems as they play with puzzles. They learn to use different forms of simple technology such as remote control vehicles, torches and a compact disc player. They have opportunities to explore as they investigate ice. Children make marks and express their creativity as they do painting, collages and different crafts. 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 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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