Childminder in Leicestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 225561 Inspection date 08/09/2011 Inspector Jayne Rooke

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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 1992. She lives with her husband in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The whole of the ground floor and one bedroom on the first floor of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder takes and collects children from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently four children on roll who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five to eleven years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and belongs to the Leicestershire Childminding Network. The childminder receives support from the local authority advisory service. She is part of an accredited network and provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive within the childminder's exceptionally well-organised and inclusive home. They make rapid progress in their development and learning through a broad range of exciting and challenging activities and experiences. High quality observation and assessment information is used very effectively to guide and enhance children's continuing development. Partnerships with parents are exceptionally strong and supportive and they are fully engaged in most areas of the childminder's practice. The childminder builds highly effective relationships with other childcare professionals, which significantly enhances children's development and welfare. The childminder is highly skilled at self-evaluation, leading to sustained improvements across all areas of her practice.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 expanding opportunities to offer support to parents for extending their child's learning in the home. 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 fully protected from harm and neglect because the childminder maintains her comprehensive knowledge of all safeguarding procedures, through regular training and policy review. She is vigilant about children's safe care and supervision at all times, helping them to take responsibility for safety checks and risk assessments. This significantly enhances their knowledge and understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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the early years provision

The childminder pays high regard to equality and inclusion. She has excellent knowledge of each child's lifestyles and backgrounds, helping them to feel special and valued. She uses toys, equipment, games and outings imaginatively, to develop children's knowledge and understanding of diverse communities and events. She has a highly effective policy in place to promote equality and anti- discriminatory practice.

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the early years provision

The childminder is particularly skilful at using self-evaluation systems to guide and develop her practice. She actively seeks the views and feelings of the children and their parents, using the information obtained to promote further improvements. As a result, significant developments have been introduced to the indoor and outdoor learning environment. She has received very many positive comments from parents and the children, highly commending her caring attention to children's well-being and educational development. Parents and carers are very well informed about all aspects of their child's care and learning, which provides them with good opportunities to support their child's progress.

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the early years provision

The childminder takes pride in the presentation of her home, ensuring that children have access to high quality resources which inspire them to learn and to have fun. She carefully considers the needs of each child and their family, adapting routines and activities to meet their preferences and interests. She actively seeks out opportunities to share good practice ideas with others, using her expertise and skills as part of a recognised childminding network organisation. The childminder is highly committed to continuous professional development, attending an extensive range of training courses to enhance her professional knowledge and skills. There were no recommendations from the previous inspection, which was judged to be outstanding.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a broad range of play and learning experiences which are rich, varied and imaginative. They take an active part in planning and decision making which develops their confidence in their own skills and abilities. The childminder carefully notes what children can do and what they need to do next, to advance their progress towards the early learning goals. For example, young children delight in choosing materials from the 'bits and bobs box' to create vibrant pictures and models of their favourite monsters. They progress from using scissors with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 support to confidently handling tools independently, taking care to avoid accidents. They sustain continued interest over a period of time, developing pictures and patterns with their bananas and raisins as they create a picture of a monster on their lunch mat.

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and outcomes for children

Older children use complex language to sustain their imaginative play, taking on different roles in their group play. They talk about feelings and emotions, becoming aware of their own needs for active play and relaxation. They draw pictures and write lists, which help them to contribute to rules for safe and respectful behaviour, and to address personal safety issues in a sensitive and supportive way.

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and outcomes for children

Children show curiosity and interest in the natural world, observing how spiders' webs become visible on a frosty day. The childminder skilfully extends children's interest, encouraging them to use magnifying lenses to enhance their investigative skills. This leads to interesting discussions about how spiders catch their food. The childminder and children have fun as they respond to questions and answers, which help them to think about the features of other living things. Children use numbers for counting and calculation, as they identify how many legs on each side of a spider and how many altogether. They consider the impact of change as they experiment with texture and temperature, observing how the material of their gloves sticks to the frozen railings.

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and outcomes for children

A vast range of exciting toys and equipment are readily accessible to children when they wish to make changes in their play. They confidently move around the home, selecting musical instruments, small world toys and books to enhance their enjoyment and learning. Young children respond with glee as they manipulate the steel spring drum to make thunder sounds, adapting their movements with good control to change the noise from quiet to loud and back again. They operate simple technology toys with ease, demonstrating how to activate different sounds and actions, as they press buttons and turn knobs. The exceptionally resourced garden, provides extended opportunities for continuous learning outdoors, where children revel in hide-and-seek games and physical activity.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop positive attitudes towards health and hygiene, as they eagerly use the soap dispenser to wash their hands at routine times throughout the day. They take part in exciting activities and projects which help them to understand the benefit of good nutrition and exercise, leading to their healthy growth and development. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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