Childminder in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY261931 Inspection date 08/09/2011 Inspector Jill Milton

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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 registered in 2003. She lives with her partner and two school- aged children in the Littlemore area of Oxford. The home is within easy travelling distance of local schools and amenities. The whole of the ground floor of the home is used for childminding with access to one bedroom and the family bathroom upstairs. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play and the family has two cats. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Her registration permits her to care for up to six children under eight years at any one time and, of these, three may be in the early years age range. The childminder currently cares for seven children in the early years age range on a part-time basis and four older children. The childminder offers care to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has a level 3 qualification in childcare.

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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

Overall, the childminder provides encouraging support to many aspects of children's learning. She takes into consideration their individual needs and has a good understanding of their unique stages of development. The childminder has a positive attitude to improvement, accessing training to extend her skills in supporting children and families. She fosters strong working partnerships with parents and other professionals sharing care of the children. Two legal requirements have not been fully met at this time, though overall the childminder does offer a good standard of care to the children.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical attention or treatment (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 22/09/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the presentation of resources so that children can access them easily to develop their independence. 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 suitable understanding of how to act if she has safeguarding concerns for a child. She attends refresher courses in the area of child protection and is aware of possible indicators of abuse or neglect. However, the childminder has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to adults living in the household and this is a legal requirement. On this occasion, Ofsted does not intend to take further action. On a day-to-day basis in the home and on outings, the childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how to keep children safe. She conducts thorough risk assessments, maintaining clearly written records and provides children with a comfortable home environment. The childminder has many appropriate resources to support children's learning, though they are not always displayed very well to encourage independence and self-selection.

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the early years provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation well to reflect on her work and she draws on the opinions of parents and children to plan improvements. A request for more space for energetic games, for example, from older children resulted in a change in layout of a room. The childminder is sensitive to the needs of each child in her care, balancing well the stages of development of a wide age range. She is particularly supportive to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder builds good partnerships with other professionals such as pre-school staff to provide a joint focus on helping individual children progress. She also builds successful partnerships with parents, frequently discussing issues like behaviour management, to achieve consistency in children's care. Parents completing questionnaires refer to her confidence and professionalism. Her positive attitude is also reflected in the way the childminder seeks out higher levels of

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the early years provision

training to support her professional development. She is keen to share her knowledge with other newly registered childminders to promote good practice. The childminder is generally well organised, with regular reviews of policies and procedures to support her work. However, the redesigning of one form has resulted in the omission of the legal requirement to obtain parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment. This is to ensure the childminder acts in accordance with parental wishes in protecting children's health.

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and outcomes for children

Children share enjoyable activities with the childminder and they clearly demonstrate how secure they feel in her care. Children know where to store their own belongings, pointing out their photograph on a special drawer. The childminder makes clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour and children respond well to her encouragement to behave well. Children help to tidy away toys, for example, when they wish to start a new activity. They make choices about what to play, responding to suggestions from the childminder, though some resources are not freely accessible. Children like the childminder to share books with them and they demonstrate good recall of favourite stories. The childminder adapts the way This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 she communicates with children, using simple sign language if this is appropriate. Children progress well as they learn through their play and the childminder

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and outcomes for children

supports this with perceptive observations of their achievements. She collates the information in a file for each child, using it effectively to help children take the next steps in their learning and to share with parents.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning more about their local community through regular outings. They celebrate a wide range of festivals with the childminder and they play with resources that introduce them to cultures different to their own. Children take part in creative activities, such as making biscuits or using recycled materials. They use a good range of toys to support their developing understanding of technology. Regular outdoor play encourages children to develop their physical skills and introduces living things as they plant sunflower seeds. A new tent indoors tempts children to explore using torches to investigate the dark space. Children use their imaginative play by making dens under the table or when using dressing-up clothes. The childminder successfully uses spontaneous moments to reinforce early learning, such as counting cars or pointing out differences in size of toy elephants. She notices when children are ready to extend their skills, such as writing the

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and outcomes for children

letters of their name, and brings this into her planning for future activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children play safely in the home and they regularly take part in fire drills to reinforce safety messages. They have a good awareness of routines to stay healthy as they clean their hands with gel before choosing healthy snacks. Children access drinks by themselves and the childminder is aware of any individual dietary requirements in order to protect their health. 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 3 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 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 3 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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