Childminder in West Sussex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY255358 Inspection date 29/09/2011 Inspector Christine Clint

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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 husband and three children, who all attend school. The family home is an end of terrace house, in a quiet residential area on the outskirts of Crawley, West Sussex. The local shops, park and primary school are close by. Children play on the ground floor only and smaller children can sleep upstairs during the day. Children have access to a lounge/dining room and cloakroom on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for four children under the age of eight years; of these, three children may be in the early years age range. The childminder is accredited to provide nursery education for children aged three and four years old and is part of the Crawley Network Childminding Group. She also supports newly registered childminders. The childminder has gained a Playwork qualification at level 3 in childcare and early years education. She has also gained a certificate of quality assurance. There are currently nine children being cared for by the childminder, six children are in the early years age group and they attend for various days and times during the week.

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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

The childminder has an excellent understanding of child development and recognising children's individual characteristics and abilities. She has comprehensively organised her childcare provision since the last inspection and developed extensive evidence, to support her knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has used self-evaluation to plan for future improvements and to continually meet the needs of individual children's welfare. She has fully embedded her own systems for monitoring the progress of most of the children in the early years age range attending her provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the systems in place for promoting the learning and progress of all children in the early years age range and promote links with other carers. 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 shows an excellent level of commitment to ensuring that her knowledge for safeguarding children is maintained through training. She keeps up- to-date with all relevant information and reflects this in her policies and procedures. She has a professional and dedicated attitude towards driving improvements and her comprehensive self-evaluation shows her full understanding of the regulations. She has also increased her knowledge and awareness by attending a very wide variety of training since the last inspection. The childminder has a high level of awareness of assessing risks and hazards and she identifies these in advance, keeping records to show how she protects children in the home, the garden and on different transport or in various locations. She has greatly encouraged children's individual understanding of keeping themselves safe, through inviting community police officers to visit and through practising fire drills

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the early years provision

regularly. The childminder shows a very thorough understanding of her responsibilities and she is fully aware of the need to record any complaints. A written policy is in place. She has very well organised records for all the children attending, including a daily register, accident details, medication records and all permission is in place from parents to meet children's individual needs and promote their welfare.

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the early years provision

The childminder has fully utilised all areas on the ground floor of her home to provide a comfortable and inviting child-centred environment, which supports children's involvement and learning. Children move freely between indoors and outside. They are safe and secure at all times and they know the daily routines to meet hygiene and safety. They can see and access a wide range of resources because these are well organised and stored effectively in specific areas. The childminder uses labelling to encourage children's understanding and she has developed many systems to visually stimulate and inform children. For example, folders with pictures of all the resources available or small laminated cards for children to choose a toy or an activity. These can be displayed to show children in advance what is planned for the day. There are photographs and reminders of events and people they know on many walls of the home and children show a real

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the early years provision

interest in talking about these. The childminder encourages children's interaction at all times and she is fully aware of how this increases their understanding.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an inspiring attitude towards meeting children's individual needs and increasing their positive understanding of differences. She explains that she 'sometimes treats children differently in order to treat them equally' and this is dependent on their own needs and ability. The childminder uses a wide variety of systems to include children of different ages and stages of understanding. She has a visual timetable and a menu, ensuring that many displays are at child height. She also displays who is present in the home on any day, so that children arriving will know who to expect. She provides resources to fit the hands of children of different ages and abilities. There are crayons to match various skin tones with colouring pictures to promote differences of culture and tradition. The childminder makes full use of the library and chooses books and stories about children and families from diverse backgrounds in a positive light. The childminder includes a

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 variety of different festivals and often researches information in advance.

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the early years provision

Most early years children make significant gains in their learning and their high level of progress is fully assessed and monitored by the childminder, who plans and bases their learning on their individual interests. She regularly observes and records children's achievements and uses this information to plan their next steps in development. However, some children attending after school are still in the early years age group and the childminder has ceased to include systems of monitoring their progress or linking with other providers.

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the early years provision

The childminder has established highly positive relationships with parents. She ensures that they are fully informed at the start of any care arrangements because she has a comprehensive folder of clear and detailed information, to cover all areas of care. Information is also very effectively displayed within areas of the home, to help parents understand how children learn and how the daily routines are followed. Parents provide the childminder with specific written details about their child when care commences and this helps the childminder to plan and organise children's individual development. Parents have daily diaries which are very focused on their child's routines, progress and behaviour. They are also encouraged to complete annual questionnaires about the provision and the childminder has used the responses to evaluate her work, the environment and her plans for the future. Parents are welcome to visit at any time and they can see and

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the early years provision

contribute to their child's record of development. The childminder has developed strong and effective links within the community and within the early years network locally. She has very effectively advanced her own knowledge and understanding by taking full advantage of available training. She has included community professionals to enhance children's understanding and learning, and she continues to increase children's opportunities to see and experience all that the locality offers.

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and outcomes for children

Children show high levels of confidence, interest and curiosity. They are building positive relationships with one another and happily follow each other's lead. They are motivated and imaginative, painting their hands in the garden and relating the colour of the paint to different smells. They say 'the brown smells of chocolate' and they add orange to their finger-tips and say 'this smells of oranges'. Children make hand prints and use the surfaces attached to the fence to make more prints as they run around the garden. Children recognise the need to wash and ask for water, they know how to do this independently and manage well. They enjoy the feeling of having clean hands again. Children automatically use the toilet facilities on the ground floor and they react responsibly when the childminder asks them to follow personal care routines. There are ample visual reminders in a very clean and well prepared home. Children's physical development is very effectively

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and outcomes for children

encouraged during all seasons, through frequent outings and daily opportunities for activities in the fresh air and team games. They are motivated to understand about growing food because they regularly help on the allotment and happily take This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 part in digging and planting, learning about healthy food and tasting the results.

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and outcomes for children

Children's individual interests are very creatively followed by the childminder, who arranges special visits to museums or includes themes and topics to fulfil and extend children's enjoyment. Children show great interest in the planes they can see from the garden and they have experienced sitting in a fighter jet and having close-up views of large planes during their transport topic. They talk about planes and spend a long time concentrating and discussing how they can make these from construction equipment with the childminder. They are eager to describe size and shape, they name colours and count when attaching the wheels. Children show through their dialogue, how they are thinking and planning. Children flourish in the nurturing environment because the childminder praises them for being polite and for understanding each other's needs. They are very relaxed and sociable. They fully understand the regular routines within the home and automatically

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and outcomes for children

remove their shoes when they come indoors. Children spontaneously include their own imaginative play, using the toy phones to have pretend conversations with family members during their activities. They are keen to help prepare the fruit for snack time. They name the fruit and learn to describe the texture as 'juicy' or 'crunchy'. There is ample discussion about fruit being healthy and children confirm that this will make them 'strong'.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe because they know the setting well. They are very used to the daily routines. They are consistently involved with making choices and decisions and this has fully increased their confidence and self-esteem. Children have learned about fire safety by visiting the fire station and they regularly practise fire drills. They also diligently practise road safety on school collections and have had first-hand information from the local community police officer. Children's behaviour is systematically managed by the childminder because she watches, listens and responds immediately to any rising excitement and introduces activities to calm and pacify situations. For example, finding special, newly acquired balls that light up and hold children's attention. They count colour changes and use the controls to turn the lights on and off. They listen attentively when the childminder explains that 'the balls are not for throwing or kicking' and they repeat this earnestly,

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and outcomes for children

showing their understanding. They watch the spinning colours and say 'it looks like a space craft'. They notice the reflection when they use the balls next to a hanging mirror mobile. Children show interest in all the photographs displayed within the childminder's home and they initiate conversations about previous activities and events they have taken part in. They recognise and name other people in the photographs and talk eagerly about places they have visited. Children play a full and active role in their learning. They are well equipped with fundamental skills they can use to extend and develop their own progress. 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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