Childminder in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY248884 Inspection date 20/10/2011 Inspector Janet Thouless

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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 child in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a pet hamster and chickens. 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. She is currently minding six in this age group on a part-time basis. She offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to the local school and nursery to take and collect children and attends parent and toddler groups on a regular basis. She is a member of an approved childminding network.

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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

The childminder's good knowledge of children's individual needs helps her to successfully promote children's safety, welfare and learning, overall. Strong relationships with parents is a key strength of the provision and is significant in promoting children's progress in their learning, given their age, ability and starting points. The childminder has a positive attitude towards developing her practice and takes appropriate steps to identify and continually improve the quality of the service she offers.

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further?

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

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further?

 practise regular fire evacuation procedures and record details in a fire log book of any problems encountered and how they were resolved .

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and knows what to do if she has concerns about a child in her care. She has up-to-date contact details should she need to raise any concerns. Comprehensive risk assessments of all areas which children may come into contact with are recorded This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 effectively to further promote children's safety. However, although evacuation procedures have been adopted, they are not practiced by the children to ensure they respond appropriately if the need arises. At the time of the inspection, the childminder was caring for more children than the conditions of registration allow. The provider gave a reasonable excuse for doing so and on this occasion Ofsted does not intend to take further action. The good relationship the childminder maintains with parents ensures that there is an open exchange of information with

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the early years provision

them to further assist in safeguarding children. Effective self-evaluation systems are in place and demonstrate the childminder's commitment to maintain continuous improvement. All of the required documentation is well organised and maintained, providing on hand information that promotes children's health, safety and well-being and contributes to the smooth running of the service.

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the early years provision

The childminder is very committed to the children she cares for and creates a welcoming home environment where they feel safe and fully included. Toys and resources are displayed to their best advantage to allow children to participate fully. She ensures that all activities are accessible to all the children and adapts activities to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children's independence and choice is promoted. The childminder provides opportunities for children to develop their awareness of all areas of diversity through the toys and activities on offer and is currently developing the range of resources provided.

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the early years provision

The childminder develops very positive relationships with parents to ensure she knows the culture and background of each child and this contributes to inclusive practice, meeting their individual needs and providing continuity of care. Through daily conversations and with the use of a daily diary parents are kept informed about their child's day. The childminder goes to great lengths to ensure the settling-in procedures meet the individual needs of children and families. Children are invited to play sessions before they start to establish relationships with the childminder and interact with other children. As a result, a smooth transition from home to setting is established. The childminder also liaises with other providers and professionals delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure they receive the support they need and benefit from continuity in learning and care.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, confident and settled and receive good support with their learning and development. As a result, children feel safe and secure and display a strong sense of belonging in the childminder's care. Many opportunities are provided for children to make choices about what they do. A selection of resources are laid out each day according to their individual interests, children then chose what they want to play with. All the available resources are regularly rotated so children benefit from playing with most of them at some point in their time with the childminder. The childminder carries out observations that link to the early learning goals which provide a focus for the next steps in children's learning and are used to inform planning. Children's profiles are completed and shared with parents, which means children's progress is measurable and parents are able to be This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

involved in supporting their children's learning and development at home.

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and outcomes for children

Young children gain a sense of security and familiarity through repeated interaction with the childminder. They happily explore new experiences and demonstrate good levels of interest and involvement. For example, they delight in repeatedly pushing buttons on programmable resources working out that one action has an effect on others. The childminder gives them time to repeatedly practise acquired skills. Older children are very keen to communicate with the childminder and they use language well to start conversations to express their thoughts and ideas. For example, they talk about the different types of vehicles available. They explain that the tractor's trailer can transport logs; fire engines help to put out fires and helicopter fly high in the sky. To develop children's interest in vehicles further the childminder displays a range of books on transport to extend their learning. They use language such as 'big' and 'heavy' as they place logs on the trailer and 'high'

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and outcomes for children

and 'low' when swirling the helicopter around in the sky. Children thoroughly enjoy finding and matching items in the shopping memory game. They are developing a love of books and listen intently to story read by the childminder. They giggle with delight when they find the hidden duck on each page. Children are developing their skills in the use of technology as they play interactive games on the computer. Children are engaged and show high levels of interest in all that they do as they receive constant praise and reassurance. Children's behaviour is good as they respond well to the high expectations and consistently good example of the childminder.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles because the childminder promotes healthy eating, drinking and regular exercise. Water beakers with lids are provided to younger children to promote their independence. Children enjoy sociable meal times as they sit down to eat and drink and are learning good table manners as they use 'please' and 'thank you'. They know to walk and not run around the home in order to keep themselves and others safe. They have many opportunities to participate in physical play and enjoy using the large apparatus at local parks and stay and play groups. These positive early experiences provide children with a good start in life to enable them to develop the skills needed for their future success. 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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