Childminder in Essex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY279541 Inspection date 02/11/2011 Inspector Jenny Howell

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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 has been registered since 2004. She lives in a house in a residential area of Basildon, close to the hospital, schools, pre-schools, shops and parks. All areas of the property are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder has a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of three children in this age range. She currently has three children aged under five on roll. The childminder is also registered on the Compulsory and Voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently caring for one child aged between five and eight and nine children over the age of eight. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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

Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Effective procedures are in place to safeguard children and promote their welfare. Good organisation of play opportunities supports children in becoming fully engaged in learning and, as a result, children make good progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder works well with parents in order to identify and meet children's individual needs. A simple system of self-evaluation has been introduced to support reflective practice and continuous improvement. All the required documents and records are in place to support the smooth running of the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 establish and maintain a regular two-way flow of information between providers, when children also attend other settings  improve the use of sensitive observational assessment in order to support planning to meet children's individual needs.

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the early years provision

Effective steps are taken to promote children's safety. This includes regular risk assessments of all areas of the premises and for all types of trip and outing. Safety equipment, such as, stair gates, are also in place, in order to further protect young children and babies. The childminder is effective in safeguarding children. All the required documents are in place and are successfully implemented in order to support the childminder in keeping children safe. The childminder has a good understanding of child protection procedures and has relevant information and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 contact numbers on file. Current training in first aid and a first aid kit are in place, allowing the childminder to act quickly in the event of an accident or emergency.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a simple system of self-evaluation in place. This effectively supports her in reflecting upon what she is doing well, in order to meet the needs of all children. She also has detailed plans in place for the future. These cover all aspects of her provision and support the childminder in bringing about real improvements to her practice. The childminder has successfully addressed the recommendation raised at the last inspection, bringing about improvements to safeguarding procedures.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides children with a comfortable environment. She makes good use of the available space to provide children of various ages with different areas in which to play. All children also enjoy regular access to the secure garden. The childminder manages and stores resources so that children can see what is available, and can access some toys independently. The childminder makes good use of the local environment, such as, nearby parks, to support learning. As a result she is able to support children in making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

All children are cared for in line with their individual needs. In order to achieve this, the childminder works closely with parents. She establishes a regular exchange of information with parents by chatting to them on a daily basis and regularly sending text messages. She also shares photographs to keep parents informed about the range of play and learning opportunities. The relevant parental permissions are obtained, ensuring that the childminder can care for children in line with parents' wishes. She successfully promotes an acceptance and understanding of difference and diversity by supporting children in bringing their home cultures in, to share with other children. The childminder has established some informal links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she does not yet have a formal system in place to ensure a regular exchange of relevant information when children attend other settings.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is effective in supporting learning and development. She provides a good range of stimulating and age-appropriate toys and resources, with children making decisions about what to play with. Effective use of praise and encouragement helps children to enjoy learning and to take pride in their achievements. The childminder makes observations of what children can do and uses this to track their progress towards the early learning goals and to identify their future learning needs. She plans a range of activities which are appropriate to the needs and interests of children. However, short-term planning is not yet fully based on the learning needs of individual children to ensure that they make consistent progress across all areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are fully engaged in play, with even young children able to concentrate for extended periods of time. Varied resources support children of all ages and are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 regularly updated and rotated in order to maintain interest. The wide variety of planned and informal activities cover all areas of learning and help children to make good progress. Children develop social skills as they play with other children, learning for example, to kick a football to others or to share building blocks. They express their creativity through a wide range of art and craft activities, or by singing along as they play musical instruments. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world around them is developed through walks around the local area, for example going to feed the ducks or searching for mini-beasts in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with good opportunities to develop skills for the future. They count in real-life situations, finding out how many Lego blocks they have used or counting out how many grapes they would like for their snack. Children notice letters and words in the world around them and are well supported in learning letter sounds. Older children are supported in completing their homework to a good standard and are encouraged to take pride in their achievements. Children have access to IT equipment, developing basic control and programming skills. Children are able to solve problems, for example working out how to build a den in the living room on a rainy day.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and understand the simple rules which are in place. They become involved in the setting, for example by helping to tidy up, or by older children helping toddlers to wash their hands. Children learn to respect others and their beliefs. They find out about some world festivals and discuss the traditions they have at home, for example when celebrating Diwali.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They know why, for example, they should not climb on the furniture and can talk about the reasons for holding hands when crossing the road. Children feel safe and secure in the company of the childminder, responding well to her instructions and having fun as they play. Children keep healthy as they have good opportunities to exercise on a daily basis. They walk to school and pre-school and regularly visit local parks and playgrounds. Children enjoy a good range of healthy meals and snacks and the childminder ensures that they eat at least three of their 'five-a-day' while in her care. 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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