Childminder in Cumberland

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY417502 Inspection date 03/11/2011 Inspector Carys Millican

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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 2010. She lives with her husband, two adult sons and one younger son aged nine years, in Wigton, Cumbria. The whole of the ground floor of the property is registered for childminding use. There is an enclosed section of a rear shared yard available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. Children attend various sessions on a part-time basis. There are currently seven children on roll, of whom four are in the early years age group. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. The childminder lives close to local shops, schools, toddler groups and a public park. She is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 meets the needs of the children in her care very well due to her good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and her expert knowledge of how children learn through play. Children are kept safe and secure in this warm and welcoming, interesting and stimulating environment where they are provided with innovative, accessible resources and materials that support their play and learning effectively. Positive relationships are maintained with parents and information is shared. Documentation is well used to support the safe and effective management of her childminding service and all the required records are maintained to a very high standard. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement, and through self-evaluation she identifies her strengths and areas targeted for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 initiate systems that enable parents to contribute to children's diaries and development records, and provide ideas of how they can continue with their children's learning at home  maintain a regular two-way flow of information between other settings children attend to provide continuity in their care and learning. 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 safeguarded through the effective procedures implemented by the childminder to ensure their safety at all times. Suitability checks are maintained on all adults living on the premises, and visitors to the home have their identity checked. The childminder clearly understands her responsibilities in child protection matters and has produced a set of written policies and procedures which she shares with parents. Records show risk assessment is thorough, covering the home and outdoor activities. A well-thought-out evacuation procedure is displayed and practised regularly, which ensures that the childminder is confident in dealing with emergency situations. The childminder maintains her accident and medication records so children's health and well-being are well supported.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises her home to provide a child-friendly and welcoming space which is conducive to exploration and active learning. She knows the families well and each child's disposition and personality, meaning she can work with parents to meet individual needs and interests. Children are provided with innovative resources in treasure baskets which they explore and investigate with fascination. Resources reflect the wider world, and the childminder teaches young children about their rights and responsibilities in simple ways, for example, in sharing equipment and taking turns.

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the early years provision

The positive approach towards working in partnership with parents ensures that children are cared for in line with their wishes. Parents complete informative record sheets, and parental consents are maintained. A welcome pack for parents informs them of the childminder's policies and procedures and they are given daily feedback, both verbally and in a diary format. However, they are not encouraged to add comments to the diary or in children's progress books and there are no systems in place to share ideas with parents on how they can continue to help with there children's learning at home. Although the childminder understands the importance of developing relationships with other practitioners to ensure consistency and continuity of care and learning, this is not in place.

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the early years provision

Through the self-evaluation process, the childminder reflects on her practice, gaining an understanding of her strengths and areas for development. She has taken steps to obtain the opinion of parents and has used the recommendations made by her childminding adviser to make changes to improve her practice and outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and contented individuals who are clearly settled in the company of this kind and caring childminder. They play in an interesting and stimulating environment where they can access a wide variety of toys and play equipment which cover all the areas of learning. The childminder is highly skilled at This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 bringing out learning opportunities in all activities and uses her sound knowledge of the children's development and interests to plan effectively for their individual requirements. She produces well-documented progress records and tracking documents which contain detailed observations linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance and clearly identify the next steps in their development. This is seen in her practice and through the provision of innovative experiences and resources that help children learn through their senses. Children

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and outcomes for children

develop good language and communication skills as the childminder is consistently playing alongside them, extending their vocabulary, talking to them about what they are doing and sharing their excitement. Children learn new skills and they are very curious about how things work, using all their senses to investigate and explore the environment and natural resources made available to them.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures that the environment is organised to enable free movement from one room to another. She maximises the use of the space available to enable children to develop confidence in their crawling and walking; learning about balance and coordination, and to practise their new found skills in safety. Children are encouraged to try out new experiences, such as bread making. They can transfer the skills they learn from favourite activities, such as modelling dough, and explore the different textures. Children learn to count and recognise colours as they play. The childminder has a good selection of books and children enjoy visiting the library. Children also have access to electronic toys so they learn that when they push buttons it causes something to happen. They are well behaved and play well in each others company.

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and outcomes for children

Children are taken for walks and visits to places of interest within the community. They visit the local parks, playgrounds and soft play centres where they can socialise with other children and develop their physical skills. Children begin to learn about the importance of good hygiene practices and follow the good role model set by the childminder. Stringent nappy changing procedures protect children from cross-infection. The childminder is fully informed of any dietary needs or allergies and ensures that children try new foods and are always offered healthy options at snack time. Prepared meals for children and the supplied food for babies are stored appropriately and heated as required. Fresh drinking water is accessible to children at all times. 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 3 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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