Childminder in Sutton

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY253047 Inspection date 09/11/2011 Inspector Liz Caluori

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and two-year-old son in the London borough of Sutton. The areas used for childminding include the ground floor lounge and the first floor play room. There is also a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family have a pet dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of three children under eight years at any one time, of whom two may be in the early years age group. She currently has five children under eight years on roll, of whom four are in the early year age group. Children attend a variety of sessions throughout the week.

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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 very happy and settled in this safe child-centred environment. They make good progress in all areas of their learning and development as a result of the support and encouragement they receive. The childminder has a clear commitment to ongoing improvement through effective self-evaluation. Children are well supported to learn about equality and diversity, although this is not always specifically planned to reflect the backgrounds of those attending. Children benefit from the positive relationships maintained with their parents and carers. Arrangements for working in partnership with other professionals are not as well established.

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further?

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

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further?

 use the information provided by parents and carers in order to provide children with play and learning opportunities that acknowledge their particular religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds  implement systems to monitor children's development to ensure that they are being offered sufficient levels of challenge and to support staff to identify any gaps in achievement  extend the links between settings by sharing relevant information in order to provide continuity and coherence so that children's needs are met This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Effective arrangements are in place to protect children. These include a range of safety precautions, such as safety gates on the stairs. The childminder undertakes risk assessments of her home and for planned outings. She also has a clear understanding of her responsibility in relation to child protection and is confident in her ability to detect the signs of symptoms of abuse. She has contact details for making a referral if necessary.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very strong commitment to indentifying and addressing children's individual personalities and needs. She has systems in place to record her observations of each child and regularly shares this information with parents and carers. She demonstrates an extremely good knowledge and understanding of each child's level of ability. However, she has yet to settle on a fully effective system to monitor the rate that children are progressing or to clearly indicate their next steps.

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the early years provision

The childminder is currently completing a quality assurance programme, which involves a lot of reflection and self-evaluation. She also regularly attends training courses to ensure her practice is up to date.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the friendly and positive relationship maintained with their parents and carers. This helps children to settle and ensures consistent and coordinated care. The childminder is respectful of the wishes of parents and carers and plans her day to accommodate children's different routines. Parents and carers are provided with a good range of written information about the service and about their child's progress. The childminder also recognises the importance of working in partnerships with other childcare providers. She uses the information passed to her by other settings in order to gain a broader understanding of each child's abilities and experiences. However, she has yet to establish effective procedures to return information about the progress children make in her care.

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the early years provision

Children are provided with a good range of toys and resources, many are set out in the lounge for them to select independently. There is also a mix of child sized and adult furniture, creating a comfortable and homely environment. Space is well organised to allow a broad range of activities to take place.

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the early years provision

Appropriate procedures are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children take part in discussions and activities that help them to learn about and respect diversity. Arrangements are in place to help multi-lingual children develop their English. However, in some cases other languages spoken in the child's home are not reflected in the childminder's. Similarly, a range of festivals and special days are celebrated with activities but these are not specifically planned to reflect the cultural or religious backgrounds of children attending. Therefore, although children learn about the lives and customs of others, they do not always engage in play and learning that acknowledges their own. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and progress well in the childminder's care. Their sense of security is evident in their easy interaction with the childminder and their understanding of the boundaries in place in her home. Children move safely and sensibly around the home, readily approaching the childminder for cuddles or attention.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well behaved, sociable and confident. They demonstrate high levels of imagination as they engage in a broad range of role play games, such as being pirates or sweeping and mopping with toy cleaning equipment. They enjoy a good mix of freely chosen child initiated play and more adult guided activities. Children chat very happily as they play and use language effectively to share stories and ask questions. They have a good repertoire of songs committed to memory and enthusiastically attempt all the actions. Children are supported to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through a range of outings, including visits to local parks to investigate the natural world. They also take part in a good range of experiences that promote their problem solving, reasoning and numeracy. These include counting, recognising written numbers and completing puzzles. Children also play games that encourage them to discuss and match different

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and outcomes for children

Good focus is placed on supporting children's physical development, playing in the garden and at local parks. The children also regularly visit groups where they experience a greater range of activities and engage in more challenging physical exercise. Children play in a clean environment and learn about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. Their individual care needs are well met, including potty training and toileting. Children generally bring their snacks and meals from home and they have constant access to drinks. The childminder has full details of children's individual dietary requirements on file.

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and outcomes for children

The achievements children make and the good social skills and confidence they develop, helps to prepare them for the future. 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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