Childminder in KentOfsted inspection, 9 Nov 2011

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 126787 Inspection date 09/11/2011 Inspector Joanne Barnett

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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 1999. She lives with her husband and three school age children and one pre-school age child in Eastchurch, Sheerness, Kent. The whole of the ground floor of the family home is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a pet dog. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time. She is currently minding three children within the early years age group. She also offers care to children aged up to 11 years. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder drives or walks to local schools to take and collect children. She also attends the local toddler group.

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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 play happily in a safe, secure environment where their individual needs are met. Overall, they engage in a broad range of activities and experiences and make generally good progress in all aspects of their learning and development. The partnership with parents is well developed with parents kept effectively informed about their child's daily routine and activities. The childminder is motivated and enthusiastic about providing good quality care and has attended relevant training courses to support her practice. The childminder has addressed all recommendations from previous inspections. She evaluates her provision and promotes good continuous improvement of her services and outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the record of observational assessment to monitor children's progress effectively to further support planning for the next steps in children's learning and development  provide positive images through resources that help children become aware of, explore and question differences in gender, ethnicity, language, religion, culture, special educational needs and disability issues.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding about keeping children safe. She implements her safeguarding policy well and understands the procedures to follow should she have any concerns about the welfare of a child. The childminder has carried out a risk assessment of her home, garden and for outings, reflecting her This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 good understanding of health and safety issues. She has good measures in place to keep children safe, for example, installing safety gates across doorways and using a visitors' book. She organises the toys and resources effectively to enable children to play in safe, secure areas. Storage containers of toys for children are at their height to encourage them to make choices in their play.

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the early years provision

Children are treated as individuals by the childminder, who has a good knowledge of their backgrounds and needs. They learn to accept each other's differences and learn about the needs of children younger than themselves. For example, children understand the need to keep small toys out of reach to prevent a choking hazard to babies. The childminder plans activities and experiences that take account of children's different learning needs and support them to make good progress in their development. Children play with a good range of resources which are well maintained and suitable for them. However, there are limited resources that reflect positive images of diversity to enable children to learn to value different cultures and disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder works very closely with the parents. She shares information about her provision at their first meeting and promotes ongoing, two-way communication. She regularly obtains parents' views through verbal discussion to ensure her practice meets the families' and children's needs. The children's individual assessment files provide parents with good information about their child's achievements and daily activities. The childminder is aware that children attend other settings and that other professionals are involved in their care. She promotes information sharing to support children's individual welfare and learning needs. The childminder demonstrates an accurate awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of her provision. She is strongly committed to enabling children to reach their full potential in their development. She uses questionnaires to gain feedback from parents and children to target aspects for improvement. The

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the early years provision

childminder has addressed weaknesses from previous inspections and continues to attend training to update her skills and knowledge. Therefore, she is achieving good, continuous improvement to promote the service she provides.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident and settled. The childminder shows them respect and treats them as individuals, praising them for their achievements and offering cuddles of reassurance. This personal care effectively fosters children's self-esteem and sense of belonging. Children move around freely, making choices of what to play with from the available toys. They receive thoughtful support and guidance from the childminder who helps to extend children's learning, offering additional resources and planning for their interests. The childminder makes observations to assess children's progress and has a growing knowledge of where each child is in their learning and development. Written documentation relating to assessment does not help her to monitor their progress effectively to further support planning for the next steps in children's development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy many opportunities to develop their physical skills in the garden and when attending local parks. They gain good control of their bodies as they use different apparatus. They show enjoyment when looking at books and listening to stories read by the childminder and make their pleasure known. Puzzles, construction and musical toys further develop children's language development and their coordination. They sing number rhymes and are aware of numbers which are important to them, as these are displayed in the play room. These skills, together with the use of toys to learn about information and communication technology, help support children in developing good skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are encouraged to be active indoors and outdoors and learn the importance of exercise. The childminder encourages parents to provide healthy meals and snacks and she talks to the children about healthy eating. Children learn the importance of personal care routines, washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating. The childminder ensures this is supported by good hygiene routines for nappy changing to prevent cross infection. Children are helped to feel safe and secure as the childminder checks that her home is suitable for their play through regular risk assessments. Children are told about keeping themselves safe and why some behaviours and equipment are dangerous. For example, they are told about not putting things into their mouth and reminded about staying with the childminder and holding hands on outings. Fire drills are practised to enable

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and outcomes for children

children to understand about evacuating the property in an emergency and they understand that they must stay together.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave very well. They take responsibility for their own behaviour and support younger children in learning the house rules. Children understand the importance of helping to tidy away the toys and about treating toys with care. They build good relationships with other children and the childminder and develop skills in turn taking and sharing. These skills help to develop children's confidence and independence, which enables them to feel a sense of belonging. Opportunities to socialise with other children and adults in the community effectively support children's understanding about diversity in society. 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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