Ismail, Katriona

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 153278 Inspection date 11/11/2011 Inspector Liz Coffey

p.1

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.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder has been registered since 2001. She lives with her husband and four children aged 14, 10, eight and five years. They live in a three bedroom house in Catford, in the London borough of Lewisham. All of the premises are used for childminding purposes. There is an enclosed back garden for outdoor play. Two guinea pigs are kept as family pets.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for five children under eight years, of whom three may be in the early years age range, of whom one may be under one year. There are currently a total of seven children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age group.

p.4

Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a level three early years qualification. She is an accredited childminder with the London borough of Lewisham.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are extremely happy and settled in the warm and inclusive environment provided by the childminder. All families are made to feel welcome and all children feel valued by the childminder who understands their individual needs and interests exceptionally well. This enables her to promote children's welfare and learning very successfully, helping children to make very good progress given their age, ability and starting points. The excellent partnerships with parents and other adults are a key strength, and are significant in promoting that the needs of all children are met. Reflection and ongoing training are embedded in her practice and the childminder's commitment to further developing her systems of self evaluation promotes continuous development of what is already a high quality service.

p.4

further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

p.4

further?

 considering ways of developing self-evaluation systems to further identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will further improve the quality of provision for all children . This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

The childminder supports children's safety and welfare extremely well. She has clear policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, a sound knowledge of the symptoms of abuse and neglect and a good knowledge of the local and national procedures for safeguarding children. She ensures that she keeps abreast of changes in this field and regularly attends training. Comprehensive risk assessments and safe practice, within the home and when on outings, help keep children safe at all times.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder's home provides children with a stimulating, welcoming environment where they quickly feel comfortable and at ease. An excellent range of good quality toys and resources are easily accessible. This enables children to become confident and begin to develop their independence as they select toys, resources and activities for themselves. The childminder provides a fully inclusive service and her practice in this area is exemplary. She celebrates diversity and welcomes families from a range of cultures and backgrounds. She is committed to promoting that there are no barriers to any child being able to access her service and makes sure that activities are adapted, accessible and enjoyed by all.

p.5

the early years provision

The excellent partnerships that the childminder develops with the parents of the children she cares for, significantly contribute to the high quality service she offers to the children. She spends time getting to know the children, she discusses their needs, interests and abilities with parents, and makes sure that she works with parents at all times to promote children's welfare as well as their learning and development. Parents comment that she is a 'fantastic childminder'. They state that their children 'thoroughly enjoy being there and feel safe and happy'. Partnership with other settings that children attend is excellent. The childminder works extremely closely with schools and nurseries, sharing information and providing activities that extend and compliment what children are learning elsewhere. For example, she requests copies of children's homework topics from their teachers and plans activities that support these. Parents comment that the

p.5

the early years provision

childminder 'knows the targets that my child is working to at school and has helped us to encourage my child to write'.

p.5

the early years provision

Effective systems of evaluation, monitoring and appraisal ensure that the childminder is consistently developing her service and looking for further ways to improve outcomes for children. Her vision and commitment to providing a professional and quality childcare provision, that is accessible to all children, underpins all aspects of her work.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are extremely happy, confident and settled with the childminder, who is warm and caring in her approach. They enthusiastically take part in a wide range This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of activities and outings planned by the childminder. They confidently move around her home, select resources and settle to purposeful play. They feel very safe in the setting because the childminder knows all of the children in her care extremely well and offers consistent and familiar routines to meet their individual needs. They learn how to keep themselves safe through clear boundaries and learning about safety. The childminder explains things in a clear and sensitive manner to children and is very effective in supporting that children are helped to understand the consequences of their actions.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children's welfare, learning and development are successfully promoted. Children enjoy a very broad and challenging range of activities in the setting. The childminder is keenly interested and involved in the children's play. She is particularly skilled at building on their interests; for example, noting a child's interest in telling the time she provides a range of clocks for them to experiment with and talks about different times during the day such as 'getting dark means it is nearly home time'. Children enjoy a wealth of creative activities from painting, junk modelling and corn flour play to tie-dying fabric. There are excellent opportunities for children to engage in music, singing and rhymes throughout the day and their love of books is fostered through the use of enticing reading material. The childminder listens carefully to children's ideas and provides thoughtful support and encouragement to help them achieve. She reinforces

p.6

and outcomes for children

positive behaviour by praising children's actions and acknowledging their efforts. The childminder acts as an excellent role model, teaching children to be polite and well mannered and children are friendly, sociable and kind to each other.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The childminder's commitment to inclusion is evident and diversity is highly valued. Children's individual needs are exceptionally well met in all aspects of their care and the childminder is proactive in seeking information from parents to develop her understanding of issues relating to their needs. Children thrive in this positive nurturing setting. Children's artwork is highly valued and is displayed on the walls, alongside photographs of the children. This builds children's confidence and fosters their self-esteem. Children have excellent opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They enjoy activities linked to customs and festivals from around the world, and there are excellent quality resources available that reflect diversity.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The childminder is an active member of a childminding network. She regularly plans outings for the children to local places of interest. For example, children visit parks, museums, farms and also use the facilities at the local library. These visits help to broaden children's understanding of their local community and the wider world. The childminder helps run a toddler group which other local childminders attend. Here, she maximises opportunities to share good practice, for example, demonstrating activities that childminders can do at home with the children that support their learning and development.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Play in the childminder's well equipped garden encourages children's physical development and gives opportunities for them to learn about the natural world. They laugh with delight as they bounce on the large trampoline in the garden, and the childminder extends their language and mathematical skills as she encourages them to ''jump around in a big circle'. They enjoy helping to care for the family This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 guinea pigs and gaze with wonder as the guinea pigs come out of their hutch to nibble on the carrots they have given them. Children learn about the importance of good personal hygiene as they wash their hands before meals or after using the toilet. They enjoy an excellent range of healthy meals and snacks and the childminder skilfully introduces discussions about allergies and the importance of a healthy diet, as they eat.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The childminder collates detailed written observations of the children's attainments, interests and learning styles and these are supported well with photographic evidence, so parents and carers enjoy very clear, visual images of their children's experiences. Observations are used effectively to plan for next steps in children's learning. The childminder provides activities and outings that help build on what individual children already know or can do, thus creating a culture of ongoing learning for all children. Overall, children are supported to develop excellent skills for the future. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1

p.8

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9