Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY318149 Inspection date 19/09/2011 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged 11 and four in Oakington, Cambridgeshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a first floor bedroom for children requiring undisturbed rest. Children have access to the fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a cat and two guinea pigs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of three children in the early years age range and is currently minding one child in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years and this provision is registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children on roll in this age group.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre- schools. She holds a qualification in childcare at level 3.

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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 demonstrates a genuine commitment to the continuous improvement of her practice and is currently developing effective self-evaluation procedures. She is therefore able to build a clear picture of her strengths and weaknesses and prioritise improvements. This supports her in maintaining a childminding service which is responsive to the needs of children and their families. The childminder works well in partnership with parents, exchanging relevant information and gaining a thorough understanding of each child's needs. She uses this information to help ensure that children's needs are consistently met and they are offered appropriate support so that they are meaningfully included in all activities and daily routines.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the assessment and planning procedures to show how children's next steps are consistently fed into the overall planning in order to provide further experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development  improve the systems for organisation of the setting by developing the use of self-evaluation to support ongoing improvements. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder is able to promote children's welfare at all times as she has attended relevant training and has a thorough understanding of issues relating to safeguarding children. A written procedure further supports this and enables her to identify any children at risk and to take appropriate action. Children's welfare is further promoted as the childminder makes sure that all household members have undergone relevant suitability checks. Daily safety checks and thorough risk assessments help to ensure that hazards to children are minimised and their safety is consistently promoted. Specific activities and ongoing explanations help children build their awareness of safety issues. For example, children discuss road safety and participate in associated activities in order to reinforce their understanding.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a good awareness of the importance of promoting equality of opportunity. She respects each child as an individual and carefully considers their needs when planning activities. She acts as a good role model, gently encouraging children to care for and respect each other. The childminder builds good relationships with parents, keeping them well informed of their child's progress, for example, through the use of daily communication books. Consistency of care is further promoted as the childminder appreciates the importance of working in partnership with others providing care for the children. For example, she has procedures in place to exchange information with the pre-school so that they can work together to promote children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder continuously reviews her work, making relevant changes that improve the outcomes for children. For example, recent changes include the introduction of new resources, offering children further play and learning opportunities. Although the childminder has clear plans for the future development of her work, she does not fully utilise the self-evaluation process to inform the overall review of practice and the impact of changes made. Children are offered a range of activities that support their learning because the childminder makes good use of resources. For example, she uses local facilities, such as toddler groups, parks and the toy library, in order to offer children further opportunities.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress because the childminder has a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She observes children as they play, keeping accurate records of her observations and assessments. These enable her to build a clear picture of children's current developmental needs and to plan appropriate activities to support their individual development. However, this is not fully promoted because the assessment and planning procedures do not clearly show how children's next steps in learning are consistently used in the overall activity planning. The childminder makes sure that her home is safe, and children's behaviour demonstrates that they feel secure. For example, they move happily around the home, making independent choices about their toys and resources. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 They are therefore supported in taking an active role in their learning and they are

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and outcomes for children

Children's emotional development is promoted and they gain skills for use in future life as they develop appropriate relationships with the childminder and their peers. The childminder offers children clear guidance and gently encourages them to share and respect the needs of others. They have also worked with the childminder to put together their own 'house rules', further developing their understanding of appropriate behaviour. Children's awareness of diversity and the lifestyles of others is promoted as they access relevant resources and participate in activities and discussions. For example, children play with finger puppets depicting children from around the world, going on to use a globe and world atlas to research the different countries, traditions and climates. The childminder's good procedures for working with parents mean that she is able to offer appropriate support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and

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and outcomes for children

those who speak English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is confident and encourages children to explore the resources and develop their own play. They are well supported in this because she joins in appropriately and extends their learning and development. For example, young children enjoy exploring heuristic play items before the childminder joins them and encourages them to note the different textures, showing them how to make the material squares float down and how to look through the brightly coloured netting. The childminder plans ahead to ensure that children are offered a range of opportunities. For example, they find out about living things as they grow cress and visit a garden centre to choose plants for their new garden containers.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has thoughtfully adapted areas of her home in order to offer children additional play opportunities. For example, they enjoy taking laminated photographs and pictures on and off a magnetic wall. The use of resources is adapted in order to offer challenge to different age groups and abilities. For example, young children enjoy exploring the range of textures on a wooden disc game, while older children are encouraged to match the discs according to texture.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's good organisation means that children's learning is extended. For example, their awareness of their local environment and their appreciation of books are extended as they use public transport on weekly trips to a nearby city centre to use the library. Children's knowledge of the relevance of healthy lifestyles and practices is promoted. For example, their understanding of the importance of a balanced diet is extended as they work together to make displays and placemats illustrating healthy food options. 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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