Childminder in Derbyshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 207606 Inspection date 24/10/2011 Inspector Janice Hughes

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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 1994. She lives with her husband and one adult child in Belper, Derbyshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house and bathroom on the first floor is used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of three children at any one time and is currently minding three children, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. All of these children are in the early years age range.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a level three early years childcare qualification and is a member of the National Childminding Association. She attends the local childminder and parent, carer and toddler group.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's needs are met sufficiently well in this well-organised setting. The childminder provides an inclusive, welcoming environment and has built very good and effective partnerships with parents. She conducts risk assessments for her setting and outings, but these do not cover everything with which a child may come in contact.. Overall, children make satisfactory progress in most areas of their learning and development. The childminder is observing and assessing children's interests, but she does not identify children's next steps or provide a balance of adult-led and child-orientated activities. The childminder is committed to developing her practice and self-evaluation and, as part of this, she has made contact with other settings to ensure continued support for all children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the existing risk assessments to include anything with which a child may come into contact  plan a balance of adult-led and child-orientated activities to motivate learning experiences for each child  ensure observations and assessments identify learning priorities for individual children and fully inform planning. 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 protected appropriately because the childminder has a sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures. She is clear about the action she must take if she were to have concerns about a child in her care. She has a sound understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board's procedures and has an appropriate awareness of the known signs and symptoms of child abuse. The childminder carries out safety checks of her home and completes risk assessments. This is to identify and minimise any hazards within the home and to ensure children's safety when on outings. However, these do not include everything with which a child may come in contact, and this compromises their safety. She has suitable safety equipment fitted around the home, such as plug socket covers and stair gates, and takes appropriate steps to reduce the risk of cross-infection; for example, the children use liquid soap and have individual towels to dry their

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the early years provision

hands. There is sufficient documentation in place to keep the children safe. This includes records of emergency contact numbers and parental consent forms to allow her to deal with an accident in the case of an emergency.

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the early years provision

The environment is well organised, with a wide variety of toys and resources that are stored in low-level containers in the conservatory that children can freely access. This helps to support children's independence and build up their self- esteem. These are safe for children to use and there is sufficient space for them to play comfortably and enjoy their day. She ensures the toys and materials they use are appropriate for their ages and support their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The childminder understands how to become involved in children's play to support and promote their learning. She interacts positively, joining in and talking with them to extend their fun and concentration. She provides a service that is inclusive for all children and their families to ensure children get the support they need to make satisfactory progress. She knows the children she cares for well and supports their individual needs. The childminder accurately maintains all the necessary documentation, including registers of children's attendance and parental consent forms. Her documentation is readily available in the event of an emergency. The childminder has recently started to develop a system to monitor and evaluate the provision to ensure she has a clear focus for future development.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the close relationship that the childminder develops with their parents. A regular two-way flow of information is promoted through good, effective systems. This ensures that all involved in the child's care are well informed; for instance, the childminder completes a daily diary which details the activities the children have participated in and care routines, such as sleeping and eating. She creates a welcoming home where children feel happy and valued. She has also recently started to keep learning journeys of the children's progress and she shares these with their parents. This means parents are fully aware of the progress their children are making towards the early learning goals. The childminder is fully committed to developing working relationship with parents. She understands the benefits children gain from partnership working if they also attend other early years provision. She shares information verbally with the local pre-

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 school about the activities the children have been doing.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care and feel valued and included. They are able to initiate their own play and learning and there are a range of interesting toys to occupy them. The childminder draws out their learning by talking to them about what they are doing and encouraging them to solve problems for themselves, such as operating the zoo activity centre and washing the toys. The childminder plans suitable experiences and includes outings in the local community, indoor and outdoor play and everyday experiences. As a result, children enjoy painting, planting, cooking and shopping trips. Through such activities children learn to express their creativity and appreciate the changing seasons; however, there are a lack of adult-led activities to provide a rounded approach to the purposeful play the childminder provides. The childminder observes and assesses the children and keeps a record of this in their daily diaries

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and outcomes for children

and learning journeys; however, she does not fully understand the children's next steps for learning or their progression towards the early learning goals. This means that the children are not reaching their full learning potential. Consequently, they make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. She knows the children's interests well and does support this in their play; for example, she always has the children's favourite toys out ready for them when they arrive at the setting.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder understands the importance of recognising and praising children's achievements to help develop good levels of self-esteem. They play well together and learn to share toys and cooperate with others. They behave well because there are clear boundaries for their behaviour. The childminder helps the children to understand the reason for simple house rules. Children are encouraged to be independent as they help themselves to toys. They are developing a sound understanding of how to deal with their own personal needs. They benefit from the childminder's support for healthy eating and have the opportunity to choose fruit for snack; for example, they enjoy strawberries, apples and milk. Children have sound opportunities to be active, playing on small equipment in the garden, such as a slide and sit-and-ride toys, and they also use the local park to explore larger physical equipment.

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and outcomes for children

A strong relationship with the childminder enables the children to freely share their experiences; for example, they talk about what they have done at home. The childminder supports children in recognising and valuing their own differences and provides opportunities for children to learn about the wider world through resources and activities. There are books, jigsaws and games that depict the different cultures and lifestyles in other cultures. The childminder plans activities, such as celebrating Diwali by decorating her house with lights and encouraging the children to taste samosas. These activities help children to understand the meaning of different cultures. Children are developing their awareness of how to be safe and healthy. They learn to wash their hands before snacks and about road This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safely as they walk around the community.

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and outcomes for children

Children's language is extended as they talk to the childminder about their experiences. They are beginning to draw pictures and are given opportunities to practise writing their name. Daily opportunities and discussion are used to help promote problem-solving and numeracy skills; for example, children learn to count as they go up and down the stairs to wash their hands, and during cooking activities they learn to weigh and measure using scales. The children particularly enjoy using the shape jigsaws and complete them with help from the childminder. Children enjoy learning about letter sounds by using the battery-operated toys. They use press-button and pop-up toys in their everyday play. These activities support their development and learning in information and communication technology, which promotes their skills 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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