Childminder in Doncaster

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY280486 Inspection date 14/11/2011 Inspector Thecla Grant

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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 2004. She lives with her family in the Scawthorpe area of Doncaster, close to shops, parks and local transport links. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding. The childminder cares for children from Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.30am to 6pm. She also cares for children in school holidays. There is an enclosed garden available for children to play. The family have two dogs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding four children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years and offers overnight care. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects children from the local school and nursery and goes to several toddler groups regularly. The childminder has a Level 3 qualification in Children Care Learning and Development. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 effectively supports the children in her care, so that no group or individual is disadvantaged. Planning is in place and systems to monitor and assess the children's learning are generally developed. Policy and procedures to promote children's welfare are mostly implemented and effective systems are available to promote safeguarding. Relationships with parents are well-established and the childminder places a strong emphasis on working with others in the community. The childminder's capacity to maintain continuous improvement is good.

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further?

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

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further?

 further analyse observations and highlight children's interests or their need for further support  ensure the policy regarding pets on the premises is followed to minimise risks to children. 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 has a good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and has devised a clear and concise policy for safeguarding children. She also ensures all adults living in her home are suitable to be in contact with children. Risk assessments are used as a working document and include all areas of her home to be assessed. Therefore, steps taken to eliminate risks help children to keep themselves safe. For example, the main entrance to her home is secure and all dangerous toxic substances are inaccessible to the children. All fire prevention equipment is in place and the emergency procedure is available. This includes a record of all practises.

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the early years provision

The childminder is motivated to seek further improvement and has successfully devised systems to monitor her provision. Through this, she has recognised areas of weakness and put in place action plans to address these. For example, she has new open shelf cupboards to house the toy boxes. Plans for the future are securely in place. Parents are informed of their children's progress and systems are devised for them to contribute to the observation and assessment process for the younger children. The childminder improves children's welfare through training in food hygiene and has maintained her first aid certificate. However, the pet policy the childminder has developed to maintain the well-being of children are not fully implemented which may pose a health risk to children. Partnerships are well established. The childminder has built links with other professionals who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage and also uses links within community, such as

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the early years provision

the Sure Start programmes to enhance outcomes for the children.

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the early years provision

The childminder effectively uses her home to develop children's learning and makes sure they have enough space to move around and access indoor and outdoor play. Toys and equipment available are age-appropriate and offer enough challenge. The childminder shows a strong commitment to improving her knowledge and has attended a wealth of training. As a result, she has implemented effective systems to promote diversity and provided resources to positively promote disability and ethnicity. These are easily accessible and enjoyed by the children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She clearly supports the children by providing an enjoyable and challenging learning environment for them to make steady progress in their development. Children make continuous progress in communication language and literacy, for example, they tell stories using puppets and they thoroughly enjoy listening to and talking about the illustration in the books. As babies lay on their activity blanket, the three-year olds identify the various objects they are looking at. Outdoors children benefit from physical development. They enjoy running in the garden and playing on the slide. Children enjoy make believe play, as they dress-up as pirates and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 space men. They enjoy taking the doll for a walk and pretending to feed them with their bottle. Children also learn about problem solving and counting through

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and outcomes for children

activities. For example, they reason how to build a person with the specialised construction toys and count how many pigs are in the story. Children also recognise shapes, such as square and circle and they know their primary colours. As a result, children enjoy and achieve at the childminding setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children's understanding of the wider world is developed through a variety of activities. During outdoor play, they investigate mini-beasts and examine them through a magnifying glass. They learn about their community through visits to the museum, railway station and wildlife park. Children also learn about other cultures through celebrating popular festivals, such as Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas. Children learn the mechanisms of mechanical toys, when they press the button and watch with delight as it changes direction. Children enjoy singing and playing the musical instruments. As a result, they gain the skills they need, in order to secure future learning. Planning generally includes themes and topics. Some planning stems from discussions with parents regarding their children. This is then implemented, as a theme or topic to address the issues. Although, the childminder adapted the well thought out observation and assessments to improve efficiency,

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and outcomes for children

the new system does not always include effective observations, that successfully link to the next steps in the children's learning. As a result, occasionally children's interests are missed.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about trip hazards through clearing away their toys. They know the house rules and discuss the 'do's and don'ts' of the childminder's setting. Children also remind each other not to talk with their mouths full during meals. Children are learning about road safety and discuss that they must not cross the road without the childminder. Most children have a good understanding of the emergency procedures. Children have a strong sense of belonging and have built a good relationship with each other and the childminder.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a generally good understanding of healthy lifestyles though pets do sniff resourses and very young children. They know the reasons why they need to wash their hands and how long to wash them for, through the use of a timer. They have learned about healthy eating through themes and understand what foods are good for them and those that are not. 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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