Childminder in Merton

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY266125 Inspection date 20/12/2011 Inspector Daphne Prescott

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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 2003. She lives with her husband and two children in Morden, Surrey. The ground floor of the childminder's house is the main area used for childminding, with sleeping facilities upstairs. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family have a cat and goldfish.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time; of these, no more than three may be in the early years age range. There is currently one child on roll in the early years age group. The childminder drops children off and picks children up from the local school. 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

Children are happy and settled in the care of this kind and friendly childminder. She provides a safe and homely environment, where children are cared for according to their individual needs and stages of development. Overall, they have access to a good range of resources and activities which help to promote their learning. The childminder has developed excellent relationships with parents. She has started to use reflective practice to identify the strengths of her setting and areas for future improvement to help ensure she continues to promote effective outcomes for the children.

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further?

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

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further?

 Develop ways to display words to support children's developing awareness of other languages.

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the early years provision

The childminder clearly understands her responsibility towards safeguarding the children in her care. She has undertaken recent safeguarding training to ensure her knowledge is up to date. She also keeps a range of information to hand and knows what to do in the event of a concern. The children's welfare is her priority. For example, the childminder completes risk assessments for the premises and outings, to identify and reduce hazards to the children. She recognises the benefits This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of updating them at regular intervals to fully promote children's safety.

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the early years provision

Children have good access to the toys and resources, which enables them to make decisions about their play and become independent. All resources and equipment are of good quality and regularly checked for their suitability. The childminder offers an inclusive service and welcomes all children into her care. She knows the children well, and uses this information to meet their individual needs. There is a good range of toys and resources which help to promote children's understanding of diversity within our society. However, there is limited labelling in other languages, to further support their awareness of diversity. There are currently no children on roll who attend other settings or need support from other agencies. However, the childminder is aware of the need to work in partnership with any other settings if the need arises.

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the early years provision

The partnerships between the childminder and the parents are outstanding. She keeps the parents extremely well informed of their child's day, through the comprehensive daily activity sheets and feedback at drop off and collection times. She also effectively communicates with parents regarding their child's ongoing development and discusses her observations, assessments and future plans. This two-way flow of communication maintains very good continuity of care and learning for children. There is a detailed notice board and a wealth of information displayed for parents, which all contributes to parents' involvement. The childminder has received extremely positive written comments from parents regarding the service she provides.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the childminder's positive attitude towards attending regular training, to keep up to date with best practice. She also meets with other childminders and discusses relevant issues and compares new ideas. This enables her to constantly reflect and improve her practice to meet children's welfare and learning needs. Parents are also included as the childminder sends out questionnaires asking them for their opinions. She addressed the recommendation from the last inspection, promoting children's safety and welfare. The childminder's total commitment towards improving her knowledge and practice helps to promote good outcomes for the children in her care.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time with the childminder. They explore their surroundings, smiling, laughing and talking confidently with the childminder. Children are making good progress in their learning. The childminder keeps detailed observation records for each child, assessing their development and identifying next steps. There are photographs of them taking part in activities and enjoying themselves, dating from the time they first started. Children love to look at them and point out their friends and themselves. This helps them to feel valued and have a sense of belonging.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is good at extending the children's play, learning and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understanding. She asks open questions and encourages the children to think for themselves. The childminder successfully promotes children's language with good descriptive conversations as they play. Children especially love listening to stories with the childminder, supported by props for telling stories. For example, she uses a furry caterpillar when reading the story about the 'Hungry Caterpillar'. Children enjoy the fun of exploration and discovery as they search through a box of treasures with lots of different textures; smells and materials. They use their imaginative skills well, delighting in playing with the dinosaurs and shaving foam in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children's healthy lifestyles are extremely well promoted. The childminder takes highly effective precautions to ensure the children in her care remain healthy and free from cross-infection. Excellent hand washing facilities are in place, with notices to remind children to wash their hands. Children learn about healthy eating at snack time when they help prepare their snack. They have great fun discussing the different tastes and textures, and how all fruit is good for them, as they peel their own fruit. Children participate in outdoor activities on a daily basis, including visits to the local park, as well as physical activities, using the well resourced garden. Children are learning to keep safe, as the childminder gives gentle reminders and supervises them vigilantly as they play. They have fire drill practice to build their understanding of emergency evacuation procedures, to help keep themselves and others safe. The childminder knows the minded children well and

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and outcomes for children

the methods used for behaviour management are appropriate to each child's age and understanding. She is a good role model and leads by example. The relationship between the children and the childminder is one of caring and affection. The children enjoy the time and experience they have whilst in her care and reflect this in the way they respond to her. 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 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 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 1 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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