Childminder in Leeds

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY430023 Inspection date 10/01/2012 Inspector Victoria Ashley

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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 2011. She lives with her husband and two children aged seven and four years in the Cookridge area of Leeds. The whole of the ground floor and first floor bathroom is used for childminding and an enclosed garden is available for outdoor play. The family has a dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum number of four children under eight years may be cared for at any one time; of these, two may be in the early years age range. She is currently caring for three children in the early years age range on a part-time basis and two older children. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She regularly attends the local toddler groups and takes and collects children from the local school.

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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 provides a warm and welcoming family environment for children's care, learning and play. Children are very happy and relaxed and have good opportunities to progress their learning. Children's welfare is promoted successfully, with most policies and procedures being implemented effectively. The children benefit significantly from the childminder's ability to communicate well with parents. This effective communication helps to ensure that the individual needs of the children are met successfully.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the use of reflective practice and self-evaluation to identify strengths and priorities for development that will continuously improve the quality of the provision for all children  encourage parents to contribute to children's profile books to further involve them in their children's learning and development  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips, to ensure children's safety is maximised.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded and well protected in the setting because the childminder is knowledgeable about safeguarding issues. She has effective procedures in place to manage any concerns she may have about children in her care and is aware of the action she must take to safeguard children. She ensures her home is safe by using equipment, such as, cupboard locks and door stoppers, which minimise This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 hazards to children. She ensures children are well supervised at all times both indoors and outdoors. She makes effective use of up-to-date risk assessments for her home to ensure the areas used by the children are safe, however, the record of risk assessment does not include outings. .

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the early years provision

Children are supervised well at all times and good care is taken to ensure any toys are safe and age appropriate. There are a variety of toys and resources available for different age groups. Children are able to make choices about what they would like to play with and this encourages their independence and promotes positive self-esteem. All children are included in the setting and receive lots of praise and encouragement from the childminder which helps them feel valued and cared for. The environment is well organised and accessible to children. Toys are stored at a low level to allow children to choose and return resources and be self-sufficient. However, the childminder has not yet developed effective systems to evaluate her key strengths and securely identify areas for continuous improvement to further improve the quality of the provision for all children.

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the early years provision

The childminder refers to the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance to monitor the children's progress and to plan for the next steps in their development. She collates information, such as photographs and examples of artwork produced by each child, into a profile book which she shares with parents so they can see how their child is progressing. However, parents are not yet encouraged to contribute to these records which limits their involvement in their child's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder forms close working relationships with parents and carers. She has a conversation with parents each day and invites them to telephone her at any time to discuss any concerns. She obtains useful information about each child, such as their dietary requirements and health concerns, which means that parents' wishes and children's individual needs are effectively met. Effective relationships with other provisions involved with the children, such as the local nursery school, are well established and contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning.

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and outcomes for children

The large stimulating garden contains lots of outdoor play equipment, such as, a trampoline, seesaw, bikes and scooters, which ensures they can play and develop their gross motor skills in a secure environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to be healthy through a wealth of opportunities for physical play, such as, playgroups and play gyms. She offers healthy snacks of fruit, salad and vegetables and children are encouraged to drink lots of water, including watered down squash. Children learn good hygiene practices, such as, washing their hands before baking, eating and after using the toilet..

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and outcomes for children

Children clearly enjoy being with the childminder and relish her attention and praise which she offers generously. They complete varied activities, such as, painting, drawing and using play dough. Their crafts are enhanced further by This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 focusing on festivals and events, for example, making Christmas cards and decorations during the festive period and spooky masks at Halloween. This ensures they have a good understanding of the wider world.

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and outcomes for children

Children make steady progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. For example, the childminder prints out writing sheets to help the children recognise the letters in their names and develops their language skills through many conversations and by asking open ended questions. The childminder ensures profiles of the children include details of which areas of learning she is focusing on. She uses the Early Years Foundation Stage to make certain that children are reaching their full potential. For example, she encourages children to use a computer to visit child-appropriate websites where they can learn about their favourite characters and listen to stories and develop their skills at using information and communication technology.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well in the setting because the childminder gives clear explanations and sets appropriate boundaries. Children have good self-esteem and are confident at expressing their needs to the childminder who happily attends to them. The childminder promotes diversity through books and varied resources that show people from all backgrounds. 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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