Mercado, Vanessa Maria

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431586 Inspection date 20/01/2012 Inspector Amanda Tyson

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children, one of whom is aged over eight and the other under one year. The premises is situated in a residential area of Worcester Park, Surrey and is within walking distance of local shops, parks, schools and public transport links. Toilet facilities are on the first floor. Play activities take place downstairs in the lounge-diner. The family have two hamsters.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years; of these no more than two may be in the early years age group, and of these none may be aged under one year at any one time. The childminder also offers care to children aged over eight. There is currently one child on roll in the early years age group who attends three days per wek before and after school, term time only.

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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 has made a good start to her childminding. Children are happy and settled in her care. They enjoy a range of activities and have access to a good variety of play resources. Overall, these provide a good compliment to a typical school day. The childminder works closely with parents and children's teachers to support children's learning and wellbeing. The childminder has yet to implement a systematic and rigorous process of self-evaluation. Nonetheless, since registration she has increased her variety of play and learning resources to promote equality and diversity. The childminder has identified some priorities to further improve the outcomes for children and to support her professional development. Overall, capacity for ongoing improvement is good.

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further?

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

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further?

 make use of the outdoor area to give opportunities for investigations of the natural world, for example create digging and growing areas.  develop further a system of self-evaluation to identify strengths and priorities for development and how they will improve outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is closely monitored, supported and safeguarded. All records and documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place. Risk assessment is effective in minimising accidents and for promoting safety on outings. The childminder's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues is secure and there are effective procedures in place for identifying and acting on concerns.

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the early years provision

Play resources are stored in accessible boxes for children to help themselves. The childminder notes children's developing interests and supplements her resources to meet their individual needs. For example, children are enjoying the challenge of the completing the new puzzles she has purchased. The childminder suggests ideas for activities, but ultimately children make the decision for themselves. This approach promotes equality and diversity and is highly appropriate for school aged children. The childminder's home is warm and welcoming. The childminder makes good use of the local play park to support children's health and well being, but has yet to exploit the potential of her garden. Equality and diversity is effectively promoted through the childminder's individually tailored strategies for supporting individual needs and interests.

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the early years provision

The childminder works in partnership with parents and children's school teachers to support their Early Years Foundation Stage journey. She knows what children's school curriculum topics are, what they excel at and what their specific interests are. She is less familiar with children's individual learning plans, but this is being addressed. Parents are very happy with the quality of care provided by the childminder. They report that children look forward to attending and enjoy mixing with the childminder's own children. Parents appreciate the childminder's approach to encouraging positive behaviour, which they say is wholly consistent with theirs. All aspects of children's welfare, such as specific dietary needs, are discussed and agreed with parents. Prior to placement, the childminder finds out about the cultural beliefs of children's families and what languages they speak at home to assist her promotion of equality and diversity. The childminder shares her

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the early years provision

observations with parents and regularly sends them photographs of children at play.

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the early years provision

The childminder has met all the commitments she made in support of her registration, for example to obtain a second smoke detector and to obtain play resources to promote equality and diversity. Priorities for improvement focus mainly on obtaining specific resources, or introducing a new activity to support children's individual needs. These are promptly targeted and very beneficial to children. The childminder plans to make use of local training opportunities. However, she has yet to formulate a systematic process of self-evaluation, for example, to review all areas of her practice, to identify training needs, and long term plans. The childminder is enjoying her work very much and demonstrates a strong commitment to sustaining ongoing improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are cared for in a warm, welcoming and clean home environment. They have affectionate and trusting relationships with the childminder and strong, caring friendships with her children. The childminder consistently engages children in conversation. She encourages them to share their news and experiences, such as their family's Diwali celebrations, and what they have been learning about in school. Overall, the skills children need to support their future learning are supported well through play activities and practical hands-on experiences. They are keen to read their school books to the childminder and learn to use technology. They demonstrate high levels of independence and are articulate and confident communicators. Children demonstrate impeccable manners and are respectful of the childminder's house rules. For example, they understand that the no shoe policy is in place to protect the childminder's baby son from picking up

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and outcomes for children

germs as he crawls around picking up toys and putting them in his mouth. They sit to the table for all snacks and drinks to prevent spillages.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy active outdoor play in the local park, which has a range of challenging apparatus, most days after school. The childminder offers children a choice of fruit, biscuits and drink which bridges the gap before their main meal which they have at home with parents. Children choose to drink milk because 'it is good for you'. Discussions about health and how the body works are frequent as children like to play 'doctors and nurses'. Children's understanding of fire and road safety is reinforced through evacuation practise and on the daily walks to and from school. Children learn vigilance and this is demonstrated as they help the childminder to keep the home free from hazards which might harm the baby.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a good understanding of children's individual interests. She carries out observations of children engaged in activities and uses this, along with the information gathered from class teachers, to guide decision making process. For example, when children hear that the childminder has brought some new puzzles, they want to do them immediately. When they open the box and find nine puzzles all mixed up, they turn to the childminder for guidance on how to separate them. Children knowingly find corner pieces followed by straight edged pieces first and set themselves the challenge of completing the more difficult ones. The childminder has introduced children to baking which is very much enjoyed. They use scales and jugs to weigh and measure the ingredients. They learn how to crack eggs successfully and why a sieve is needed. Children are helped to use electrical gadgets, such as a whisk, safely. Hygiene rules, for instance tying hair

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and outcomes for children

Children are in awe of the intricate models the childminder's son makes with popular construction sets. They are fascinated by the little electronic garage door and street lamps he adds to the model of a house. This inspires children to build purposeful models for themselves. Children enjoy role play and dressing up and are encouraged to experiment with paint. Children have not been attending very long and only attend before and after school during term time. They have yet to have opportunities for garden activities, such as planting and growing flowers and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 vegetables. 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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