Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY430542 Inspection date 30/01/2012 Inspector Hazel White

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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 nine year old child in the Far Cotton area of Northamptonshire. The whole of the ground floor and an upstairs bedroom are used for childminding. Accessibility to the premises is via steps. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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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, of whom, no more than three may be in the early years age range. There is currently one child attending who is within the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They access a varied range of activities which promote play and learning indoors and outside the home. The childminder has secure working relationships with parents and is beginning to form effective partnerships with others, so that the children's individual needs are effectively met. Systems for reviewing and reflecting on practice are in the early stages of development. All required policies, procedures and documentation are in place to support children's care and well-being and most are well maintained.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 maintain daily records of children's hours of attendance (Documentatio also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 31/01/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the range of resources to support children's opportunities to develop positive attitudes to diversity  develop the systems for the organisation of the setting by leading and encouraging a culture of reflective practice and self-evaluation to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of the provision for all 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 are effectively safeguarded. All adults in the household have been suitably vetted and the childminder demonstrates a clear knowledge of child protection procedures. She has attended a child protection training course and Northamptonshire safeguarding policy supports her practice. A range of safety precautions are in place within her home and daily checks and written risk assessments help to ensure that potential risks to children are appropriately identified and minimised. All required documentation is in place, although, the children's attendance records are not completed daily, therefore, this welfare requirement is not fully met.

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the early years provision

Children have suitable space in which to play and rest and daily routines reflect their individual needs and parental wishes. They have a sufficient range of resources in the home and the childminder adds to these by using the toy library. In addition, children have good learning experiences outside of the home. For example, they attend various groups throughout the week which offers physical and creative play. This combination means that children are supported well across all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

Information is shared with parents on a daily basis, so that children's changing needs are known and effectively met. Parents are kept up-to-date with their child's progress as the childminder shares individual learning folders which contain both photographic and some written evidence of their involvement in various activities. They receive a full range of written policies and all required written parental consents have been obtained. Consequently, children are cared for according to their parents' wishes.

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the early years provision

Partnership working with other early years professionals and outside agencies to support children's care, is an area that the childminder is developing to ensure consistency of care for the children. Children of all abilities are fully included in play activities and those who have English as an additional language are encouraged to use their home language. However, resources, activities and experiences which challenge children's thinking and help them to embrace differences in gender, culture and disability, are limited.

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the early years provision

The childminder has attended some short courses to develop her knowledge and skills and to keep up-to-date with current childcare practice, demonstrating her commitment to further improvement. She has recently begun childminding, therefore, evaluating her practice is a new process and systems for doing this are still in their infancy. She can see how this can help her to identify her strengths and any areas that she can further develop in the future. 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 comfortable and play with ease in the childminder's care. They confidently and independently access some of the resources which are stored at their level. By attending various groups and using the toy library to enhance resources, the childminder is able to provide children with a varied and balanced range of activities and experiences. She gathers information about their starting points on which to base their learning and makes observations of the children at play, to effectively identify children's next steps of learning.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder engages in conversations with the children, encouraging them to reflect and recall what they have been doing, which supports their language development well. For example, they really enjoy looking at photographs of themselves, painting and using shaving foam to make patterns. They have opportunities to make marks and draw pictures using pencils and crayons. Children have regular opportunities to play in the garden and enjoy being in the fresh air. They build dens, use climbing frames, collect conkers when they walk through the woods and feed ducks and geese in the park. As a result, children have a positive attitude to being active.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good rapport with the childminder. They develop confidence and self-esteem because the childminder gives regular praise, encouragement and support. Consequently, children learn to share, take turns and show consideration for each other. The childminder welcomes all children into her home and treats them all with equal concern. However, resources and activities which promote positive images of the wider world and help children gain an understanding of people in their community, are limited. The childminder has identified that this is an area that she intends to develop further, to ensure that children's learning is fully enhanced in this area.

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and outcomes for children

Daily routines help children to develop hygiene practices and they are reminded to wash their hands before meals and snacks and when returning from outdoor play. Children receive a good variety of healthy meals and snacks, which meet their dietary requirements. Drinks are readily available to ensure that they remain hydrated throughout the day. Children develop a secure understanding of how to stay safe. For example, they learn about road safety as the childminder talks to them about the highway code. When riding bicycles, children know that they must wear their helmet and high visibility vests, so that they can be seen. 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 3 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 3

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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 3 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report(Records to be kept) 31/01/2012

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report(Records to be kept) 31/01/2012

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