Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY432625 Inspection date 31/01/2012 Inspector Amanda Shedden

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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 registered in 2011. She lives with her husband and their adult children in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The ground floor of the home is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family have a dog and a rabbit.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years; of these, three children may be in the early years age group. She is currently caring for one child in the early years age range. There are also older children on roll. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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

Overall, the children are well cared for and have warm relationships with the childminder and her family. Their individual needs are met and they make satisfactory progress with their learning and development. The childminder undertakes some observations on the children though they do not reflect the children's progress clearly. Relationships with the parents are positive but they do not always receive enough encouragement to contribute to their child's learning. Most safeguarding procedures are in place, though risk assessments are not comprehensive. The childminder is starting to evaluate her practice and make changes that benefit children, demonstrating sufficient capacity to maintain improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop assessments and planning to clearly show identified next steps for children's progress, which can then be measured against their achievements  develop systems to enable parents to review their children's progress regularly and contribute to their child's next steps in learning and development  extend the risk assessments to include anything with which a child may come into contact. 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 sound understanding of child protection procedures and she knows how to implement them if she had concerns about a child in her care. The childminder has created some effective risk assessments, though they do not cover all areas the children access. All necessary written permissions are in place, which supports the children's welfare appropriately. The childminder creates a suitable range of policies and procedures to underpin her work. She shares them with the parents ensuring both parties are aware of their responsibilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation appropriately to make some changes that will benefit the children. She has a positive attitude to developing her practice and has identified courses that will develop her knowledge and skills further. This demonstrates her sound capacity to maintain continuous improvement in promoting the outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a generally positive relationship with the parents. Each day they discuss the children's experiences and share notes in a home link diary. Parents are aware that observations are kept on their children but not of the next steps that the childminder has identified to support their child's progression. Parents value the care their children receive and the work of the childminder. At present, no children in her care attend any other settings. The childminder is aware of how important it will be to communicate with other providers to ensure the child's continuity of care and education.

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the early years provision

This is a fully inclusive setting where the childminder is aware of children's differences. Activities and resources are differentiated to reflect the needs of each child. Many suitable resources are on display to encourage the children to self- select. The childminder rotates the resources regularly to keep the children interested and engaged. Children receive an appropriate introduction to the wider world. They access resources that promote diversity and participate in craft activities, such as making masks to celebrate Chinese New Year.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled within the childminder's care. They enjoy taking part in the appropriate range of activities that are available. The childminder undertakes some observations on the children and identifies their next steps. However, they are not consistent across the six areas of learning. In addition, they are not very well used to plan activities to ensure that the children continue to progress. Children make sufficient progress through the day-to-day routine and incidental activities that take place. The childminder's knowledge of the individual child enables her to support their learning through play adequately. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 There is a reasonable balance of child-initiated play and adult-led activities. The children show their confidence as they select resources that are on display and request others that are in the cupboard. The childminder and children sit together

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and outcomes for children

engaging in conversations, which support the children's learning as they make dough. They count how many cups they need of different ingredients and mix them together. The childminder encourages the children to talk about what it feels like as they mix the ingredients together with their hands. The children concentrate and persevere as they manipulate the dough, using a range of tools such as rollers and cutters. The children show delight and pleasure as they manage to use the moulds correctly to create, for instance, dinosaurs. Activities like these encourage a positive attitude to learning and help children develop suitable skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children engage in imaginary play when they talk to the animals as they put them in and out of the stables or the ark. They enjoy doing puzzles and the childminder engages with them to help them to achieve. Children are learning some positive messages about healthy lifestyles. They visit a gym each week, which is appropriate for their stage of development. They frequently go for walks to encourage fresh air and exercise. The childminder encourages their learning as they look at numbers they see around them. The childminder also uses these walks to introduce road safety to the children. They hold on to her, or the pushchair, and are learning to look and listen before crossing.

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and outcomes for children

The children demonstrate they feel safe and secure with the childminder. They are confident to let her know their needs, for example, when they want to use the bathroom or when they are hungry. They use individual towels to dry their hands, minimising the potential for cross infection. The childminder stores the food parents supply appropriately and she helps children prepare their healthy fruit snacks. The children present have not yet practised how to evacuate the home due to ages and level of understanding. However, there is a procedure in place that will be used as their level of understanding increases. The children are learning behaviour boundaries set by the childminder through interaction. They receive frequent praise, which builds up their self-esteem. The childminder encourages them to play together and share. She has appropriate strategies in place, depending on the level of understanding of the child.

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and outcomes for children

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 3 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 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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