Childminder, Out-of school day care in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY429245 Inspection date 30/01/2012 Inspector Jane Mount

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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 in Cuffley, Hertfordshire. The whole of the property is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed rear garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local 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 in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. 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

An inclusive and welcoming environment is provided and the childminder works in close partnership with parents to ensure children's individual needs are met. The childminder has high regard for the well-being of children and has effective systems in place to ensure they are safeguarded and their welfare is protected. She provides a varied selection of play experiences to enable children to make good progress in their learning, although systems for observing and assessing children and effectively planning their next steps are not yet fully developed. Some processes for monitoring the quality of the service provided are in place and a system, such as self-evaluation, to ensure continuous improvement is about to be implemented.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further observation and assessment systems and use these more effectively to plan the next steps in a child's developmental progress  implement a quality improvement system, such as self-evaluation, to more effectively monitor and extend effective practice to ensure continuous improvement.

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the early years provision

The environment in which children are cared for is safe and children's welfare is protected. The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how to protect children from harm as she has recently attended a safeguarding workshop. She also has an informative safeguarding policy in place which details what she This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 would do if she had a concern. The childminder is aware of the need for all relevant adults to have suitability checks. She is very conscious of safety and takes positive steps to keep children safe. Children are closely supervised and risk assessments ensure the environment, both within the childminder's home and when out, remains safe and children are protected. Documentation for the safe and efficient management of the setting and to promote children's well-being is all in place and well organised.

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the early years provision

This is the childminder's first inspection since registration and she has worked hard to develop a secure knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She understands the importance of continuous professional development and achieves this through networking with other childminders and through training. She has attended some early years workshops and has identified further training to increase her knowledge and enhance her practice. The childminder strives to provide a quality service and is aware of her key strengths and the areas she wishes to develop further. She undertakes some monitoring to ensure the quality of the provision is good, such as having systems in place to ensure she regularly reviews and updates children's records, and she has plans to seek feedback from parents through the use of written, parental questionnaires. A system of self-evaluation to more closely monitor the

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the early years provision

childminder's practice is about to be implemented.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good organisational skills and she uses these to ensure children's care and learning are positively supported. Resources are easily accessible to children and developmentally appropriate, with the daily routine planned around their individual needs. The childminder values and appreciates the children in her care and their families and welcomes them into her home. She shows a strong commitment to inclusive practice and takes great care to find out about and to meet children's specific needs. Parents are provided with good quality information and children benefit greatly from a two-way sharing of information between the childminder and parents. The childminder works in partnership with others and demonstrates a positive attitude and awareness of liaising with other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure continuity in children's care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have an enjoyable time in the childminder's care and participate in a variety of different activities and play experiences which broadly cover the six areas of learning. Children's interests are taken account of and activities are informally planned to meet children's individual developmental needs. However, simple observation and assessment systems are still in the early stages of development and do not yet clearly show how children are progressing so the next steps in their learning can be effectively planned for. The indoor and outdoor environments are used well with a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated play to develop children's play and learning. Children are able to make independent decisions and choices in the activities they participate in as the home environment is organised with many resources easily accessible. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children's language and communication skills are promoted as the childminder supports them in their play, asking questions and engaging them in conversation. Regular story times also supports children's early communication skills and they enjoy looking at books and reading stories with the childminder. Children's understanding of shape, colours and numbers is encouraged. They regularly count items within the daily routine, such as counting how many pieces of fruit are left on the plate or playing with and identifying magnetic numbers. Children participate in activities which encourage them to learn about the wider world and diversity, such as making dragon pictures for Chinese New Year. Children have opportunities to learn about the environment. They go on regular walks and discuss the weather and the changes in the seasons, and enjoy looking for birds nests in the trees when walking home from school. They have participated in planting and growing

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and outcomes for children

activities, such as growing herbs in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures children's health and well-being are promoted and the risk of cross-infection is minimised with good hygiene practices, such as regular and thorough cleaning of the home environment and resources. Children are learning about how to stay healthy through discussion and effective support and guidance from the childminder. They know they must wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet, and the childminder regularly discusses the reasons for doing so. Children participate in a varied range of activities which positively contribute to their good health and physical fitness. They regularly play in the garden and visit the park. Healthy eating is encouraged and their dietary requirements are regularly discussed with parents to ensure individual dietary needs are catered for appropriately. Children are beginning to learn about the benefits of healthy eating as they talk about fruit and vegetables being good for

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and outcomes for children

Children's safety is protected and they are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. When out walking they learn about road safety and when travelling in the childminder's car they know they must sit in the correct car seats and wear seat belts. Children behave well and positive behaviour is acknowledged with regular praise and encouragement from the childminder, which develops children's self-esteem. Children are supported effectively by the childminder and secure relationships enable children to feel safe and valued in the childminding environment. 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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