Childminder in Durham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY432206 Inspection date 01/02/2012 Inspector Julie Morrison

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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 three and five years in Shildon. The family have two pet guinea pigs. The whole of the dorma bungalow is used for childminding. Children have use of a rear garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, as well as, the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of four children aged under eight years, of whom, two may be under five and one may be under one. She is also registered to care for children aged over eight years. The childminder is currently caring for two children in the early years age group. The childminder cares for children Wednesdays to Sundays from 7.30am to 6pm for 48 weeks of the year. The childminder is registered to provide overnight care for one child under the age of eight years of age. She takes and collects children from the local school and nurseries and to the local parent and toddler group.

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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 environment where children's individuality is supported well. She demonstrates a genuine commitment to providing an inclusive setting and works closely with parents to ensure she is aware of children's individual needs. Partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are emerging. Children experience a good range of activities, all of which take into account their interests and specific needs. This is combined with good levels of support enabling children to make good progress in their learning and development. Effective systems are in place to evaluate the learning and care the childminder provides and ensure continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further an environment that is rich in print, particularly with regard to labelling to further support and encourage children's independence in selecting resources  promote effective continuity and progression by developing systems to share relevant information about children's learning and development with other providers. 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 safeguarded and protected well as the childminder has a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and is aware of procedures to follow should she have a concern about a child. This is supported by a written policy which is shared with parents at the start. All adults living on the premises have been subject to appropriate background checks. This further safeguards children. Detailed risk assessments for her home and outings are in place. These are combined with daily checks and appropriate safety procedures such as keeping external doors locked, supervising children at all times and using safety gates to minimise any potential risks to children.

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the early years provision

The effective organisation of space and good levels of support provided by the childminder allow children to move around safely, this helps to support children's independence and learning. A wide range of age-appropriate resources, including those which reflect a positive image of diversity, are stored mostly at child height within the dedicated playroom. However, storage boxes are not labelled which makes it difficult for children to see what is available inside them. The childminder demonstrates a positive attitude towards continuous improvement. She has completed the Ofsted self-evaluation form and works closely with her early years advisor and local childminding network to identify areas for development. The childminder has a good understanding of areas of further training she would like to complete in order to further promote good outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder establishes positive working relationships with parents, providing them with access to their child's learning record and home books to encourage two-way communications. She provides parents with well-written, relevant policies and procedures that reflect all aspects of the care and learning she provides. The childminder gathers relevant information about children from parents at the start; this includes information about their likes, dietary requirements and daily routines. This helps to ensure that all children are fully included at her setting and have their individual needs met well. Parents are asked to complete questionnaires to help the childminder reflect on her practice and encourage parents to be involved in the service she provides. The childminder demonstrates a genuine commitment to working with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she has only recently started to care for children who attend more than one setting

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the early years provision

and as a result, has not established procedures to share information in order to promote continuity of care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children, including those who are new to the setting, are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They demonstrate a good sense of belonging as they enter confidentially and quickly engage in meaningful play. They enthusiastically show the childminder their books from nursery and listen attentively as she reads stories to them. The childminder extends their learning well, for example, she encourages This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 them to talk about what is happening in the story and to count how many candles are on the cake. The children have good opportunities to further develop their language and literacy skills as the childminder supports them to identify letters and to see if they can match them to the alphabet displayed on the playroom wall. Children learn about the world around them through discussion and planned activities such as celebrating the Chinese New Year. They are able to develop their

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and outcomes for children

creative skills through a range of activities including, sand play, painting and exploring messy play such as jelly. Jigsaws, games and singing counting songs helps children to develop their number and calculating skills. The childminder further supports this as she encourages them to problem solve as they play. For example, she asks them why they think the lid does not fit and introduces language such as 'too big and too small' into their play. Children develop their skills for the future through a good range of push button and programmable toys, including cameras and toy computers.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is developing a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She gathers information about children's starting points through discussion with parents and observations. Although observations do not show children's next steps in learning, the childminder clearly knows these very well and uses them effectively to plan a good range of activities. These cover all areas of learning and take into account children's individual stages of development. As a result, children are making good progress in their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe as they take part in regular fire drills and learn how to cross the road safely. Discussions about why it is important to wear seatbelts and encouraging children to think about what might happen if they spilt water further helps children to learn about keeping safe. The childminder implements effective routines for hand washing including using individual paper towels to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Children's good health is promoted as they enjoy regular physical play such as, trips to the park and soft play areas. They further learn about healthy lifestyles through planned activities such as fruit tasting and role play as doctors. The childminder understands the importance of providing healthy meals and snacks which take into account any dietary requirements. The childminder has a good understanding of age- appropriate behaviour management techniques. She gives the children lots of

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and outcomes for children

praise and encouragement. This positive recognition helps nurture children's confidence and self-esteem and results in children who are happy and settled in her care. 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 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 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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