Childminder in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY345671 Inspection date 09/02/2012 Inspector Anne Archer

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and adult child in Geddington, Northamptonshire. The ground floor rooms of the childminder's house are used for childminding with access to the first floor to an additional bathroom. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time including three in the early years age group when working alone. When working with one or two assistants the overall numbers increase to 11 and 16 children respectively. The childminder either walks or uses her car to transport children to and from local pre-school groups, nurseries and schools.

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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 with the support of her assistant provides an excellent environment in which children's welfare, learning and development needs are well met. Adults enjoy supporting the children and do so in a stimulating yet safe environment. All aspects of the provision are promoted well and although there is a breach of Early Years Foundation Stage requirements relating to documentation, it does not affect the overall experience for children. Capacity to maintain continuous improvement is good as the childminder has recently evaluated her provision for the first time and highlighted areas for development.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the risk assessment clearly states when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation) 01/03/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 explore ways to enable parents to share what they know about their child to further support continuity of learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

A lot of thought is put into the experiences provided for children who attend this setting. All aspects of safeguarding are reviewed regularly and as a result children are very well protected. Suitability checks are carried out on assistants and visitor identification is checked before entering the premises. The childminder has very thorough child protection procedures which are shared with assistants and parents and updated when new information or advice is received.

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the early years provision

Risk assessments are conducted on the childminder's home and garden and on regular outing venues. All take into account the abilities of the children who attend the setting. In addition visual checks are carried out throughout the day to ensure any potential hazard is minimised. The childminder and her assistant explain to children what they are doing so that they begin to learn to assess risk for themselves without their developing independence being impeded. Policies and procedures and other documentation are reviewed and update at least once a year, more frequently if anything changes or a new child is taken on so that they fully reflect practice within the setting and continue to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the risk assessment is undated which is a breach of the requirements. This does not affect the safety of the children who attend.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity very well. Children start to learn about similarities and differences from an early age and are involved in activities which reflect their own and other peoples' cultures and traditions. To facilitate this, the childminder has a thorough knowledge of each child's welfare and developmental needs, which she updates regularly with parents. The childminder and her assistant engage effectively with parents. Relationships are established and positive, ensuring they are fully informed of children's changing needs. Parents are kept well informed of their children's achievements, well-being and development through daily chats and access to their child's learning journal. Parents make some pertinent and valuable comments about their children's lives in relation to their learning which are often not used when progress is being assessed.

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the early years provision

Procedures for liaising with and sharing information with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are established and effective in ensuring continuity of learning between the settings. The childminder's premises are suitable for purpose. She makes the very best use of the space available to provide a stimulating learning environment in which children make excellent progress in their learning. Resources are plentiful, varied and of high quality and they are imaginatively used to effectively support children's progress. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children have fun while learning new skills which enable them to develop in all areas of learning. Children show contentment in their surroundings and are very keen to take part in the activities on offer especially when they reflect their interests such as when the bugs are put in the sand tray. Children are also keen to initiate their own play particularly focused around the home kitchen. Children learn to make choices about the resources they use to develop their own play adventures from the wide range of high quality toys available. Children's play is observed daily and provision is made to incorporate any resources necessary to enable children to follow new interests and so further support their learning. A comprehensive assessment record is kept of children's learning and achievements and clearly shows how children are progressing towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about personal safety and health through daily routines as the childminder and her assistant promote healthy lifestyles very effectively. Children learn when and how to wash and dry their hands with the foaming soap and paper towels or sometimes with an antibacterial wipe. They are also taught to recognise when they need a tissue to wipe a runny nose so that they can start to recognise the need for themselves.The childminder is familiar with children's individual dietary needs and preferences and provides healthy, nutritious meals and snacks. Children are also encouraged to take regular drinks of water to ensure they remain hydrated. The childminder has recently been awarded the highest hygiene rating for her kitchen as she has very secure procedures for the storage, preparation and cooking of food.

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and outcomes for children

There are very clear procedures in place relating to the care of children who become unwell and about the spread of infection. The childminder and her assistant maintain a current paediatric first aid certificate. She has a first aid kit for the house and car and also takes a small kit when they go out for a walk such as when collecting a child from the village pre-school. In this way she is sure she will be able to deal with any minor accident and injuries when they occur. Children's sleeping patterns are discussed with parents and adhered to. This ensures they are refreshed and able to fully take part in the rest of the day's activities.

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and outcomes for children

There are house rules which provide children with clear boundaries. Behaviour management is consistent and takes into account each child's level of maturity and understanding. As a result, children behave exceptionally well. Children clearly enjoy the adults' attention, showing by their behaviour and mannerisms that they fell safe and secure.

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and outcomes for children

Children play a full and active role in their learning by showing curiosity and a desire to explore and learn. They benefit greatly from outdoor activities. They explore the local environment during walks and play on a range of toys and apparatus in the childminder's garden and at local parks or groups that they attend. Children develop solid skills for the future as they respond to the childminder and her assistant's questions which challenge them to work things out for themselves, for instance, when cooking the toy chicken for dinner. Children sit This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and listen to stories and point to objects in the pictures which are mentioned. They are becoming competent are sorting objects and are starting to recognise shapes. Children develop self-care skills as they learn how to put on their coats and boots. They learn how to play together taking turns to use a particular plate and share

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and outcomes for children

the toy food. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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