Childminder in North Lincolnshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY272962 Inspection date 14/02/2012 Inspector Diane Turner

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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 has been registered since 2004. She lives with her husband and daughter aged 14 years old in a semi-detached house on the outskirts of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. All of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding purposes, with toilet facilities situated on this level. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play to the rear of the premises. The home is within walking distance of local amenities, such as, schools, shops and a park.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for six children under eight years at any one time, of whom three may be in the early years age group. There are currently four children on roll, of whom, two are in the early years age group. They all currently attend on a part-time basis.

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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

Children are cared for in a very welcoming and safe environment where they settle well. Overall, they are offered a good range of activities and effective systems are in place to monitor their developmental progress. High priority is given to working in partnership with parents, which means that information about children's individual needs and how these can be met is shared effectively. Systems for monitoring the quality of the service are well established and regularly reflected on. This ensures areas for development are identified and continuous improvement promoted, which in turn enhances the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the planning of activities in the outdoor area to ensure best use is made of the learning opportunities it offers.

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the early years provision

The childminder's arrangements for safeguarding children are good. She attends training in child protection and as a result, is confident in her ability to recognise the possible indicators of abuse or neglect. Information regarding the procedure she should follow for referring any concerns is displayed for ease of reference and parents' information. The childminder gives high priority to ensuring children are cared for in a safe environment. Assessments of all areas are carried out and any risks identified and minimised effectively. These are backed up by daily checks. Documentation, such as the recording of accidents and attendance is maintained to a good standard and this, alongside well-thought-out policies and procedures, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 supports the effective management of the service.

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the early years provision

Children are able to choose from a good range of toys and resources that are regularly rotated to provide variety. These include interest boxes linked to topics, such as transport, which contain both toys, books and jigsaw puzzles linking to the theme. The childminder makes many of her own resources, such as matching games, charts and shakers, which enhances the range. The childminder is committed to providing good quality care for children and to continually improving her service. Since her last inspection, she has attended a number of training courses and has used the knowledge gained to improve the activities she offers. For example, heuristic play has been introduced for very young children. The garden area has been improved with new turf laid and the hard surfaces refurbished to provide children with a safer area to play. Through self-evaluation, the childminder clearly identifies areas she wants to improve in the future.

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the early years provision

The childminder pays good attention to promoting equality and diversity. She talks knowledgeably about each child and short, medium and long term goals are drawn up and agreed with parents, to show how the next steps in their learning will be promoted. This ensures that children achieve as much as they can given their age, ability and starting points. Children have good opportunities to learn about the cultures and beliefs of others. For example, as part of their celebrations for the Chinese New Year they created dragon pictures and learnt about the significance of lucky money envelopes.

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the early years provision

The childminder is fully aware of the benefits of working in partnership with other early years settings children attend, to promote a shared approach to their care and learning. However, the children currently in her care do not attend any other settings. The childminder engages well with all parents. They receive good information about the service, including copies of the core policies and procedures. Daily diaries are used effectively as a two-way communication tool for the youngest children. Questionnaires are sent out regularly to gauge parents continuing satisfaction of the service. These show that they find the level of care very good.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides children with a good range of activities that, overall, cover all areas of learning very successfully. She interacts well with the children as they play, which means that they become fully engaged and motivated to learn. The childminder uses the information she gathers from her observations of the children's responses to the activities very well. She maintains a 'Look at me' book for each child, which is used to record and track their progress. The books are shared with parents on a regular basis and the childminder actively encourages parents to add their observations of the children's learning to these. This ensures that she is fully aware of the progress the children make in their home environment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder develops close and trusting relationships with the children. This promotes their emotional well-being and helps them to feel safe in their

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and outcomes for children

environment. As a result, the children leave their parents happily on arrival, settle quickly and behave well. The children develop good habits as active, inquisitive and independent learners. For example, babies delight in exploring the colours and sounds of manufactured toys and become fascinated by the textures of a variety of materials and objects, such as home-made shakers they discover in the treasure basket. This effectively promotes their sense of exploration using a variety of senses.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides good opportunities for the children to learn about their local environment. She regularly takes them for walks in the surrounding area and they visit the library, which also promotes an interest in books and reading. Visits to another childminding setting offer the children valuable opportunities to develop their social skills and to make friends with other children. Through activities, such as painting and craft, the children have good opportunities to develop their creativity. These activities are often linked to seasonal events, such as making tissue paper poppies for Remembrance Day to broaden their learning. The children learn to solve problems as they use construction materials, such as building blocks. Also they learn about simple technology as they use resources, such as toy mobile telephones. Their understanding of the seasons and days of the week is promoted as they complete the weather chart each day.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures that the children learn to follow a healthy lifestyle. For example, she promotes hand washing as part of their daily routines and provides them with fresh fruit for their snack, which they help to buy at the local market. They regularly visit the park and have opportunities to use resources, such as a slide and wheeled toys in the garden. This ensures that their physical development is supported well. However, the childminder does not ensure all the other areas of learning are promoted fully outdoors, to compliment and extend the activities she offers the children indoors. The childminder supports the children well in learning about personal safety. For example, she teaches them road safety from an early age when out in the community and ensures that they take part in regular fire drills, so they know what to do in an emergency. 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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