Childminder in Lewisham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY304014 Inspection date 21/02/2012 Inspector Joanne Wade Barnett

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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 2006. She lives with her school age child in New Cross, London. The whole of the ground floor and one upstairs bedroom of the family home are used for childminding and 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 on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of four children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She currently cares for two children within the early years age range. The childminder drives or walks to local schools to take and collect children. She also attends the local 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 has a good knowledge of child development and offers a variety of activities in her home and on outings in the community. She observes and assesses children's abilities, and planning for future learning helps the children to make generally good progress in their development. Overall, systems to monitor achievements help children take the next steps in learning and documentation is maintained well. Positive relationships with the parents help to promote children's well-being and enable the childminder to begin to involve them in sharing and contributing to their children's learning. The childminder's methods of self- evaluation are evolving and she is starting to identify strengths and address some weaknesses of her provision, inviting parents to share their views. The childminder demonstrates she is suitably committed to her development and future plans for improvement are likely to improve outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the record of observational assessment to monitor children's progress more effectively, further supporting planning for the next steps in children's learning and development  encourage parents to review their children's progress regularly and contribute to their child's learning and development record  lead and encourage a culture of reflective practice, self-evaluation and informed discussion to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children. 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 good understanding of keeping children safe. She implements her safeguarding policy well and understands the procedures to follow, should she have any concerns about the welfare of a child. The childminder has carried out a risk assessment of her home, garden and children's outings, reflecting her good understanding of health and safety issues. She has good measures in place to keep children safe, for example, protecting glass doors and installing safety gates across doorways when younger children attend.

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the early years provision

The childminder organises the toys and resources effectively to enable children to play in safe, secure areas. Storage containers are at children's height to encourage them to make choices in their play. Children are treated as individuals by the childminder, who has a good knowledge of their backgrounds and needs. The childminder plans activities that are child-initiated and experiences that take account of children's different learning needs, supporting them to make good progress in their development. Children play with a good range of resources which are well maintained and suitable for them. Many resources reflect positive images of diversity to enable children to learn to value different cultures and disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder is gradually beginning to monitor her provision to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedures and activities. She has identified some weaknesses and strengths within her provision and is taking some positive steps to address these, such as applying for training courses. The childminder works closely with the parents to obtain their views. However, the childminder's methods of self- evaluation do not currently use a systematic approach to help her to monitor the effectiveness of her provision fully. Nonetheless, she is suitably committed to development and plans for future improvement are likely to result in enhanced outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Parents are happy with the care their children are receiving. The childminder keeps them informed of their children's well-being on a daily basis, using diaries and discussions. However, systems to share information with parents about how well their children are achieving or how they can support children's learning are not so well developed. The childminder shares information about her practice with the parents, including her policies and procedures and any new activities she intends to offer. Parents are able to see all the relevant documentation, which is up-to- date and accurate, enabling them to have a suitable understanding of the childminder's roles and responsibilities. The childminder is aware of the importance of sharing information with other providers who share care of the children and outside agencies when applicable. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children settle well into the childminder's home because she provides a calm welcoming environment. All children are able to move freely around the available play space and make decisions about what activities they would like to do. Children find resources and toys that interest them, such as the dolls, pushchairs and cots. They play simple passing games as they are beginning to learn about taking turns with each other. Books are available for children of different ages, along with games and jigsaws. Children receive encouragement to look at shapes, colours and to count items in their daily play. Children enjoy listening to stories and begin to show familiarity with well-loved books. The childminder makes simple observations of the children and has a good knowledge of where each child is in their learning and development. However, existing assessment systems do not help the childminder to monitor children's progress fully to support the planning for their

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are encouraged to be active indoors and outdoors and learn the importance of exercise. The childminder provides healthy meals and snacks and she talks to the children about healthy eating. Children learn the importance of personal care routines, washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children are helped to feel safe and secure as the childminder checks that her home is suitable for their play through regular risk assessments. Children learn about keeping themselves safe and why some behaviours and equipment are dangerous. For example, the childminder explains about not putting things into their mouth and reminded about staying with the childminder and holding hands on outings. Fire drills are practised regularly to enable children to understand about evacuating the property in an emergency.

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and outcomes for children

Children display a sense of security and being safe as they confidently move around in the childminder's home. They approach the childminder for support and like to play simple hand held computer toys together, or simply have a cuddle with her. Children learn about keeping themselves safe when in the home. They understand, for example, they must not climb on the furniture, in case they fall and hurt themselves. Children behave quite well and understand the expectations of the childminder. They learn about the importance of tidying away the toys, with a few gentle reminders. Children are happy and generally display appropriate confidence and self-esteem. They have ample opportunities to learn about the community they live in, through outings, with activities and resources promoting diversity in the home. Children generally make good progress in the areas of literacy, numeracy and technology. As a result, they develop appropriate skills that

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and outcomes for children

will support them in their future. 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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