Walsh, Samantha

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY222932 Inspection date 20/02/2012 Inspector Liz Caluori

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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 2002. She lives with her husband and two children aged 14 and 12 years, in the Eltham area of the London Borough of Greenwich. Childminding generally takes place on the ground floor 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 both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for six children under eight years at any one time; of these, no more than three may be in the early years age group. She currently has three children under eight on roll, of whom two are in the early years age group. She also cares for two children over eight years before and after school and in the holidays.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder walks to local schools and nurseries to take and collect children. She attends the local parent/toddler groups and takes children to the local library and parks. The childminder holds the National Vocational Qualification at level 2 and is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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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 settled, secure and play happily in the childminder's comfortable and inclusive home. They make good progress in their learning and development, as a result of the high quality activities and experiences provided. Their individual personalities and preferences are well understood, although their rate of progress is not routinely monitored to identify any gaps in achievement. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to ongoing reflection and a good capacity for continual improvement. Children are effectively protected, although risk assessments are not updated as frequently as required. Children benefit from the good arrangements in place, to work in partnership with their parents, carers and other professionals.

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further?

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

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further?

 conduct a risk assessment and review it regularly, at least once a year or more frequently where the need arises. (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register). 09/03/2012 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 extend the arrangements for assessing children's development to monitor the rate at which they are progressing, in order to identify any gaps in achievement.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities to protect children and has recently attended several safety based training sessions. She has clear written procedures in place to outline the process to be followed, should she have concerns about the welfare of any child in her care. Effective safety arrangements are in place in the childminder's home, including gates to restrict access to potentially hazardous areas of the house, such as the kitchen. The childminder has previously undertaken thorough risk assessments of her home and of planned outings. However, she has not reviewed these on an annual basis. This is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to ongoing training and regular self-evaluation in order to promote continual improvement in all aspects of her service. She also actively seeks the views of parents and carers using questionnaires. She has implemented a number of changes based on the feedback that she has received, for example, by broadening her lunch menu. Parents and carers are provided with a good range of written policies and procedures. This ensures that they are well informed about the childminder's aims, objectives and working practices. She also speaks to them daily and shares information about the activities their child has enjoyed and any progress they have made. Details of children's achievements are also set out in their development files.

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the early years provision

The childminder confidently discusses each child's preferences, abilities and identifies their next steps. She uses sensitive observations to plan a range of activities and experiences which she is confident they will enjoy. The childminder has recently introduced new systems to support her to record children's achievements. These provide her with clear summaries of their abilities, but have not been extended to monitor the rate at which they are progressing. Therefore, she does not have a complete overview of children's rate of development across all areas. This does not support her to easily identify any gaps in the achievements of individuals, or across the group as a whole.

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the early years provision

The childminder's home is comfortable, well organised and child-centred. She also makes good use of local groups and play parks to offer children a broader range of experiences and to develop their social skills. Children play with a good range of resources that are well maintained and appropriate for their ages and stages of development. The low level storage boxes successfully encourage them to explore and investigate independently. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Good arrangements are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder has attended training on disability awareness and recognises the importance of assessing children's very individual needs to plan appropriate care. She is also aware of services locally where she can obtain support and resources to work with children and families who speak English as an

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the early years provision

additional language. Children are well supported to understand and respect diversity, for example, looking at books which discuss disability, learning about Braille and celebrating a range of cultural events.

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the early years provision

Positive relationships exist between the childminder and children's parents and carers. They express their high levels of satisfaction at the service they receive through 'thank you' cards and their responses in questionnaires. The childminder also has effective working relationships in place with other early years professionals involved in the lives of the children. This supports all parties to provide consistency of care.

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and outcomes for children

Children play very happily in the childminder's care, sharing lots of jokes and responding well to her calm, good humoured manner. They demonstrate a good knowledge of the routines and boundaries in place. This, along with the strong bonds they form with the childminder, her family and other minded children, help them to feel secure and settled. Children also learn how to keep themselves and others safe through activities such as crossing the road.

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and outcomes for children

Children engage in charmingly imaginative games, in which pirates and princesses conquer the seas and enjoy fairytale weddings. They use good story telling language to create characters and situations, playing very cooperatively with their friends. They use the large selection of people and animal figures to extend their games. Their developing knowledge and understanding of the world is evident, as they name and discuss the different types of animals. Children enjoy word games and rhymes and use language very effectively to share their views, negotiate and ask questions. They confidently recite the alphabet and point to corresponding written letters displayed on the wall. Children demonstrate similarly high levels of achievement in their numeracy skills, counting and recognising written numerals. They are competent in operating a range of ICT equipment, including computerised toys. They also confidently make choices about the activities and

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and outcomes for children

games in which they wish to take part. As a result, they are becoming independent learners and are well prepared for their transitions to school.

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and outcomes for children

Activities such as recycling and discussing the negative impact of graffiti in the local environment support the children to develop a good sense of social responsibility. They display beautiful manners and are very friendly and hospitable to visitors. The childminder very competently supports them to develop good social skills, such as sharing and turn taking; as a result, children behave well.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They enjoy the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 nutritious snacks and meals they receive, which are planned to reflect their individual dietary needs. They have a good knowledge of different foods and are clear on what they like and don't like, but are willing to try new things with just a little bit of coaxing. Each child also has their own water bottle, which is available to them at all times. Children are very independent in their self-care, routinely washing their hands after using the toilet and before sitting down to eat. 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report. (Suitability and Safety of Premises an Equipment) 09/03/2012

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report. (Suitability and Safety of Premises an Equipment) 09/03/2012

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