Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY362106 Inspection date 01/03/2012 Inspector Kelly Eyre

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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 2007. She lives with her husband and two children aged five and 10 in a village near St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. The whole of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There are currently two children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, both of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder is registered to provide overnight care for two children. She also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and holds a Level 3 childcare qualification.

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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 is committed to the continuous improvement of her practice, using clear self-evaluation procedures to support this. This enables her to gain a good understanding of her strengths and weaknesses and to prioritise improvements to address these. She is therefore able to offer a childminding service which is responsive to the needs of children and their families. The childminder's good partnerships with parents support her in exchanging information and building a thorough knowledge of each child's needs, routines and interests. She uses this information to ensure that children's needs are met and they are offered appropriate support in order to be meaningfully included.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the assessment and planning procedures in order to plan and update the next steps in a child's developmental progress and regularly review this approach  improve the systems for organisation of the setting by developing the use of self-evaluation to support on-going improvements.

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the early years provision

The childminder has attended relevant training and has a thorough understanding of issues relating to safeguarding children, enabling her to promote children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 welfare at all times. A written procedure further support this, ensuring that she can identify any children at risk and take necessary action. The childminder makes sure that all household members have undergone relevant suitability checks, further promoting children's welfare. Appropriate risk assessments mean that children's safety is considered in all areas. Specific activities and ongoing explanations help children build a secure knowledge of safety issues. For example, they discuss fire safety and participate in associated role play to gently reinforce their knowledge.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the importance of promoting an inclusive environment and regularly reviews her assessments and daily procedures to make sure that her practice supports this. Each child is respected as an individual, with their needs taken into account in the planning of activities and daily routines. The childminder acts as a good role model, showing care and concern for all and thereby encouraging children to respect and care for each other. The childminder builds good relationships with parents, keeping them well informed of their child's progress, for example, through the use of daily communication books. Continuity of care is promoted as the childminder has procedures in place to work with other professionals. For example, there are procedures for exchanging information with local pre-schools and school.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a genuine desire to continuously develop her practice. She regularly reviews her work, making changes that improve the outcomes for children. For example, recent changes include the introduction of written assessments of children in order to inform the planning of appropriate activities to promote their development. Although the childminder has clear plans for the future, she does not fully utilise the self-evaluation process to inform the overall review of practice and the impact of changes made. Children are offered a range of activities that support their learning because the childminder makes good use of resources. For example, she uses facilities, such as specialist sessions at nearby children's centres, in order to offer children further opportunities.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder has a sound understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She assesses children as they play, building a clear picture of their developmental needs and enabling her to plan appropriate activities to support their individual development. However, this is not fully promoted because the assessment and planning procedures do not clearly show how children's next steps are consistently updated and fed into the overall activity planning. The childminder ensures that her home is safe and children's behaviour demonstrates that they feel secure. For example, they make independent choices about their resources and readily include the childminder in their play. They are therefore encouraged to take an active role in their learning and are developing positive attitudes to this.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder encourages children to explore the resources and develop their own play, joining in appropriately to extend this. For example, young children play with a mirror before the childminder encourages them to look at their reflections, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 going on to play 'boo' and using this as a way to help children learn each other's names. The thoughtful provision of resources means children are offered play opportunities that promote learning in all areas. For example, children develop early writing and mark making skills as they use pens to draw on a white board. Children's play is enhanced as the childminder makes good use of a toy library to borrow resources that meet children's current interests and needs.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's good interaction with children means that their play is enhanced and their learning promoted. For example, when children show an interest in a large storage box the childminder encourages them to explore the contents together; they thoroughly enjoy exploring the musical instruments, laughing and giggling as they play the drums, blow whistles and shake the bells. Children's learning is further extended as the childminder utilises incidental learning opportunities. For example, children exploring a construction set are encouraged to name the colours and shapes of the bricks as they build. The childminder's good forward-planning means that children are offered opportunities to learn about living things. For example, they help tend vegetables on a mini allotment and grow potatoes and carrots in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Children's awareness of the relevance of healthy lifestyles and practices is promoted. For example, their understanding of the importance of healthy eating is developed as they use the internet to carry out their own research into this topic, discussing different food groups and making their own collages to illustrate this. Children's understanding of the uses of information and communication technology is promoted as they access a range of relevant resources. For example, they use interactive toys, cash registers, telephones and an age-appropriate computer.

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and outcomes for children

Children's emotional development is promoted and they gain skills for the future as they build secure relationships with the childminder and their peers. The childminder encourages them to share the toys and to respect each other's feelings, thereby developing their understanding of appropriate behaviour. This is further promoted as children refer to the house rules, which are displayed in the home. Children's awareness of diversity is developed as they participate in discussions and activities and access relevant resources. For example, they cook and eat a range of traditional dishes from around the world and participate in discussions about different types of family composition. The childminder's good procedures for working with parents mean that she can offer appropriate support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

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: 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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