Childminder in Solihull

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY349046 Inspection date 20/02/2012 Inspector Lucy Showell

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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 partner and children aged five and two in the Marston Green area of Birmingham. The whole of the ground floor is available for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom two may be in the early years age range. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently four children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, who attend on a part-time basis and four older children who attend before and after school. However, there were no children present at the time of the inspection.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. She holds a qualification at level 3 in childcare and early years.

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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 provides a warm and welcoming homely environment where children's welfare is effectively promoted. She respects and values the individuality of each child in her care and works hard to establish good relationships with parents. Children's needs are inclusively met and individual routines followed with regard to the requirements and preferences discussed with parents. Children make good progress in their learning as they enjoy a variety of well-organised and stimulating activities. The childminder demonstrates good capacity for continuous improvement. She identifies areas of strengths or improvements needed and attends training to promote her knowledge and skills and therefore improve practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve planning to ensure the support children receive as they learn is personalised to meet their individual needs and to extend their talents.

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the early years provision

The children are well protected by the childminder who has effective safeguarding procedures including relevant contact details, guidance documents and clear knowledge of the signs of possible abuse. Up-to-date information, such as a good This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 range of robust policies and procedures and informative displays of certificates, registration and insurance documents, are easily accessible. She has a clear knowledge of her responsibilities with regard to conditions of registration and how to meet the welfare requirements within the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, all necessary records are maintained for hours of attendance, medication, accidents and existing injuries, and parental consents are in place. Suitability checks are completed and the childminder shares required information with Ofsted regarding other adults in the house to ensure their suitability can be accessed as

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the early years provision

necessary. Space and resources are organised well and the childminder constantly reappraises both the environments and activities to which children are being exposed and make necessary adjustments to secure their safety at all times. Formal risk assessments are completed and records maintained of the regular checks carried out.

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the early years provision

Effective self-evaluation and monitoring systems are established and the childminder shows a keen interest in developing her skills and knowledge further. She has attended various training events relating to legislation, health, safety and children's learning. She hopes to use the knowledge and skills developed from these opportunities to continually improve the quality of the provision for the children that she cares for. She regularly reviews her documentation and checks the quality and suitability of resources to ensure sustainability of her provision.

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the early years provision

She has developed good relationships with other childcare professionals and together they discuss practice issues and share ideas. The childminder recognises the importance of partnership working. For example, the sharing relevant of information to develop consistency for children who attend other early years provision. The childminder builds sound relationships with parents, sharing useful information about her services. Further detail is obtained from parents before care commences regarding children's health and welfare needs. Daily news is shared effectively and parents are invited to share their opinions of the childminder as part of the evaluation processes. They express their delight in the childminder and true appreciation of the care she gives their children. Recent comments include: 'she is highly professional', 'my children are stimulated and encouraged to develop independence' and 'my children are made to feel important and special, and are

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and outcomes for children

Although there were no children present during the inspection, the childminder provided evidence through discussion and photographs that children are confident and settled within her home. Their sense of belonging is promoted as they are encouraged to self-select from the range of toys available which are age- appropriate and promote positive images of diversity. There are no children currently attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language. However, the childminder demonstrated good knowledge of appropriate systems to adopt and would adapt activities and practice accordingly. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder explained that she adopts a calm approach to the children, encouraging good behaviour through gentle reminders during play and opportunities to share and take turns with favourite resources. She enables

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and outcomes for children

children to learn the importance of keeping safe by ensuring they sit carefully to the table to use appropriate tools. She encourages children to develop good awareness of their personal hygiene by washing their hands and taking care of their toileting needs. Space is organised effectively and provides children with opportunities for messy play, free and physical activities and relaxation or sleep. The childminder is fully aware of special dietary requirements and ensures children are well nourished. Healthy meals and snacks incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables and drinks are available throughout the day to ensure they are suitably hydrated.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrated an enthusiastic knowledge of the children in her care and fosters their individual needs accordingly. A clear system for recording individual progress across the six areas of learning and development is established. She recognises and records children's achievements through observations during play. Flexible planning and evaluations show a good balance of adult-led and freely-chosen or child-initiated activities. However, the current system for planning does not show how the support children receive as they learn is personalised to meet their individual needs and to extend their talents. Children are able to select from a wide range of favourite resources within the conservatory which are stored at low-level. Outdoor opportunities are delivered through good use of the garden and the local park. Consequently, children can enjoy the fresh air whilst using a range of traditional equipment such as swings and slides or bikes and balls.

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and outcomes for children

Additional experiences such as walks to the local shops or attending various groups, activity centres and school runs provide children with developing awareness of their community and time to explore and investigate the world around them. 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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