Childminder in Islington

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY342261 Inspection date 24/04/2012 Inspector Catherine Greene

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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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged 15 and 12 years in the Islington area of London. The flat is reached by a lift. The living room and playroom are the main areas used for childminding purposes. There is no garden but parks and playgrounds are within walking distance. The childminder is registered on the Early Years to care for a maximum of three children at any one time. The childminder is currently caring for three children in the early years age group. The childminder is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder provides extremely high quality care for children. They receive excellent support, which helps them to achieve outstanding progress in their learning and development. Highly effective partnerships with parents contribute significantly to the excellent progress made by all children. Overall, resources are made easily accessible to children and support and stimulate children's interests and curiosity. The childminder makes exact and considerate self-evaluations of her practice to maintain very high standards and continuous improvement.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extending further the labelling and lists of words of home languages used by children and inviting parents to contribute to them.

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the early years provision

The childminder places a very high priority on safeguarding children and attends regular training to reinforce and improve her knowledge of child protection procedures. The childminder is very careful about making sure that only those adults authorised to do so are allowed to collect children from her care. She has established highly effective policies and procedures to support the safe and efficient management of the provision. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children enjoy freedom to explore at home, and during outings, in safety because the childminder carries out extensive and detailed risk assessments of all aspects of her provision. Arrangements have been made with local registered childminders to provide emergency care if needed, with the full consent of parents. Children regularly practise fire evacuation procedures and these are carefully logged, along

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the early years provision

with details of all smoke detector checks.

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the early years provision

Children develop self-help skills as they choose and access resources to support their play and learning. The childminder provides an extensive range of resources; some are homemade such as the brilliant cardboard house that has been painted by the children. Some are recycled, and all are thoughtfully provided to motivate and prompt children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children learn about their local community and the wider world through regular trips and visits. They enjoy activities which enhance their knowledge of different countries and traditions. During Black history month the childminder arranged a visit to the British Museum so that children could experience the Africa room and look at the ancient artefacts. The childminder also talks to children about the countries and languages their families speak which reflect their own experiences and interests.

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the early years provision

The childminder keeps in constant contact with parents, meeting daily, sharing records of children's learning and learning journeys. She produces photographs so parents can see for themselves how their children enjoy themselves in her care. Through excellent relationships built with parents, the childminder is able to provide each child with rich experiences to comprehensively support and promote their care, learning and development in all areas. Through questionnaires, parents report their, 'appreciation that the childminder is committed to promoting high quality experiences for their children'. There are currently no children on roll who attend other settings or need support from other agencies. However, the childminder is fully prepared with proposed strategies in place to enable her to work in partnership with any other settings if the need arises.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very strong commitment to continually reviewing and improving the quality of her provision. She has made excellent progress in developing planning and assessment systems and reassessing all of her policies and procedures. She uses self-evaluation and parents' and children's responses to inform her activities. She attends regular training to update her skills and knowledge and has recently completed a qualification in childcare at level three.

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and outcomes for children

Children are extremely happy and settled with the childminder. She organises an inviting and visually rich environment for children with an excellent focus on promoting equal opportunities. Children are supported to develop very good attitudes towards diversity and inclusion as they celebrate each other's home This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 backgrounds; culture and language. As the childminder's immediate storage space is limited, she provides pictures on cupboards and shelves so that children can choose additional items. A welcome poster in several community languages greets children and parents on display in the hallway. Eye-catching displays demonstrate the festivals and topics that children have recently been celebrating. Signs in languages that children speak are slightly less well developed to further enhance the inclusion of languages children speak.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has an excellent understanding of how children learn and an in- depth knowledge of each child's progress. She maintains detailed records and reviews of children's learning, which she shares regularly with parents. She is extremely enthusiastic about her role as a network childminder and makes very good use of this position to reflect on her practice and professional development. The childminder supports her thorough knowledge of child development by referring to reference books, learning resources and the Practice Guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is confident when planning activities to consistently challenge and promote each child's learning and development. The childminder is skilful at making sensitive interactions to offer further challenges and extend children's vocabularies. She uses children's own interests to extend learning. Children are highly enthusiastic about their learning and explore and

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and outcomes for children

experiment freely as the childminder has completely adapted her home to make it a safe space for them to be free. They are delighted as they ride their cars through the hallway in a circuit together. They demonstrate a very good understanding of how things work and develop advanced physical skills as they skilfully negotiate around each other.

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and outcomes for children

Children sit together for some quiet time before their snack and are really engaged as the childminder reads to them. They are captivated due to the expressive and interesting way the childminder reads the story. They all contribute to the story, asking questions and proudly point out their own pictures that are displayed on the walls throughout the childminder's home. The extensive range of experiences provided for children help them to develop many excellent learning and development skills for their future learning. One child talks animatedly about his family as he finds their photographs in his learning journey. Children are enthusiastic about the childminder's library and look forward to taking a book home for the weekend.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about healthy lifestyles through choosing and enjoying healthy and nutritious food and drinks. The childminder makes sure children's individual dietary needs are carefully identified through excellent partnerships with parents. Children learn important hygiene routines and demonstrate their thorough hand washing practices with confidence. They enjoy fresh air and exercise, both inside and out. The childminder knows the local area extremely well; she uses local parks, groups and children's centres to increase opportunities for large physical play. The childminder is very careful when observing children's health needs and works closely with parents to promote excellent outcomes.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a superior awareness of keeping themselves and others safe, for example, as they inform visitors that the cars on the floor, 'might make you slip'. Their understanding of preferred behaviour is exceptional given their age. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 This is due to the childminder's calm and clear approach. She supports children to develop polite and cooperative behaviour exceptionally well. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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