Childminder in Essex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY304716 Inspection date 11/05/2012 Inspector Susan McCourt

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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 2005 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged 13 and 15 years in Walthamstow, London. The whole flat, excluding two bedrooms, is used for childminding. The flat is on the first floor of a low rise building and there is no lift. There is a secure garden available to all residents of the block.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time and is currently minding six children, all of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder attends the local parent/toddler groups. The family has a cat.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language.

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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 good care for children and is outstanding in some respects. Partnerships, her use of resources and her commitment to equality and diversity issues mean she is highly skilled at meeting children's individual needs. Overall, she works effectively with parents and fosters children's learning and development well. The childminder puts children first in every respect and her commitment to enhancing their care means that she has a good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the two-way flow of information with parents by providing a summary overview of children's progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a strong understanding of how to safeguard children. All adults in the house are checked as to their suitability and the childminder has detailed policies and procedures should she have any concerns about a child. Parents are aware of her duties in this regard as the childminder makes her policies available to them. The childminder has made detailed risk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assessments and reviews them consistently, especially for outings. This enables her to take good care of children's safety at all times. The childminder has a very professional approach to documentation and understands that accurate record- keeping underpins children's well-being. The childminder has a clear commitment with regard to her work and places children at the heart of everything she does. This is demonstrated in her portfolio, which starts with a wide range of

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the early years provision

photographs of children engaged in play so that prospective parents can see what their children will be doing. The childminder has high expectations of herself and attends training to refresh her knowledge and gain qualifications.

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the early years provision

The childminder is an outstanding resource for minded children. She plays alongside them continuously and her larger-than-life character makes any activity enormous fun. This keeps children enthralled and excited. The childminder is also skilled at judging when to leave children to play, so that they can be fully absorbed in what they are doing with no distractions. She organises the play materials to be easily available to children, and they decide how to put them together. For example, the children decide what to put in the pirate treasure box and share their own views about what treasure is. The childminder has created a number of resources to reflect the diversity of the community. She also provides an array of books that cover equality and diversity issues as well as some in a variety of languages. The childminder celebrates a number of cultural and religious festivals through the year, and researches them to make them as authentic as possible. She

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the early years provision

gets to know children's home cultures in detail so that she can meet their needs as closely as possible. The childminder is highly effective at integrating children so that they can have the same experiences. For example, as she works with deaf children, she uses sign language consistently with all the children who attend all the time, so they can learn to communicate as a group. The childminder takes a lead role in establishing effective working relationships. She initiates contact with clinicians and other professionals in order to provide consistent care for the child. Once well-established, these channels of communication successfully promote the child's learning and development. Similarly, the childminder builds effective relationships with parents, sharing information verbally and in writing. Families are invited to children's shows and parties and they value the learning journey books compiled by the childminder. However, the childminder does not provide an

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the early years provision

overview of where children are in their development, which reduces parents' ability to complement children's learning at home.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder creates an interesting and stimulating learning environment for children. Children can be very independent as they choose what to play and initiate new ideas. The childminder skilfully facilitates children's play by following their train of thought and suggesting ideas which she knows they will enjoy. As a consequence children are consistently engaged in purposeful play. The childminder has a strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and makes observations of children's achievements which she builds into a learning journey folder. The childminder maps children's achievements against the Early Years This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Foundation Stage to demonstrate that children are making good progress. She plans activities and experiences that enhance children's learning and enjoyment, such as shopping together for food.

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and outcomes for children

Children clearly feel very safe. They go to the childminder for reassurance and comfort and feel very much at home in her care. Children behave in ways which keep themselves and their friends safe. For example, children close the safety gates behind them when they briefly leave the playroom in order to protect the younger ones. Children adopt good hygiene habits as the childminder is an effective role model with well-established routines in place. Children can be independent in their personal care and they understand the importance of washing their hands before eating, for example. Children eat a healthy balanced diet and talk about their favourite fruits at snack time. Young children are able to feed themselves whenever possible and they enjoy a variety of foods. Children enjoy playing in the garden which provides lots of space to explore. The childminder has bikes, balls and other outdoor equipment so that children can develop their

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and outcomes for children

Children have great fun playing and are enthusiastic about joining in songs and conversations. Children are skilled communicators, with even very young children adopting the sign language which is consistently used by the childminder. Children look at books as a part of their play and enjoy stories. They have a wide vocabulary as the childminder provides a language-rich environment, providing good support for young learners. The childminder asks open questions to help children solve problems. For example, when the pirate treasure chest would not close, the child was asked why she thought that was. The child recognised that she had put too many treasures in and experimented with what she had to take away in order for it to close properly. Children count spontaneously during play and understand how to measure hats and headbands to make sure they fit. They enjoy different technological toys, including the computer. They experiment with

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and outcomes for children

the magnetic train sections to see what will stick. Children love setting up role plays, and stay in costume for lengthy periods, building a variety of stories. They cooperate in developing their play so that a train journey becomes a boat ride and then a bus ride. The songs they sing demonstrate a wide repertoire, and they are confident to sing in groups and alone. Children behave well, taking care of their friends and showing respect to their precious things. They approach new experiences with interest and overall, build good skills for the 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 1 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 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 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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