Childminder in Doncaster

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY423434 Inspection date 24/04/2012 Inspector Helene Terry

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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 2011. She cares for children with her husband who is also registered. They live with their four children aged 10 months, eight, 14 and 17 years in a property in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. Areas of the home used for the children include the dining room, lounge and kitchen on the ground floor and the bathroom on the first floor. The garden is used for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. When working with her co childminder this can increase to 11 children under eight years of age, of whom no more than five may be in the early years age range. At present, they have 11 children on roll between the ages of one and 12 years, most of whom attend for various sessions throughout the week. The childminder takes children to and from the local schools. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and receives support from the local authority. The family pets include two dogs and a cat.

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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's needs are met well. Close and caring relationships are established with the children, therefore, they are confident and settled within an organised homely environment. Children make good progress in their learning and development and are actively engaged in a wide range of opportunities that promote their development. Good communication with parents and other agencies involved in the care and education of children ensures they are informed of the children's progress. Effective systems for self-evaluation have been established. The childminder shows a good capacity to continually make further improvements for the benefit of the children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that details of fire evacuation drills are recorded in a fire log book, including, details of problems encountered and how they were resolved  develop further means of involving parents in contributing to the observations, assessment and planning for their child  analyse observations of children to help plan 'what next' for each child and ensure that all six areas of learning are clearly tracked over a period of time for each child. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded very well because the childminder understands her role and responsibilities regarding child protection. Furthermore, all adults in the home have been vetted to protect children. Risk assessments are used very well to identify risks to children within the premises and garden, along with venues they regularly visit on outings. All of the mandatory documentation for the safe and effective management of the setting is in place and appropriately maintained. However, there is no record maintained of fire drills that are carried out with the children.

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the early years provision

The organisation and deployment of resources are planned well. Toys and equipment are stored in containers in the lounge and dining room and children help themselves, promoting choice and independence. Children's work is displayed, which helps them develop a sense of belonging. There is good regard to equality of opportunity and diversity so that each child's needs are met well. Children benefit from the strong partnerships with parents and other early years settings that children attend. Parents give detailed, general information about the children and there is effective sharing of information with parents, for example, through discussions and learning records. However, parents are not encouraged to contribute their observations of their children to these records, which potentially has an impact on children's progress towards the early learning goals. Parents have access to a good range of information, that includes the setting's policies and

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the early years provision

procedures. Children are encouraged to participate in the full range of activities. They are learning to respect other people and their way of life and have access to a good range of resources to further develop their awareness and understanding of the wider world, including those with disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder has good systems in place for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the provision. Parents and children are involved in the monitoring and evaluation processes through discussions and parent questionnaires. Their views are taken into account, hence policies and procedures have been reviewed and children continue to be involved in devising menus, house rules and planning of the activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident, settled and enjoy the time they spend with their childminder. They have developed close and trusting relationships, which enables them to explore the environment in a confident manor. They seek help from the childminder when required and the childminder is skilful at engaging with the children, developing their interests and extending their learning. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder plans activities around children's interests and their abilities and they have free This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 choice of all the provision. Observations of what children can do are recorded and these are clearly linked to the learning outcomes within the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the next steps for development are not recorded and children are not tracked across all areas of learning to quickly identify any potential gaps in

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and outcomes for children

Children are independent in the environment boosting their self-esteem and confidence. They enjoy helping to prepare snacks and meals and toddlers confidently help the childminder tidy up activities before moving onto the next activity. They develop caring skills as they help care for younger children, demonstrated by a child being gentle and showing affection to a baby. Children behave well, are aware of their boundaries and are learning to share and take turns as they play. They delight in looking at books with their childminder and she extends their language skills by encouraging them to recall past events and activities, such as visits to the farm. Skills in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy are developing well. Young children learn about number skills as they count objects in books and three-year-olds are beginning to write recognisable numbers. They talk about size whilst they play, demonstrated when a toddler tries

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and outcomes for children

to get into a small space and states that they are 'too big'. Children enjoy being creative, they use paint, glue and collage materials to express their ideas and feelings and they delight in playing musical instruments, such as the xylophone, as they experiment with sound. They use pens, pencils and scissors well, developing small muscle coordination skills and play physically either in the garden or in parks. Children enjoy pressing buttons on electronic activities and 'pop up' toys as they explore how things work and happen. They learn about seasons, weather and life cycles as they grow seeds and talk about what is needed to make things grow. Children delight in making dens from blankets and hiding in the tent. They laugh and giggle raucously as they play hide and seek with the childminder, showing great pleasure with the care that is provided.

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and outcomes for children

The children feel safe and secure in the childminder's care because of the strong relationships formed. They learn about road safety and safety around dogs when on outings and take part in the regular fire drill practices in the home. Children readily adopt healthy lifestyles, choosing to spend time out of doors in the fresh air and understanding the reasons for their hygiene routines. They enjoy lots of healthy snacks and meals and learn about food that is good for them, as a result children are learning to keep themselves safe and healthy. 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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