Childminder, Out-of school day care in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY438509 Inspection date 22/05/2012 Inspector Julie Larner

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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 September 2011. She lives with her husband and one year old child in Gosforth, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. The whole of the ground floor, except for the office is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family has a cat.

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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 two may be in the early years age range and of whom, one may be under one year old. She can also offer care to children aged over eight years. There are currently two children attending who are within the early years range, both of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder provides care from Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 are cared for by a practitioner, who clearly knows them well and understands their individual needs. Consequently, she helps them overall to develop successfully in their learning. Comprehensive policies and procedures are promoted effectively in the setting to safeguard children's welfare in most areas. The childminder promotes an inclusive setting and ensures that each child is valued and respected for their own unique abilities. She works in partnership with parents successfully by developing good systems to keep them well informed. Space and resources are used well in the setting and most of the relevant paperwork is completed. Self-evaluation is successful in identifying improvements and these are well focused to strengthen the outcomes for children.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure written parental permission is requested to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and welfare) 29/05/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop routines to ensure regular fire drills are carried out and details recorded in a fire log book of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  develop systems to analyse observations to consider 'what next' for individuals and groups of children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder shows a secure understanding of how to safeguard the children in her care. She follows a clear and comprehensive child protection policy, which ensures that she can identify concerns and pass these onto the relevant professionals. The childminder is highly vigilant within her setting. She completes risks assessments to ensure that all of the areas children use are safe and suitable. The childminder notices and assesses continual risks during the session. For example, when children decide to climb on inappropriate pieces of equipment, she removes them immediately to ensure that they remain safe. Resources are varied, well maintained and easily accessible, which means that children continually make choices about what they want to do. The childminder uses the space in her setting well. For example, children move through to the kitchen to enjoy dancing sessions to ensure that they have lots of space to move around.

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the early years provision

The childminder follows an equal opportunities policy and works hard to ensure that all of the children are included in the activities she provides for them. She clearly knows about her strengths and the areas she wishes to improve. She focuses on developing the parts of her setting that she knows will have the most impact on the care of the children, for example, the outdoor area. She has made improvements since being registered by installing an alarm on the front door. This results in children being more safe and secure in the setting. The childminder has developed highly positive relationships with the parents. She continually updates parents on their child's development and provides them with good information about how her setting operates. Although, the childminder does not currently have any children who also attend other settings that provide the Early Years Foundation Stage, she understands the importance working in partnership with

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the early years provision

other professionals when the need arises.

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and outcomes for children

Children settle well in the childminder's care. Some of the children have only attended for a short period of time, however, they happily separate from their parent and enjoy cuddles on the settee with the childminder. Children have developed secure relationships with the childminder and have a strong sense of belonging in the setting. The childminder has a good understanding of how to promote good behaviour in the setting. She consistently lavishes praise on the children when they do well and maintains a calm and consistent manner to help younger children deal with disputes. Children confidently approach the childminder for reassurance when they are upset and she responds warmly to them with cuddles and supports them to find things to do that interest them. The childminder plans for children's play to ensure that they have opportunities and experiences, which promote all of the areas of learning. Younger children's play is more flexible

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and outcomes for children

to ensure that the childminder can meet their changing moods and interests. She focuses on appropriate areas of development, according to their ages and stages. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 For example, by promoting physical development when younger children gradually become more mobile. Children are confident communicators due to the childminder valuing their emerging language. She constantly repeats the noises and words they say and reads lots of stories, which help them to attempt new words. Spontaneous experiences, such as looking for the cat in the garden are used effectively to promote language. The childminder encourages children to call for the cat and gives them lots of praise when they master his name, which increases their self-confidence. Children relish going through to the kitchen to dance and sing songs. They are gaining good control of their bodies as they move

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and outcomes for children

to the music and enjoy listening to nursery rhymes sung in Spanish. Children are beginning to gain good problem solving skills. The childminder encourages them to find the correct shapes in the large puzzle mat to fit the coloured numbers back in. The childminder has started to make observations about the children in her care. These consist of photographs and anecdotes. However, these do not yet identify the next steps in children's learning to ensure that they can make as much progress as they possibly can in her setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children have daily opportunities to be outdoors and benefit from fresh air. They visit local parks, enjoy picnics outside and participate in trips to various soft play areas. Children's individual dietary needs are catered for by the childminder as she has good systems to collect information from parents. Children bring their own packed lunches to the setting and enjoy healthy snacks of chopped melons provided by the childminder. She follows a clear sick children policy, which ensures that she limits cross-infection and promotes children's good health. However, she does not obtain written parental permission to seek emergency medical treatment in the event of an accident. This is a breach of the welfare requirements, but is likely to have a minimal impact on the care of the children. Younger children learn how to stay safe in the setting with sensitive reminders from the childminder. She ensures that she maintains consistent boundaries for the children, so that they

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and outcomes for children

develop a clear understanding of what they can and cannot do in the setting. Although, the childminder knows what she would do in the event of a fire, she has not yet practised fire evacuations with the two young children she currently cares for to ensure that she can evaluate any problems. 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 3 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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