Childminder in Bromley

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY355306 Inspection date 28/05/2012 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 has been registered since 2007 on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and children aged 16, 14, and 10 years, in Bromley within the London Borough of Bromley. The childminder is registered to care for five children at any one time and is currently minding three children on a part-time basis, all of whom are in the early years age group. The childminder has an assistant one day a week. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has a level 3 qualification in Childcare. The family has two cats. There is a short flight of steps leading to the front door.

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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 is skilled at meeting children's individual needs. She provides a well-equipped learning environment where children can be independent, active learners. The childminder is effective overall in promoting children's health and safety. She has a professional, thoughtful approach to improving the outcomes for children and therefore has a good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 request written parental permission, at the time of the child's admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 11/06/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 enhance children's understanding of healthy practices, for example, with regard to blowing their noses and disposing of tissues 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 has a good understanding of safeguarding children issues. All adults in the house have undergone suitability checks, as has the childminder's assistant. The childminder has a child protection policy and parents are made aware of her responsibilities. The childminder has completed an effective risk assessment of her home, garden and regular outings. She is vigilant about children's safety and carries emergency contact details on outings, for example. This helps to protect children in the event of an emergency. The childminder maintains contracts, medication and accident records correctly. However, she has not requested written parental consent for seeking emergency medical treatment or advice, which is a breach of requirements. There is no impact on children's well- being as the childminder is confident in the procedures she would follow in the event of a medical emergency. The childminder has recently completed a

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the early years provision

qualification in childcare which has helped her to reflect effectively on her practice. She has made the toys and play equipment more easily accessible to minded children and noted the impact this has had on children's play. The childminder has a good understanding of her strengths and has identified some areas for improvement. She has a strong drive to continue her professional development for the benefit of children in her care.

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the early years provision

The childminder has created a dedicated playroom with easily accessible play equipment to improve children's independence. Children can move freely between the house and garden. The outdoor area is also well-resourced, giving children a choice of activities across the whole curriculum. The childminder plays with minded children and creates a calm, playful atmosphere. Children are happy, active learners as a result. The childminder's resources reflect a diverse society including positive images of people with disabilities. She promotes anti-discriminatory practice and marks a variety of festivals through the year. This helps minded children to understand and value people's differences.

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the early years provision

The childminder is aware of the factors that can lead to children having gaps in their achievements and has effective strategies to tackle them, such as focusing on communication skills. To this end, she builds close working relationships with parents so that she can have an insight into how the child is at home. This helps her to provide consistent care. The childminder asks for parents' views on her provision and any ideas they may have for improvement. Parents are very appreciative of the care she provides and the support and guidance she can give to new parents. The childminder liaises well with schools and day-care settings to share information about children's progress and development. This helps her to provide complementary activities and meet children's individual needs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The learning environment is comfortable, child-friendly and inviting. Children benefit from being able to self-select and create their own games from the equipment available. The childminder plans overall themes and activities, using her knowledge of children's interests. She has a good understanding of children's learning styles and personalities. This helps her to provide a good balance between adult-led activities and child-initiated play. The childminder has a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and makes regular observations of children's progress. She records children's next steps in terms of what children will achieve, such as 'counting from 20-30'. This means she can easily see when children have reached that goal. Children make good progress as a result.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder builds an affectionate and secure bond with minded children which enables them to feel safe and secure. Children have control of their personal items, such as security blankets. The childminder's robust approach to safety means that, in hot weather, children are never without a hat and a drink of water. The childminder moves play activities into the shade to further protect children's well-being. Children enjoy a healthy diet, with varied menus of nutritious meals. Children follow good hygiene routines in terms of washing their hands because the childminder has well-established routines. However, children's understanding of healthy practices is not fully encouraged as they are not shown how to use tissues and dispose of them, which increases the risk of cross-infection. Children enjoy frequent play in the fresh air and benefit from a good range of physical activities. These include walks in the area, use of play parks and developing skills such as

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and outcomes for children

Children are skilled communicators with a wide vocabulary for their ages. They enjoy singing, stories and looking at books. They ask for activities from educational books which teach shape, number and colour. Children set up small-world play to create a train route and a village. The child initiates conversations about where the train might be going. This leads to a lengthy chat about journeys they have been on in the past and those planned for the future. This demonstrates a strong understanding of the language used to describe past and future events. Children count spontaneously as part of their play and enjoy using technological toys. Children know the house rules and the childminder's positive approach means that children are relaxed and well-behaved. Children receive lots of genuine praise for their achievements and they show pride in learning new skills; their self-esteem and confidence are strong as a result. Overall, children gain good skills for the

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and outcomes for children

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 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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