Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY436398 Inspection date 22/05/2012 Inspector Andrea Snowden

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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 lives within walking distance of the city of Norwich in a maisonette, which is accessed by a steep outdoor stairway. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding purposes and there are two bedrooms used on the first floor. There is an enclosed communal garden area available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. There is a cat as a household pet.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time; of whom, no more than three may be in the early years age range and of whom, no more than one may be under one year old. When working with an assistant, she may care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time; of whom, no more than four may be in the early years age range and of whom, no more than two may be under one year old. There are currently three children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, all of whom attend on a part-time basis.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and holds appropriate childminding qualifications.

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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 making good progress in their learning and development and are well cared for within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The health and welfare of the children is well promoted and most safety issues are addressed. Children's individual needs are well met through the trusting relationships that have developed between the childminder and parents. The childminder's monitoring and planning for improvement is in its infancy. However, she has highlighted areas for development which will benefit the children and has plans in place to address these showing a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 carry out regular evacuation drills and record the details in a fire log book of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  develop the self-evaluation process further to ensure parents are able to contribute their views on the care and education provided. 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 is appropriately qualified to work with young children. She is suitably vetted and ensures that children are not left unsupervised with any non- vetted adults. She demonstrates a clear knowledge and understanding of her role in protecting children from abuse and appropriate training, policies and contact details are updated. Detailed risk assessments have been carried out for the home and garden and these, along with daily check-lists, ensure the environment is safe for children to play in. Outings are conducted safely and risk assessments are in place. Although the childminder has written evacuation procedures, she has not practised fire drills, which may compromise children's safety in an emergency situation. Children use a suitable range of play resources, which are safe and clean. The childminder presents a selection of toys to create a welcoming environment and because children know what is available, they are able to ask for

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the early years provision

There are no children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language. However, the childminder has lengthy experience of working with children with special educational needs in a previous role and demonstrates a clear understanding of meeting children's needs, making adaptations to the setting and providing suitable resources and equipment. Partnerships with parents are already very secure and the childminder seeks detailed information about the children's starting points when they register. Parents are updated regularly on children's achievement and progress through sharing daily diaries and records. Although no children currently attend other early years settings, the childminder demonstrates that she understands the importance of partnerships to ensure continuity in the child's care and learning. Young children show an interest in visitors to the setting. They run to the door to see who is there

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the early years provision

and talk about people who are special to them, such as Mummy, developing a knowledge of communities and people around them.

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the early years provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation, recognising her strengths and areas for development. For example, she has identified the need for more multicultural resources in the setting and also to revise some routines around lunch time to ensure that the environment is efficiently cleaned up after eating. She has devised an action plan to ensure weaknesses are addressed in a timely fashion. At present, however, parents are not fully engaged in the self-evaluation process with regards to contributing their views on the quality of care and education offered.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and well settled with the childminder. She supports their learning and development well and good interaction means that children are learning quickly. The childminder has the skill to be able to stand back and enable children to investigate and explore for themselves, while being close by to support This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 when needed. The childminder makes very regular observations of children at play and uses possible lines of development to plan interesting and fun activities, which help them learn effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Children's language and communication skills are developing well. Younger children are beginning to string sentences together, repeat words the childminder says and experiment with new words. For example, while rolling a cylindrical basket to one another, the childminder asks 'what noise does it make?' The child repeats the noise and experiments with sounds. Children enjoy looking at books and repeat some of the story as read by the childminder developing an interest in literacy. Children enjoy playing with the toy cars and crawling through the tents and tunnels, playing peek-a-boo games with the childminder. Young children are beginning to grasp number and count as they collect pieces of paper to put in the basket. They gain a sense of self as they see their reflection in the mirror and have already developed close relationships with the childminder, asking for cuddles. Some colours are well known and confidently named as children pick them

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and outcomes for children

exclaiming 'red'. They use their fingers to smudge the paint on the paper and as they replace the coloured caps on the paint pots, they successfully match some of the colours.

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and outcomes for children

Children are reminded by the childminder about their safety. For young children, games have been introduced to help them understand about being safe. Children are encouraged to press the button and wait for the green man before crossing the road. This develops an awareness of safety in proximity to traffic. Children are beginning to learn about hygiene from an early age. The childminder leads by example with hand washing and after nappy changes children are encouraged to wash. Children eat healthily and the childminder introduces them to new tastes to extend their appreciation of healthy foods and home-made dishes, such as 'exotic beans' and avocado, are enjoyed by most. Children have opportunities to be outside most days. They are supervised in the garden and at the park, where their physical development is enhanced through using large play equipment.

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and outcomes for children

Children's unwanted behaviour is managed well by the childminder who uses positive language and reinforcement and encourages children when they behave well. Praise and enthusiasm develops their self-esteem and children are becoming very confident. Children are developing the skills they need for future learning; for example through their language development and by developing an interest in technology and problem solving. 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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