Childminder in Tower Hamlets

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 511060 Inspection date 28/06/2012 Inspector Natasha Parsons

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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 registered in 1997. She lives with her husband and three children in Barking in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The whole of the ground floor and most bedrooms are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of three children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age group. There is currently one child on roll in the early years age range.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder is strongly committed to the development of her provision and is extremely professional in how she achieves this. Overall, there is a wide range of activities which support children's ongoing learning and development. The childminder works in very close partnership with parents and other providers to meet children's individual needs. Meticulous planning and highly effective self- evaluation ensure the childminder is able to drive improvement. As a result, she is able to respond to all user needs and provide an excellent service.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 providing a wider range of activities which focus on mathematical learning and some which enable mathematical learning to be drawn out, for example, exploring shape, size and patterns.

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the early years provision

Excellent safeguarding policies and practices protect children from harm extremely well. The childminder is fully aware of what action to take if she has concerns about a child. She keeps her knowledge of child protection issues up-to-date by attending frequent training. She makes purposeful daily risk assessments to identify and minimise any potential hazards. She also effectively risk assesses outings. She views the risk assessments of other settings that children attend to check that children are as safe as possible. Very close supervision results in children being well supported and further promotes their safety. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder has an ambitious vision for the future development of her service, which includes completing a level three qualification. She is highly motivated and is very aware of her strengths and of any practices that require strengthening within

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the early years provision

her provision. The use of accurate self-evaluation is highly effective in driving further improvement in this successful setting.

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a highly flexible service to meet parents' working needs and places great importance on settling the children into her care. This supports parents and children extremely well with this transition. The childminder has been actively involved in a scheme to support teenage mothers to return to education to support their future economic wellbeing. Excellent policies, procedures and detailed information about the setting help ensure parents are well informed. This gives them great confidence in the high quality of care, learning and development their children receive. The childminder uses discussion and parental questionnaires to seek parents' views and opinions. The use of daily diaries, learning journals and portfolios keeps parents extremely well-informed about their children's progress. Parents report that children are happy, safe and secure in the childminder's care and that she provides a level of care that goes beyond what is expected.

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the early years provision

The home is organised very well to maximise the available play space and children have direct access to outside play. They are able to move safely and with confidence from one area to another, choosing excellent toys and equipment easily. The learning environment is bright, attractive and welcoming and encourages children to explore and learn. Play resources are of excellent quality and children enjoy exploring these. For example, they experiment with a range of musical instruments and shakers. Children benefit from being able to explore a range of sensory materials including wood, sand, paint and water.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very detailed understanding of the needs of every child and of their families. She uses this to tailor her provision to offer individual care and to meet their unique requirements. Excellent learning resources provide children with positive representations of the wider society in which they live. These include small world figures, books and maps. Children develop knowledge of the world around them when they spend time in the local community at childcare groups, centres and parks. They participate in celebrations such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics which helps them develop knowledge of these events and their significance. The childminder has a particularly proactive approach to developing partnerships with other settings and agencies. This helps to ensure that children are well supported in all the early years settings they attend.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy, settled and content. They have an extremely good relationship with the childminder which helps them to feel very safe and secure. They learn highly effectively about staying safe through discussion, safe practices and close supervision. For example, children know to throw balls inside is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 potentially dangerous.

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and outcomes for children

Children flourish and make excellent progress in their learning given their starting points. The childminder uses innovative methods to support children with developing speech, as they use pictures and signs to indicate which fruit they want to eat at snack time. This promotes their independence skills and helps them to feel valued and included. The childminder provides an excellent range of activities and play experiences which cover all areas of learning and equip children with skills for the future. The use of labels, posters and the extensive range of fiction and non-fiction books provide children with a rich experience of language, promoting early literacy skills. Children have some opportunities to develop their numeracy skills as they sing songs, and count the number of stairs as they go up them. However, the range of activities to develop their early mathematical experiences is an area for further development. The childminder makes highly

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and outcomes for children

effective observations which accurately reflect children's ongoing progress. She uses these to identify and plan for children's next steps in learning and their interests. There is a very good balance of adult and child-led activities and children are particularly well supported in their play. For example, the childminder enthusiastically encourages them to explore creative activities and make music.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn highly effectively about healthy lifestyles. They follow extremely effective hygiene practices, including hand washing before eating and after playing outside. Each child has an individual bag containing items such as toothbrushes, flannels and wipes as they learn to take responsibility for their own hygiene practices. Children have frequent opportunities to engage in physical activities when they play in the garden. They also enjoy physical play when they visit local parks and childcare groups. The childminder meets children's dietary needs very well and provides healthy snacks, drinks and meals. They learn to make healthy choices as they enjoy a selection of fruits, bread and scrambled egg.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder supports children extremely well to learn about right and wrong and the boundaries for their behaviour. As a result their behaviour is exemplary. Children develop a very strong awareness of diverse society in which they live. They enjoy trying foods from different cultures on taster days and use African musical instruments. The childminder provides excellent support for children who speak English as an additional language. She learns key words from their home language and uses these to engage and support them in their daily routines and activities. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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