Childminder in Nottingham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY441381 Inspection date 10/07/2012 Inspector Angela Hufton

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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 2012. She lives with her husband, pre-school child and young school-aged child, in a terraced house on the outskirts of Nottingham city centre. The whole of the property, with the exception of the main bedroom, is used for childminding. Toilet facilities are available on each level. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. She has a car available for outings.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently four children on roll, of whom two are in the early years age range. Children attend on a full- and part-time basis. The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language. The childminder speaks Bulgarian, English and Russian fluently and also speaks some Spanish. She is a member of the National Childminding Association. The childminder has training and experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is currently working towards a childcare qualification at level 3.

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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 in a calm and supportive environment, where they settle well and are welcomed as part of the family. Their individual needs are met very effectively and they enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities, both in the home and local environment. This enables all children to make good progress in their learning and development. All of the required documentation is in place and the childminder pays good attention to developing strong and trusting relationships with the parents. She is developing ways for parents to add to their child's development files. Systems are being refined to evaluate the service and identify areas for development in order to promote continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend planning to fully identify each child's next steps and develop ways to enable parents to contribute more effectively to this process  extend the use of self-evaluation to more clearly identify strengths and priorities for improvement. 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 her responsibility in regards to safeguarding issues. She is able to recognise the possible signs of abuse and has useful information to guide her, should she need to refer any concerns to the relevant authorities. The childminder organises her home well, providing children with a wide range of resources to choose from. For example, a cosy corner under the stairs provides a stimulating reading area with a wide range of fiction and non- fiction books. The children are able to move about freely in the main play areas because the childminder has assessed and minimised any risks to their safety. She provides close supervision and equipment such as cupboard and door locks, further promoting their safety.

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the early years provision

The childminder has devised a good range of written policies to show how her service operates, with copies being given to parents when the placement begins. The childminder is aware of the need to keep records, such as for accidents and medication, and has sound systems in place. The childminder demonstrates a very enthusiastic approach to her role and is keen to discuss the pleasure she gains from helping the children to learn and develop. She is active in developing her service and, whilst she has no formal system for self-evaluation, she has started to identify areas for development, such as continued training to improve her knowledge of childcare issues. She is currently working towards completion of a qualification at level 3. This will enable her to more clearly prioritise improvements to ensure children's learning and welfare is enhanced.

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the early years provision

The childminder is skilled in promoting equality and diversity. She develops good relationships with the parents and ensures their wishes are fully implemented as to their child's care. The childminder has frequent chats and provides parents with a daily diary of their children's adventures. She highlights children's achievements in the six areas of learning so parents can see how their child is progressing. Parents are not yet contributing formally to the progress diaries and the childminder is considering ways to improve so children's continued learning at home is supported. However, parents are very positive about the care and learning provided and state the childminder is 'doing more than they can hope for'. The childminder has developed good links with providers of other settings the children also attend, such as the local school, to ensure a shared approach to their care and learning.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn and develop. She joins in enthusiastically with their play, and as a result, the children have fun and enjoy their learning. For example, she reads stories with lots of expression and engages them in conversation, which helps them to develop their skills in communication, language and literacy. Children particularly enjoy music and the childminder supports this very well; children respond excitedly as the violin goes This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 'plink plink'. The childminder gives good attention to promoting a healthy lifestyle with the children and has a towel immediately to hand to wipe toys and bikes down so the children can play out, in between heavy rain bursts. They also delight in playing football and do not notice the drizzle. Children enjoy regular visits to the park, toddler groups and a local city farm. This is a favourite outing where all

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and outcomes for children

children are enthralled with the various animals and learn to say names in their own language and English. All of which, helps them to develop good physical skills, a knowledge of their local community and care of animals.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrates a very patient and caring approach. As a result, the children form close relationships with her and feel safe in her care. This is evident as they cuddle into her. With skilled support from the childminder, the children learn to behave well and to be independent. For example, they confidently access their own cup from the low-level table and indicate preferences for particular activities and food, knowing their choices are respected. All children are able to choose items they would like to play with, such as jigsaws, dinosaurs and small world toys. They receive lots of praise for their achievements, which helps them to develop their self-esteem, and through visits to the local groups the children have good opportunities to learn to be accepting of others and to work as part of a group. Young children benefit from the interaction with the childminder's children and look forward to them coming home, rushing to give them cuddles.

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and outcomes for children

The children have good opportunities to use various electronic resources, such as books, which help them to learn about how things work and to enjoy stories with sounds. The childminder is able to discuss the progress the children have made across all areas of learning since the placement began. She has highlighted the areas of development she is currently focusing on with each child. However, she does not yet have a fully effective system to help link this easily to planning. This does not fully enable parents to contribute to their child's development.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is aware of the importance of helping the children to learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, she teaches them road safety when out in the local community and regularly practises the emergency evacuation procedures for the home with them, so they know what do to in the event of a fire or emergency. The children enjoy a wide variety of healthy meals and snacks. They select peaches from a range of fruit and vegetables, supporting their understanding of good nutrition for their health. 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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