Childminder in Nottingham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY302770 Inspection date 11/07/2012 Inspector Janice Walker

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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 2005. She lives with her husband and their teenage daughter in the Bestwood Park area of Nottingham. The home is within walking distance of local facilities including schools, parks, shops and library. It is accessible by one step. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home may be used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, three of whom may be in the early years age range. Currently, there are five children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age range. She provides care all year round. The childminder has a vehicle available for her use.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a warm and homely environment where they are happy and settled. The childminder has positive relationships with parents and secure systems of sharing most information, particularly with regards to children's care and welfare. She has begun to consider what information is appropriate to share with other early years providers. Required records are in place and help to ensure the safety, welfare and development of children. Children make steady progress in their learning as they access a varied range of toys and activities both indoors and in the local environment, however, observations do not always inform planning effectively. Improvements have been made since the last inspection and the childminder is beginning to use self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 link observations more closely to the early learning goals in order to ensure that any gaps in learning are identified and to ensure that children are making progress across each area of learning  extend the level of information shared with parents at the outset to include information about what children can already do in order to establish clear starting points in relation to their learning and development  develop further the use of self-evaluation in order to support the continual improvement of the provision and the outcomes for children  develop a policy for sharing information with other providers to ensure that there is consistency and continuity for children where the care of children is shared This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve the use of observations to inform planning so that activities consistently provide an appropriate level of challenge for individual children.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. The childminder provides good levels of supervision and undertakes daily checks of the environment to minimise the risk of accidents. She has a clear understanding of her responsibilities regarding child protection; she has undertaken appropriate training and has relevant contact numbers readily available if needed. Robust procedures mean that all adults on the premises remain suitable to be in contact with children. The childminder has given good consideration to potential emergency situations; children regularly practise the emergency evacuation procedures and first aid equipment is regularly checked and ready to hand at all times. All required documentation is in place and the childminder has a useful range of records, policies and procedures which contribute to the safe management of her provision. She organises her time appropriately, ensuring children are taken to and collected

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the early years provision

from where they need to be at the required times. She makes appropriate use of space within the home where there are suitable facilities for children to eat and rest comfortably with ample space for them to play and explore.

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the early years provision

The childminder develops effective relationships with parents. She gathers relevant information from them at the outset regarding their children's backgrounds, routines and preferences, to enable her to respond to their individual needs. Parents are kept informed about what their children have been doing through ongoing daily verbal exchanges and shared written progress records. Parents comment that they value the flexible and supportive service she provides and that their children enjoy the range of activities they engage in. The childminder has given some consideration to establishing links with other providers where the care of children is shared although is not yet fully clear how she will ensure that there is continuity and consistency relating to their care, learning and development. The childminder has well-established supportive links with other local childminders and works co-operatively with local authority support staff which helps to ensure she

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the early years provision

keeps abreast of current issues. She has begun to make use of self-evaluation in order to identify strengths within her provision and areas for further improvement. This process is, however, still in the early stages of development and is not yet fully secure in ensuring ongoing improvement across all aspects of her service.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well-settled in the childminder's home. They access a suitable range of toys and activities which capture and maintain their interest and they play happily. However, whilst the childminder shares a good range of information with parents at the outset in relation to children's care and welfare, this does not extend to their level of ability. This means that starting points for learning are not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 clearly established. She makes some useful observations of children as they play and establishes a sound awareness of what they can do. However, currently, these observations do not link closely enough to the early learning goals in order to be able to effectively identify any gaps in children's learning or to monitor their progress. Best use is not made of the observations to inform planning, and therefore toys and activities are not consistently tailored to the individual needs of

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and outcomes for children

children in order to ensure that they are provided with an appropriate level of challenge. However, the range of toys and activities provided cover all areas of learning and development and the childminder provides appropriate levels of support which ensures that children make sound progress.

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and outcomes for children

Toys and play materials are easily accessible, stored in low-level storage units in the conservatory and children develop basic independence skills as they freely select those they wish to play with. They particularly enjoy art and craft activities, demonstrating good concentration skills as they put the glue on their paper and consider which shapes and stickers they want to use. The childminder supports them appropriately, encouraging them to look at and name the shapes and colours they select. They also enjoy story sessions when the childminder supports their language development by encouraging them to name and talk about objects in pictures. There is a sufficient selection of toys and resources, such as books and dolls, which reflect the wider community and help to raise children's understanding of the world in which they live. The childminder supports this by taking children to local facilities, such as parks and toddler groups where children are able to interact

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and outcomes for children

with other children from the diverse local community.

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and outcomes for children

Children have warm relationships with the childminder, they actively seek her attention as they play and snuggle closely at story times, demonstrating that they feel secure and safe in her care. They begin to learn about possible dangers and how to keep themselves safe through discussions. For example, a child handles scissors with care saying 'really careful' as she picks them up ready for use. The childminder reinforces this and supports the child to hold them correctly. The childminder supports children's good health by working effectively with parents to ensure children have healthy, well-balanced meals and provides a wide selection of fresh fruits for snacks. She ensures they have daily times outdoors for fresh air and physical activity and makes good use of indoor soft play provision in poorer weather. High standards of cleanliness are maintained within the home and children practise good personal hygiene procedures. The childminder role models

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and outcomes for children

acceptable behaviour and talks to children about her expectations of children and they learn to respect the toys and furniture and to share with each other. The childminder's positive interaction, along with the range of experiences she offers, ensures children have adequate opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. 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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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