Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY441161 Inspection date 19/07/2012 Inspector Susan Ennis

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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 2012 and lives with her husband and two adult children in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. There is level access to the premises. The family has two pet cats and one dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder provides care on each weekday during term-time and school holidays. She is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of three children in the early years age range and is currently minding three children in this age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years and this provision is registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language.

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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 offers a secure and welcoming environment in which all children thrive and where their development is consistently promoted. Her flexible planning ensures that children's interests are followed and that they enjoy their time with her. The childminder builds trusting relationships with parents, whilst partnerships with other professionals are less effective. Through reflecting on her practice, the childminder is gaining a picture of her strengths and areas for improvement. She demonstrates a high commitment to her childminding role and to the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the use of information gained through observations to demonstrate children's progress towards the early learning goals  develop further systems for children who attend more than one setting, to ensure effective continuity and progression by sharing relevant information with each other.

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the early years provision

Effective safeguarding policies and procedures ensure that children are well protected. For example, the childminder has a detailed understanding of child protection, having attended additional training to increase her knowledge. She has also registered for update alerts from the local authority ensuring that she has all the current information to deal with any concerns should they arise. She ensures This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that anyone coming into contact with the children is suitable to do so. The childminder has a high level of awareness regarding children's safety. She completes regular risk assessments of the premises, garden and for outings. She also carries cards for each child containing their photograph, the parents contact numbers and information stating that she is a childminder to ensure children's safety, if an emergency situation should occur.

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the early years provision

Children's individual development is skilfully promoted because the wide range of resources are well used and the child-friendly environment is conducive to children's learning. Children are able to clearly see which toys are available as the storage boxes are all labelled with a picture and a description of the contents. The childminder also makes active use of the garden and provides rain suits to ensure that the children stay warm and dry whilst being able to access the outside area in all weathers. The childminder has a positive understanding of anti-discriminatory practice, enabling her to provide a service which is inclusive for all children and families. She works closely with parents to ensure that she understands each child's background, needs and beliefs. For example, she is able to talk to the children in their home language helping them feel settled and secure.

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the early years provision

A close and trusting partnership with parents and carers ensures that all relevant information is shared. Detailed documentation ensures that parents are fully informed about the childminder's policies and procedures. Daily interaction, text messages and use of a mobile phone videoing application ensures that parents receive snippets of what their children are doing throughout the day. The childminder demonstrates an awareness of the value of liaising with other agencies. However, as she has not yet approached other settings attended by the children, she is currently unable to work together with them to enhance children's progress.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a genuine enjoyment for her work and is committed to improving the outcomes for children. She attends training to update her childcare knowledge and meets with other childminders to exchange ideas and good practice. She continually evaluates her practice and plans to use the self- evaluation form as a working document to highlight her strengths and areas for improvement. Parents are asked to share their views and react positively with recorded comments such as 'You treat our child as one of your own and you're the best second mummy we could have asked for'.

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and outcomes for children

Children are consistently offered a wide range of opportunities that support them in making good progress across the areas of learning and development. At the start of the placement information about the children is initially gained from the parents. The childminder then uses this alongside her own observations to assess where the children are in their development and to plan for their further progression. Each child has a profile in which the childminder uses observations, assessments and photographs to record the children's development. However, it is currently difficult to track how the next steps of progress are fully incorporated into This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 planning and the areas of learning covered by the activities to enhance the planning process.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder flexibly plans activities that progress children's learning and stimulate their ideas. She is also very aware of adapting the activities to ensure that they are purposeful and developmentally appropriate. For example, during a themed topic about senses, children develop their sense of touch and taste as they try lime jelly. Younger children enjoy the new experiences of playing with the jelly. Older children are encouraged to use their emerging language skills to describe its look and feel saying it 'looks green and feels as smooth as chocolate'. Children are developing their creative and imaginary skills as they 'fry' sausages in the role play kitchen and experiment with sand and water. Once they are familiar with the feel of the sand, the childminder enhances the activity by providing a range of tools to stimulate their interest and develop their skills further.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is actively promoted as the childminder takes effective steps to minimise the spread of infection. Children develop a positive attitude to healthy living as they, for example, know to use only their own personal towel in the bathroom. They are learning about good eating habits as they place a picture of the fruit of the day on the snack chart. They also participate in activities about well-balanced diets where they make up their own plate with the correct portions from each food group. Children are becoming aware of their safety as they are given sensitive reminders by the childminder. For example, they automatically hold onto the pushchair once out of the car on the school run and know that once in the playground they can ask to let go.

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and outcomes for children

Children's emotional development is well promoted as they develop secure and trusting relationships with the childminder and their friends. The childminder acts as a positive role model and assists the children in learning the consequences of their actions. They know the house rules in place and confidently tell the childminder if they see ones of their friends disregarding the rules even if they do not always remember them personally. The childminder sensitively helps the children learn about the society in which they live. They enjoy regular visits to the toy library and swimming pool and resources such as books and play figures further enhance their understanding of the wider world. 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 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 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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