Childminder in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY441645 Inspection date 24/07/2012 Inspector Lynn Clements

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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 lives with her husband and three children aged six, eight and 10 years in a town close to Ely, Cambridgeshire. Local shops, school and a park are within walking distance. The childminder uses the whole of the premises for childminding purposes, including a purpose-built nursery unit in the garden. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has one rabbit and a variety of birds in an aviary in the garden.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years, of whom not more than three may be in the early years age group and of these, not more than one may be under one year at any time. When working with her co-childminder they are registered to care for a maximum of nine children under eight years; of these, not more than five may be in the early years age group, and of these, not more than two may be under one year at any one time.

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Description of the childminding

She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Together with her co-childminder they are currently caring for five children in the early years age range and five older children.

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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 has a good knowledge of each child in her care and she promotes their welfare and learning well. In the main records are maintained well and underpin good practice. Children learn about the world around them in this safe and secure family home. Overall, partnerships with parents and others involved with the children are good, ensuring that the needs of the children are met, along with any additional support requirements. This means that children progress well, given their age, ability and starting points. The childminder reflects on her practice, with some involvement from others, and has identified areas for development and continued sustainability.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop an understanding of record keeping in relation to the learning and development requirements in order to support children as they progress towards the early learning goals  develop a system of self-assessment, involving parents and children, in order to continue to build on good practice and ensure continuous improvement  develop further systems for working in partnership with other settings that children attend in order to provide balanced support to build on children's individual learning needs. 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 comprehensive policy and procedure for dealing with child protection concerns. She understands about the different signs and symptoms of abuse and how to make a referral if she has any concerns about a child in her care. The childminder works with her co-childminder and together they have a wide range of policies and procedures which have been personalised to their setting. All records and permissions, required by legislation, are in place and well maintained. Children's safety is a high priority and good attention is given to security and risk assessing all child accessible areas. As a result, children remain safe and secure. The childminder has completed required training, including paediatric first aid, which enables her to provide appropriate care to the children in the event of an accident.

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the early years provision

The environment and resources are excellent, stimulating the children's interests, learning and participation. Attention to child-height storage provides opportunities for children to build on their self-help skills and independence as they self-select toys of their choice. Artefacts and a good range of positive images and topics enables the children to learn about other cultures and customs within this positive setting. The childminder has strategies in place to support children with additional needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The childminder and co-childminder reflect on their joint practice to identify areas for improvement. Each childminder has previously taken responsibility for different areas within their provision but are now developing good practice in relation to making sure that they both clearly understand about all facets and requirements of their provision.

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the early years provision

However, whilst this is under development, they do not yet fully include the ideas and comments of parents and children in their self-evaluation processes to support them in responding to user needs.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are positive and are important in making sure that children continue to be supported throughout their early years. Parents report that they find the childminder and co-childminder extremely approachable and easy to talk to. They say that they would highly recommend the setting to other families and feel safe when leaving their children there. The childminder has established good relationships with other carers involved in the children's lives, such as, staff at the local school and pre-school. However, she has identified this as an area for further development in order that she can share information and build further on what the children know and can do.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder works each day with her co-childminder. Together they talk about the needs of individual children and share their ideas about activities and resources. The childminder demonstrates how she supports and extends children's learning when interacting and talking with them. She has a good understanding of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn through play. Currently her co-childminder completes all the learning records and this has been identified as an area for further development so that both childminders have a clear involvement in identifying children's next steps for learning to support future planning. Children's progress in all aspects of their learning is good. The childminder listens to the children and supports their learning through her positive interaction and having fun together.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and at home in this provision. They enjoy freedom of movement and have fun exploring the exciting resources on offer. Children demonstrate simple problem solving skills as they work out how to fill water containers ready to squirt. They show care and consideration for each other as they take turns and share whilst older children help younger ones, for example, playing with them on the see-saw. All children build on their physical skills as they run and access the outside play area, where they enjoy moving and playing on a larger scale than is possible indoors. Children enjoy using their imagination as they play 'make believe' games or use creative media as they make collages in celebration of the Olympics. All children are competent communicators, sharing ideas and interacting with each other and adults. Children acquire the skills they need for future learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Older children take care of their personal needs whilst younger children are helped by the childminder. They have access to drinking water and a wide range of healthy snack options. Parents support the childminders healthy eating program when providing packed lunches, meaning that children have a balanced diet which helps them to thrive. Children learn to keep themselves safe whilst out and about as they follow road safety rules and discuss how to stay safe when crossing the road. 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 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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