Childminder in Kingston upon Thames

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY443327 Inspection date 09/08/2012 Inspector Debbie Newbury

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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. She lives with her husband in a residential area of Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey. The home is situated close to parks, shops and schools. Childminding takes place on the ground floor and sleep facilities are provided upstairs. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a pet dog. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of these three may be in the early years age group. She is currently minding five children, four of whom are in the early years age group. Days and times of children's attendance vary. The childminder takes children to and collects them from local schools. Children regularly attend toddler groups and visit parks, the library and other places of interest.

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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

The childminder has created a warm, homely and inclusive setting where children are happy and settled. She has only been minding for a short time and is developing her knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children have most of their welfare needs met appropriately, however, they do not consistently learn about good hygiene practices. Use of self-evaluation as a means of ensuring continuous improvement across all aspects of the provision is not yet fully developed. Consequently, there are some weaknesses for working in partnership with parents and other providers and in ensuring children make as much progress as possible in their learning and development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop use of observation and assessment to inform planning a challenging range of activities to support the next steps in children's learning based on their individual interests and needs  develop further use of self-evaluation to identify strengths and areas for future development that will improve the quality of the provision  develop the two-way flow of information with parents and with other providers children attend to promote a shared approach to children's learning develop further children's understanding of healthy practices by, for example, encouraging consistent hand washing routines. 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 secure understanding of issues relating to safeguarding and the action she must take if she has any concerns about a child's welfare. She has attended relevant training and has informed parents of her responsibility in this respect. The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment where she identifies and manages potential risks effectively. Consequently, children have the freedom to move freely and safely around those areas of the home and garden used for minding purposes. This helps them gain confidence in their surroundings. Children explore a variety of good quality toys and books. The childminder arranges some play materials so children can help themselves, enabling them to make choices about what they do. The childminder regularly rotates toys to keep the play provision fresh. However, she has not considered extending the resources available to include everyday objects for young children to explore and investigate.

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the early years provision

The childminder maintains all required documentation appropriately.

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the early years provision

The childminder's use of self-evaluation is evolving. She has started to reflect upon her current practice and is motivated to seek ways to improve further. She is attending different training courses to develop her knowledge, in addition to those she has been required to complete. The childminder has identified some aspects of her service she would like to improve. For instance, she wants to develop her garden and devise systems to gather feedback from parents and children. However, use of self-evaluation as a tool to monitor the overall quality of the provision and plan for continuous improvement, in particular in respect of extending children's learning is not yet fully developed.

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the early years provision

Parents indicate, in a written questionnaire, that they are satisfied with all aspects of the childminder's provision. They are very satisfied with the way she handles changes in working arrangements and management of the initial settling-in period for children. The childminder provides parents with copies of her policies and procedures. These mean parents have a clear understanding of how she organises her service. They are asked to complete an 'all about me' sheet about their child at the start of the placement. This helps the childminder to meet children's individual needs and gather important information about their starting points. Parents and the childminder have a daily informal exchange of information about how children spend their day. However, systems for involving parents fully in their child's learning are not yet sufficiently well developed. They do not see the observations the childminder completes on their children and do not input into this process or

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the early years provision

agree future goals for learning. The childminder has some understanding of the need to work in partnership with any other early years settings children attend. However, she has not yet devised effective systems to bring this about to promote a shared approach to children's learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity in a satisfactory manner. She recognises that children are individuals and treats everyone with equal care and concern. Children begin to learn about different aspects of social diversity and the world around them through the provision of resources that reflect positive images. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are accommodated in a clean, comfortable environment. The childminder has devised good systems to minimise the potential for the spread of infection and promote hygiene. However, these are not always implemented in practice as part of the normal daily routine. Children do not always wash their hands before eating, even when they have been playing outside in the garden. This does not help instil the importance of consistent good personal hygiene habits. The childminder provides all food for children and makes sure she is aware of individual dietary requirements. Children's water cups remain close by, thus encouraging them to help themselves to a drink when they feel thirsty. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise on a daily basis. They play in the garden or visit the park.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children make satisfactory gains in their learning and acquire suitable skills for the future. They have opportunities to develop their social skills as they visit the local children's centre and have play dates with other minded children. Painting activities using large paint stampers, which are just the right size for little hands to hold, encourage them to investigate mark-making. Young children delight in exploring cause and effect toys that play music when they press a button and they sit and rock in time to this, with a big, beaming smile on their face. The childminder is developing her knowledge of the learning and development requirements and interacts appropriately to support children's activities. For instance, she points out and names the different creatures featured in a picture book. She talks about the different toy animals children play with and the noises they make and then gets out a further selection for children to explore. However,

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and outcomes for children

she misses other opportunities to challenge children further and thus extend their learning. The childminder's use of observational assessment is evolving. She has started to undertake observations of children at play to monitor their progress and she is aware of what they find appealing. However, she is not yet using this information effectively to plan for the next steps in their learning by offering interesting or exciting activities that foster their enthusiasm for particular things and encourage them to further develop their skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are supported in learning how to keep themselves safe. They learn about road safety and the danger of water when they go to feed the ducks. Children take part in regular fire drills to develop their understanding of what they need to do should it be necessary to evacuate the home in an emergency. The childminder supervises young children carefully. She achieves a good balance between allowing them the space and freedom to explore their surroundings and stepping in when necessary to guide them away from potentially unsafe practices. Children are very much at ease with the childminder and warm, trusting relationships are clearly developing. Young children lift up their arms when they want to be picked up and they snuggle in contentedly for a cuddle. The childminder describes positive behaviour management strategies and the importance of managing children's behaviour in an age-appropriate manner. Children's self-esteem and confidence is

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and outcomes for children

well fostered through praise and encouragement. 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 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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