Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY442330 Inspection date 20/08/2012 Inspector Lindsay Hare

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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 and daughter aged eight years in Hatfield. The whole ground floor of the home is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden available for outside play. The family has a cat and two mice.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of five children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. There is currently one child attending in this age group. The childminder also offers care to children over five to 11 years. She supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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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 provides a secure environment for children. Children are generally kept safe, although the safeguarding policy is not up to date with current legislation and there is a breach in the requirements with regards to notifying Ofsted of any changes. The childminder provides a range of activities to help children make general progress in their learning and development, although the observational assessment is not fully developed to ensure children's progress or to inform future planning. The childminder works with parents to ensure children are settled in her care, although they are not informed of their child's progress in their learning. Systems for self-evaluation are still evolving and her capacity to maintain continuous improvement is satisfactory.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure that Ofsted is notified of any changes to the provider's name or address (Suitable people). 27/08/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop a system of assessment which is shared with parents, clearly shows how children are progressing towards the early learning goals and identifies their next steps in learning  ensure that there is an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding issues and that the policy is in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and procedures  develop the process of self-evaluation and reflective practice, in order to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 clearly identify areas for improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder knows the appropriate procedures to put into practice when necessary, however, her knowledge of safeguarding children is not fully up-to-date and the policy is not in line with the Local Safeguarding Children's Board. This means children may not be fully protected; for example, as the childminder does not have the relevant contact numbers to enable her to report any concerns promptly. All adults in the household have been vetted; however, there is a breach of the requirements because the childminder has failed to notify Ofsted of a change in her name. All documentation is maintained to promote the welfare of children. Effective risk assessments which identify any aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis or whether any action has been taken are in place, as well as risk assessments for any outings that the childminder takes the children on. The childminder supervises children as they play, making sure her

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the early years provision

home is secure so that they cannot leave unattended. There are suitable systems for recording accidents and medication.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes inclusion appropriately as she ensures the activities on offer suitably meet children's interests and individual needs. She is aware of making links with other settings caring for the children, such as the local nursery, although these are not established as yet as she has only been caring for children for a short time. The childminder has a positive relationship with parents; she gathers general information from them so that she knows about children's individual interests and needs and can provide a consistency of care. Parents receive feedback verbally and in the form of a detailed daily diary so that they know about their child's day, and children take home any artwork to share with parents. However, parents are not informed about their child's learning and development, due to the absence of any assessment of the children.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a sound understanding of how young children learn and their interests; this enables her to provide interesting experiences and resources to support their learning and development. Her observations of children are briefly recorded. However, there is no clear form of assessment in place to establish how children are progressing towards the early learning goals and to plan the next steps in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are becoming independent as they help themselves to toys and resources and are given opportunities to make choices throughout the day. They develop their communication skills as they chat to the childminder about their trip to the seaside. They are keen to explore the natural world, looking for bugs, and have set up a butterfly habitat. Children are excited as they check the caterpillars daily and comment on the changes they observe. The childminder builds on their knowledge This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of a life cycle of a butterfly, reading stories about caterpillars and making 'butterfly' biscuits. Children take delight in blowing bubbles outside and then popping them.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides a welcoming environment where each child is valued and they are relaxed and comfortable in her care. There are some resources that reflect the diverse society in which they live and the childminder caters for the children's specific dietary requirements. Children enjoy some opportunities for fresh air and exercise as they often visit the nearby park to use large climbing apparatus, and play swingball in the garden. Children learn problem-solving skills as they fit a large floor puzzle together, checking the picture for clues and discussing with the childminder the tools and equipment that fire fighters need as the pieces are put together.

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and outcomes for children

Children explore their creativity, making sand pictures, rolling and manipulating the play dough and then pressing down the cutters to make shapes. They use musical instruments at the childminding group and practice hopping on one leg and balancing beanbags on their head. Children play imaginatively with the train set, making the noise of the siren and commenting that 'the fire engine needs to rescue everyone'. These simple activities begin to lay good foundations to develop children's future skills.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children to gain a general awareness of how to keep safe by giving them simple, clear explanations and reminders. For example, she talks to them about stranger danger and explains who the inspector is and the reason for the visit. Children are provided with healthy snacks, such as fruit, and are encouraged to take care of their personal needs, going to the toilet independently and using their own towel to dry their hands. 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 3 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 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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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