Childminder in Rotherham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 302914 Inspection date 15/03/2011 Inspector Helen Blackburn

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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 1998. She lives with her husband and two adult daughters in the Kiveton Park area of Sheffield. There are shops, parks, schools and public transport links in the local area. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and she can care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. The childminder's daughter is registered to work as an assistant and when working together, they may care for a maximum of four children in the early years age range. The childminder is currently minding three children in the early years age range. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to eleven years. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently minding three children in this age range.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder takes and collects children from local schools and nursery.

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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

Through positive relationships with parents and relevant information sharing, the childminder meets children's individual needs. The childminder has good relationships with the children and they have an enthusiastic approach to their learning. The childminder provides an environment that appropriately promotes children's learning, positive behaviour, independence, diversity and difference. Overall, most documentation is in place and the childminder's policies and procedures are adequate to promote and safeguard children's welfare. The childminder's commitment to developing her service is sound and she is beginning to use self-evaluation to bring about improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the record of risk assessments to ensure it clearly states when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review (Documentation) 05/04/2011

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further?

 obtain information from parents about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 05/04/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 update knowledge and understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and procedures  improve the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips  develop self-evaluation processes, including exploring ways to incorporate the views of parents and children  improve how observations are matched to the expectations of the early learning goals to help identify and plan for children's learning priorities.

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the early years provision

The childminder's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting children's welfare are appropriate. She has a sound understanding of the possible signs of abuse and neglect and she understands the importance of reporting and monitoring concerns. However, her up to date knowledge of the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and procedures is more limited. The childminder ensures all adults living on the premises have undergone appropriate checks and she supervises all visitors to the home. This contributes to keeping children safe and protected from harm. Overall, the childminder maintains a varied range of documentation, policies and procedures, including policies that cover promoting equality, dealing with complaints and managing children's behaviour. However, she fails to record or obtain some information, which results in breaches of specific legal requirements. For example, her risk assessment record does not include all the mandatory

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the early years provision

information and she does not seek information regarding who has parental responsibility or legal contact for the children in her care. The children are cared for in a safe and clean environment. The childminder supervises children's play well and she carries out risk assessments of her home and outings. This means she puts in place appropriate measures to minimise the risk of accidents. However, the risk assessments she carries out for the different types of outings are not included in her risk assessment record. The childminder organises her resources so that children can make safe and independent choices in their play. In addition, through making appropriate use of some resources within the local community, such as parks, and the library the childminder extends children's experiences.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a sound understanding of the importance of promoting ongoing improvement. Through using self-evaluation, she is beginning to evaluate and monitor her service so that she can identify areas for development. In addition, through addressing all the recommendations made at the last inspection, the childminder demonstrates her commitment to improve. For example, she now involves children in fire evacuation practices, which means they have a good understanding of what to do in an emergency. The childminder welcomes any views that the parents and children may wish to share. However, she has not fully explored ways to incorporate their ideas into the self-evaluation process.

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the early years provision

The childminder has positive relationships with the parents. They regularly share This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and exchange relevant information, which means the childminder meets children's individual needs. Discussions, written policies and procedures provide parents with appropriate information about their child's day and service. The childminder encourages parents to be involved in their child's learning and progression. For example, she shares with them children's progress records and talks to them about children's achievements. The childminder understands the importance of working with any other settings children attend, such as school or nursery. Through discussions, she finds out about children's experiences and progress so that she can appropriately promote continuity and coherence in children's learning. In addition, the childminder understands the necessity of working with other

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the early years provision

professionals or external agencies if children need additional support or help.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has good relationships with the children, she knows them well, which means she meets their individual needs. Overall, observation, planning and assessment arrangements are appropriate and they support children in making steady progress in their learning. For example, the childminder carries out regular observations on the children and she uses these to plan activities to support children's progression. However, she has not developed her systems for matching her observations to the expectations of the early learning goals to fully support her in identifying children's next steps across all areas of learning. The childminder is actively involved in children's play and they respond well to this. For example, they positively engage in conversations when completing jigsaws and the childminder encourages children to use their problem solving skills when matching pieces of the puzzle together. The childminder provides a welcoming learning environment

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and outcomes for children

where children have access to varied resources and activities across all areas of learning. The children are happy and they have an enthusiastic and motivated approach to their play. For example, children demonstrate their curiosity by asking questions and they use their imagination as they play with the cars. Through games, puzzles, fun songs and rhymes, children learn appropriately about number and literacy. For example, when completing jigsaws children link sounds to letters, such as 'b' for bird.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder manages children's behaviour appropriately so that they understand the importance of developing harmonious relationships with others. For example, through play and discussions children learn about right, wrong, good manners, sharing and taking turns. Through praise and celebrating achievements, the children have a positive self-esteem. The childminder provides a sufficient range of resources, activities and discussions so that children develop an awareness of diversity and difference. For example, some of her resources provide positive images of different cultures, religions and disabilities; this supports children in developing a respectful attitude towards different groups of people in society.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder provides a safe and secure environment that provides continuity for children. This, alongside positive relationships with the children results in them feeling safe and settled in the childminder's care. In addition, children learn about This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the importance of keeping themselves safe. For instance, through following road safety procedures on outings and talking about safety issues when doing jigsaws, such as what we need to do at traffic lights, the children are becoming aware of safe practices. The children show a good understanding of adopting good personal hygiene practices. For example, they routinely wash their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. In addition, through healthy nutritious meals and snacks, the children are learning about the importance of making healthy choices. The children have good opportunities to be active and to access fresh air. For

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and outcomes for children

example, children go on daily walks and they enjoy playing in the garden and at the park. These activities support children's physical development. In addition, through activities, such as building, drawing and cutting, children are developing their coordination and dexterity skills. 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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