Childminder in Gloucestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/09/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children settle quickly and feel safe and happily engage in activities with the childminder who uses frequent praise and encouragement to promote their confidence and self-esteem. Children show increasing levels of independence during familiar routines and activities that build on their interests.  The childminder encourages children's communication and language skills well. She describes what the younger children are doing throughout the day and responds quickly to their gestures and non-verbal clues. The childminder models new language, uses effective questioning and repeats phrases back to consolidate older children's language development.  The childminder works effectively to promote the health and safety of the children attending the setting. She has good awareness of child protection issues, is vigilant and safety aware.

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It is not yet good because

 The arrangements for planning and assessing children's learning are not long established and do not clearly identify children's next steps across all areas of learning or provide a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities inside and outside  The information the childminder gains through the children's 'All about me' document when they first start includes little information about their starting points across all areas of learning to help assist in planning as soon as they start  Children who learn best outdoors are not given enough opportunities to make marks, explore sand and water and investigate the natural environment.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children during activities in the play room, kitchen and the garden

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the observations

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation of an activity with the childminder and evaluated this together.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's daily diaries, planning documentation, methods used for self-evaluation and a sample of policies and procedures and tracked children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of one parent spoken to on the day and responses from parents' questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered since 2012. She works with her mother, who is also a registered childminder, and minds from her co-childminder's house. The co-childminder's husband, adult son, adult daughter and her partner live at the property. This property is located in the rural village of Bishops Cleeve, north of Cheltenham town. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, including the dedicated playroom, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and downstairs toilet facilities. There is a fenced rear garden with grass and patio areas for outside play. The co-childminder has a pet dog. Both childminders take equal responsibility for the childminding practice and are registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently there are seven children under eight years on roll, of whom six are in the early years age group. The childminder walks to the local school to take and collect her own child. The

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Information about the setting

childminder takes children to the local children's groups.

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must:

 develop the assessment and planning programmes by identifying children's next steps and use this information to inform future planning and improving the balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities across all areas of learning inside and outside

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 extend the information gained about children's starting points and use this information to guide planning so that children make the most of the activities from the outset

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve the learning environment by providing more opportunities outside for children to make marks, explore sand and water and investigate the natural environment.

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who attend

Children are happy, settled and make steady progress in their learning and development. The childminder has a suitable understanding of how young children learn through play. She is familiar with the seven areas of learning. Basic planning is not yet systematic enough to challenge children inside or out. The childminder provides resources and an adequate balance of child-initiated and adult guided activities and experiences that capture children's interests. This is starting to introduce the children to some new experiences that encourage them to experiment and develop their ideas. However, information the childminder gains from parents when children first start is not sufficient to enable her to identify starting points to help plan for each child's learning from the outset.

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who attend

The childminder works in partnership with another to complete regular observations to help identify children's developing interests, achievements and some notes for future planning. The childminder is beginning to use these more consistently to show some links to the 'Development Matters' in the Early Years Foundation Stage to start tracking their progress. However, the childminder is not using this information to securely identify next steps for each child across the seven areas of learning to inform planning effectively and build on children's skills and knowledge. The childminder is yet to start the progress checks at age two. She understands the need to work collaboratively with parents to evaluate their child's progress and agree targets for future development across the three prime areas of learning.

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who attend

Children's vocabulary is progressing in line with the developmental milestones for their age. The childminder nurtures this through conversations during play, mealtimes and regular singing sessions. She promotes children's language and communication appropriately, talking about what the youngest children are doing in their play, and repeating phrases back to the older children to help them consolidate their language. Regular visits to the library to share and choose stories support their interest in books. The childminder encourages the children to make marks with the pen paints introducing colour names as they make dots, lines and random marks. She is beginning to differentiate her language and questioning generally well to encourage the older children to name the shapes and colours they make. However, the children have few opportunities to make marks on a bigger scale. For example by making marks in the sand using

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who attend

different implements or by using chalks, paintbrushes and other writing materials outside. Although children benefit from time outside everyday to use the ride-on toys; resources and activities across all areas of learning are not available consistently. This limits opportunities for those children who prefer to do their learning outside, and at times children wander around aimlessly with little purpose or interest. Children enjoy music and movement, bending, stretching and turning around. Older children eagerly talk about doing balancing outside. Although they excitedly make a V-shape using their body, which the younger children copy, the childminder does not build on this to challenge and extend further their physical skills. The childminder has some quality time with her key children during the day. This enables her to facilitate and support each child while doing various slot-in puzzles appropriate to their age and ability. The childminder introduces positional

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who attend

language, space, pattern and size for the older children. She encourages them to persevere and complete their puzzle independently by clapping and praising throughout.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children feel secure and build close bonds because the childminder take care to ensure she establishes key worker groups quickly, in partnership with her co-childminder. She obtains information from parents about her key children's likes, dislikes and daily routines and takes responsibility for their personal care. Children enjoy a cuddle with the childminder after a sleep, as she softly reassures them and sensitively encourages them back into the group. Children learn to understand that snatching from their friend is not acceptable and learning to share is important. Children show pride in their achievements, smiling and excitedly showing the childminder their completed puzzle. Enthusiastic encouragement and praise throughout promotes children's self-esteem and gives them the confidence to persevere and work things out.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder helps to devise healthy, nutritious menu plans based on suitable knowledge of children's dietary needs and preferences. Introducing food tasting activities and regularly talking about the different food they eat is slowly improving children's options and awareness of a healthy diet. The children develop good self-care skills. Older children learn to use a knife carefully to cut their banana at snack time and younger children learn to feed themselves. The childminder provides good support and age- appropriate explanations to help younger children be aware of the risks around them and older children to begin to recognise dangers and to keep themselves safe. For example, the youngest children hold onto the stair gate to carefully step over the ledge into the playroom. Older children are helped to understand that lying on the small table, makes it slide, which may result in them falling on the kitchen floor and hurting themselves. The

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

children wear high visibility jackets on regular outings to the library and shops. They begin to develop confidence in their social skills through weekly visits to the local toddler groups. This helps the children to gain key skills that will help prepare them for playgroup and their future life at school.

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provision

The childminder and her co-minder work effectively together to create a warm, spacious and comfortable environment for children to play and learn. They compliment each other's skills through sound understanding of their individual strengths and weaknesses and good awareness of each other's roles and responsibilities. The childminder has a strong commitment to improving her skills through accessing some training that stem from her interests and some identified needs. Her knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements is strong. She promotes children's health and safety well because she has secure understanding of the right procedures to follow in the event of any concerns. She implements safety measures based on regular risk assessments. However, the childminder lacks confidence and is less secure in her understanding of the learning and development requirements, particularly in planning for individual children's progress. She reflects on the

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provision

success of some activities and daily routines and considers what improvements can be made. This has resulted in positive changes to nappy changing arrangements, and implementation of weekly music and movement sessions. The childminder has introduced parent questionnaires and a statutory checklist obtained from the internet relating to the reformed Early Years Foundation Stage. This has enabled her to identify what more she needs to do to raise the quality of the provision.

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provision

Systems to share information with others involved in the children's development are in the early stages. However, the childminder is considering the best way of liaising with other providers to ensure a consistent approach. The childminder has quickly established positive relationships with parents. She is beginning to involve parents more within the setting. Basic action plans indicate that the parents will start to take a more active role in their child's education. For example, the childminder has booked meetings with her key children's parents and plans to explain to them about the two-year progress check. She asks parents and children to share some key words and numbers for counting in their home language. Tasting different types of Polish food are helping the children to learn about other cultures and the wider world. The childminder shares good information through children's individual daily dairy about food eaten, sleeps, nappy changes and their

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provision

behaviour. She also uses this successfully to share detailed information about activities children have participated in and includes written descriptions and photographs. However, the childminder does not fully understand about using information to plan children's next steps. This limits the breadth and depth of information she is able to share about children's progress throughout the curriculum. Parents speak highly of the service the childminder provides. They praise her commitment and enthusiasm in providing a safe, supportive environment for the children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY444654 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 790633 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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