Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/10/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has a good awareness of how young children learn. She provides a welcoming, stimulating environment along with a wide range of interesting activities, both indoors and within the local community, which engage children and extend their learning.  Children are happy and eager to learn. They confidently explore their toys and activities and enjoy meaningful interactions with the childminder.  The childminder has developed effective, trusting relationships with parents which make a positive contribution to meeting children's needs. Children have formed strong attachments to her and are well settled.  The childminder is highly organised. She is pro-active in seeking ongoing advice and information to support the continual improvement of her provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Relationships with other providers, where children's care is shared, are still in the early stages of being developed and are not yet fully effective in ensuring consistency and continuity in children's care, learning and development.

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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's activities in the main indoor ground floor play areas.

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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 looked at children's learning journals and assessment records, evidence of the childminder's attendance at required training, the childminder's self- evaluation and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers from information included in children's journals.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012. She is registered on the Early Years Register and also the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in Crowland, Lincolnshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding along with the rear garden.

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Information about the setting

The childminder provides care Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 6.30pm all year round, apart from Bank Holidays and family holidays. There are currently four children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group who attend for a variety of sessions and two are school-age children who attend on an occasional basis before and after school.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has completed basic training including first aid, child protection and food safety. She attends several local toddler groups and visits the local shops and parks on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools.

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

 extend the arrangements for information sharing and partnership working with other providers in order to more effectively identify children's needs and better support their progress.

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who attend

The childminder has developed a good understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She creates a stimulating environment and plans and provides a wide range of activities and experiences that support children's continual progress across all areas of their learning and development. The dedicated play room is well resourced with good quality toys and play materials which provide children with interesting and challenging experiences. Planned activities outside of the home, such as, outings to toddler groups and trips to the park, support this.

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who attend

The childminder has introduced a secure system of assessing children's level of ability. She works closely with parents to establish clear starting points for learning and makes ongoing observations of their achievements which are meticulously recorded. These are accurately linked to the early learning goals so children's progress is closely monitored to ensure any gaps can be swiftly identified. She makes effective use of her knowledge of what children can do to plan suitably challenging activities. For example, a baby is provided with a push-along baby walker and supported and encouraged to use this to move from one place to another to build upon newly acquired walking skills. The childminder's secure knowledge and understanding of her role in supporting children's learning means they make good progress whilst in her care. She encourages children to try new activities and supports their confidence through praise and encouragement. For

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who attend

example, a baby has their first experience with play dough and is a little tentative in exploring. The childminder role models poking, prodding and manipulating the dough whilst using encouraging words and gently encouraging the baby to have a go for herself. The childminder is pro-active in seeking ideas to support her in providing wide and varied resources which continue to capture children's interests. For example, they enjoy watching the change in moving fluids in the bottles she has filled with different liquids.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to be active learners. The organisation of resources in the play room means they can make their own choices regarding their play and they freely move around their identified play areas. The childminder's good level of interaction means that children are interested and engaged and their communication and language skills are well supported. For example, when a child chooses a book to look at the childminder follows her lead, she talks about the pictures on each page and uses repetitive phrases, such as 'turn the page', which babies are clearly beginning to understand.

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who attend

The childminder's relationship with parents means they are fully involved in their children's learning. She gathers detailed information from them, at the outset, to establish clear starting points for children's learning and initial targets are swiftly identified. The daily journal is used effectively for the childminder and parents to share information about what children have been doing so both parties are kept fully informed of children's progress. Targets are continually discussed and reviewed in response to children's ongoing achievements and are clearly linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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

Children develop warm and trusting relationships with the childminder. She establishes effective channels of communication with parents, gaining a secure understanding of children's needs, preferences and routines, and, consequently, children settle well. Babies demonstrate their sense of security as they crawl around the room exploring their toys, they seek support when practising newly learned skills, such as, walking, and find comfort in the form of cuddles as they become tired. They display strong early exploratory and investigative skills as they explore the wide range of resources, particularly enjoying sensory items, such as, fabrics, sponges, brushes and metal containers in the 'Treasure Basket'.

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

Children are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles through routines which include healthy options at meal times. There are also daily outings which include regular trips to the local park where there is space to run and large apparatus for climbing and balancing. The childminder is a positive role model to children. Her interaction is warm and caring with lots of praise and encouragement. Children are, consequently, developing good levels of confidence and self-esteem. Clear boundaries are in place and, as a result, they feel secure and understand what is expected of them. The childminder actively supports children to take calculated risks which enhance their play and learning experiences, ensuring she is on hand to provide support and guidance so they remain safe.

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

The childminder knows the children well and fully supports their individual routines, such as, sleep and meal times. Daily sharing of information with parents ensures that these vary appropriately when needed. She makes effective use of personal care routines, such as, nappy changing times, to engage in playful interactions which provide additional opportunities for babies to form close attachments. Children's regular outings to local toddler groups and to other local childminders provide good opportunities for them to develop confidence and independence outside of the home environment. This supports them in their transition to pre-school and school.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. She has developed a secure understanding of the prime and specific areas of learning and has established comprehensive systems of observing and recording children's achievements and of monitoring their progress. She makes effective use of her knowledge to plan activities which capture their interest and support their continued progress.

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provision

The childminder takes positive steps to protect the children in her care. She demonstrates a good understanding of child protection issues and ensures the environment is secure and safe. She has devised an effective range of policies and procedures which are well implemented to support the effective running of her provision and which ensure children's needs are met.

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provision

The childminder has established friendly and effective relationships with parents. She gathers detailed information from them regarding their children's routines, abilities and backgrounds in order that she can provide a high level of care and establish clear starting points for their learning and development. She keeps them well informed about their children's achievements, progress and identified next steps in their development, through ongoing verbal exchanges and the written daily learning journals. Parents are provided with useful information about the Early Years Foundation Stage along with ideas for supporting their children's learning at home. Whilst the childminder has a good understanding of partnership working, relationships with other providers are still in the early stages of being developed and are not yet fully effective in ensuring that there is continuity and consistency for children who also attend other settings, specifically, the

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provision

Although the childminder is a newly registered provider, she has established robust systems of self-evaluation. She reflects well on her practice and has a secure understanding of her strengths and areas for improvement. She has already reviewed several aspects of her service which have had a positive impact for children. For example, since caring for a young baby, she has obtained additional resources to increase the range and variety of sensory experiences for children. The childminder is pro-active in seeking information to extend her existing skills and knowledge. She has completed required training and has also undertaken training related to safeguarding and food hygiene. She makes effective use of information from other childcare professionals, relevant internet sites and childcare publications to positively influence her practice.

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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 EY440837 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 802135 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 9 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 4

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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. 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

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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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