Childminder in Staffordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/10/2012 05/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The childminder is well qualified and she attends regular training, which benefits the children's care and learning.  Effective care practices and familiar routines contribute positively to children's emotional well-being and feelings of security.  Children develop strong physical skills and have interesting opportunities to learn about animals and the natural world.

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It is not yet good because

 Effective systems for planning activities and accurately assessing children's ongoing progress are not in place.  Partnerships with other settings children attend are not fully used to ensure consistency in their care and learning.

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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

 Inspection of all areas used by the children.  Observations of children playing in the conservatory and garden.  Discussion with the childminder about aspects of her practice.

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Inspection activities

 Review of relevant documentation, including the children's records, a sample of policies and the childminder's self-evaluation form.  Discussion with one parent to obtain their views about the quality of the setting.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1995. She lives with her husband and adult son in Cheadle, Staffordshire. Most areas on the ground floor of the property are used for childminding purpose, including the conservatory, kitchen and toilet. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play. The family has a pet cat. The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She minds children each weekday throughout the year. There are currently seven children on roll, two of whom are within the early years age group. Children attend on a part-time basis. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She holds the certificate in childminding practice and an early years qualification at level 3.

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must:

 use assessment as an integral part of identifying children's learning priorities, both on entry and ongoing, in order to plan and deliver challenging experiences that help children make good progress in all areas of their learning

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

 build on partnership working with other settings the children attend to improve continuity in their care and learning.

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who attend

The childminder is developing an appropriate understanding of the revised educational programmes. However, systems for planning and assessment are not yet fully developed, which impacts on her ability to closely monitor children's progress and ensure planned activities help all children reach expected levels of development. Nevertheless, the childminder has some understanding of what children know and can do. She talks to parents about children's skills and abilities on entry to the setting, and she is beginning to carry out observations of the children and highlight possible next steps.

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who attend

Children take part in a suitable range of activities that promote the areas of their learning and development. They learn about recycling food waste to use as compost and enjoy planting seeds and growing vegetables in the garden. They benefit from visiting a neighbour regularly, where they can feed the chickens and collect eggs. This positively promotes their understanding of the world. Children demonstrate strong physical skills when they play in the garden. They competently climb the steps to the slide and balance on the climbing frame. The childminder also encourages children to use their senses, for example asking them if they can feel the wind and hear the sound of a helicopter flying above. The childminder is beginning to work well with parents and the speech therapist to support children with communication and language difficulties. She shows patience in trying to engage children in play, speaking clearly and encouraging some repetition of

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who attend

simple words. As a result, children are beginning to communicate using sounds, gestures and some single words. Parents are suitably involved in their children's learning. The childminder regularly shares verbal information about children's progress and invites parents to share what their children enjoy at home. She also provides a detailed diary for children with identified needs. One parent expressed her satisfaction with the progress her child is making with the childminder, indicating that she 'loves coming and is starting to say more words'.

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

Children receive a warm welcome and enjoy good levels of attention and support from the childminder. Strong bonds are clearly evident; for example, they play outside and laugh together when they accidently tip water over themselves. Children benefit from familiar routines and care practices that meet their individual needs. This enables them to feel safe and secure in the childminder's care. Children understand they have to follow rules for their own safety, such as holding onto the pushchair on outings. They are reminded about road safety on outings and they take part in regular fire drills so that they understand what to do in an emergency.

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

The garden overlooks large, open fields, where children can observe cows and sheep. The conservatory is organised with a suitable range of resources to entice children to make independent choices in their play. They confidently initiate their own play as they help themselves to their favourite toys. Children learn to be independent and develop their self- care skills, such as visiting the toilet and fastening themselves into the pushchair.

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

The childminder models respectful behaviour and provides children with lots of positive praise, which helps them to feel confident and valued. She makes sure children eat well by offering healthy snacks and meals, such as fruit, yoghurt and wholemeal bread. Children are reminded to wash their hands before eating, and they are taught why good hygiene is important. They benefit from regular exercise as they visit the park most days after school and enjoy outdoor play in the garden.

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provision

The childminder has a sound understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She has attended safeguarding training and has updated her policy to clearly outline what procedures she would follow to protect children from harm. She ensures the environment is safe for the children attending by completing daily checks and ensuring any risks are minimised. However, she is still familiarising herself with the revised learning and development requirements. As a result, she does not always plan activities to promote all areas of learning or assess children's ongoing progress. Suitable arrangements are in place for evaluating the quality of the setting. The childminder uses the Ofsted self-evaluation form to review her practice and identify some targets for the future. She has ensured all actions and recommendations from the last inspection have been appropriately addressed. She shows a strong commitment to

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provision

updating her skills by attending a good level of training, such as playing with sounds, creativity and having fun with stories. This has enabled her to focus her approach to helping children learn through play.

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provision

Open and friendly relationships are developed with parents, which contribute positively to the children's well-being. The childminder is following advice from other professionals, such as the speech therapist, to ensure children with identified needs are appropriately supported. However, some of the children attend other early years settings and the childminder has not yet established effective links with key staff. This means children's transitions are not fully supported and leads to inconsistency relating to some aspects of the children's care, such as toileting arrangements.

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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 209584 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 818110 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

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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: 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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