Childminder in Rotherham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2012 08/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 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 are happy and relate well to the childminder and her assistant as they show security in their surroundings. They enjoy playing in the well-resourced, welcoming home which is securely maintained to ensure children's safety is protected.  The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers. She exchanges and shares relevant information to ensure children's needs are met.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder has yet to update and implement her systems for planning, observation and assessment to fully ensure the effective monitoring and promotion of each child's development within the seven areas of learning.  The childminder has yet to ensure all people who work with children fully understand the requirement relating to the maximum numbers of children who can be cared for at any one time.  The childminder does not hold a current paediatric first aid certificate to fully ensure children's health is maintained at all times.  The childminder has yet to develop the questioning techniques she uses with children to ensure their communication and counting skills are fully promoted.

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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 activities and care routines in the open plan ground floor rooms. She looked at outside areas where children play and sleep.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including policies, attendance registers, observation files and self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents by reading recent questionnaires completed by a number of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1994. She lives with her husband in the village of Woodsetts, close to Rotherham and Worksop. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house and the first floor toilet facilities are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play and the home is accessible by one step. The family has a dog. Care is offered Monday to Friday all year round from 6.30am to 6.30pm.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She works alone and sometimes with an assistant or a co-childminder. There are currently 34 children on roll, of which eight are in the early years age range. The childminder has a childcare qualification at level 3 and the co-childminder is working towards a qualification at level 3.

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must:

 develop the educational programmes to ensure the seven areas of learning and development are implemented through planned, purposeful play experiences; and develop the process of ongoing assessment to identify each child's level of achievement within the seven areas of learning and use this information to plan future learning experiences for each child  ensure robust procedures are in place and known to all people working with children with regard to making sure that the requirement relating to childminder's caring for a maximum of six children in the early years age range when working with an assistant, is met at all times  ensure a current paediatric first aid certificate is maintained.

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

 develop children's communication, language and basic mathematical awareness with counting, with specific regard to using the language of thinking and learning, asking open-ended questions, giving children time to talk and think without rushing towards answers too quickly and providing opportunities for counting during play.

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who attend

Children happily engage in a suitable range of play experiences which helps them to make sufficient progress in their learning and development. The childminder creates some purposeful learning experiences for children through the provision of hands on learning experiences. However, these are not always fully challenging for each child. This is because planning, observation and assessment, although in place, have yet to be updated and effectively implemented to fully ensure the seven areas of learning are continually delivered through planned, purposeful play experiences. For example, planning systems are in place but they are more often focused on linking in with the local schools planning. Whilst this is a benefit for school children as it consolidates their learning, it is less focused on individual children's learning and development. The childminder has a general overview of children's achievements and an ongoing observational assessment file is in place to

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who attend

record individual children's progress. However, these are not always fully up to date and, therefore, they do not always show a true reflection of children's progress. They are also not always used to identify and plan for children's next steps for learning, resulting in children being supported but not always sufficiently challenged during their play. The childminder is aware of the progress check at age two to ensure children make expected levels of progress within the prime areas. Satisfactory information is shared with parents on their children's progress to ensure that they are satisfactorily involved in their children's learning.

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who attend

The childminder does engage in children's chosen play experiences with them, following their interests and asking some appropriate questions to promote their learning through play. For example, children enjoy looking through a picture book with the childminder. A toddler quietly sits on the childminder's knee looking at the pictures and tries to turn the pages, whilst older children are encouraged to find different pictures within the book. However, the childminder's satisfactory questioning skills sometimes limits children's development of their communication and basic counting skills. For example, open-ended questions are not always used by the childminder and she does not always allow children time to think, process and understand her questions. This results in the childminder answering her own question as she does not fully allow children the time to respond. Also, when reading the story the childminder uses an opportunity which has arisen to introduce

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who attend

children to counting. However, she counts the items so quickly that the opportunity is missed by the children as she has, again, not fully allowed them the time to think about and understand what has occurred.

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who attend

Children access an interesting range of developmentally appropriate toys and resources to meet their needs and to promote their learning within all areas. They actively engage in indoor and outdoor play experiences, which helps them to develop their physical skills and well-being. The childminder provides appropriate levels of support which promotes the inclusion of all children. Children of all ages have access to writing and drawing materials. Younger children and toddlers especially like to draw and make marks when chalking on the chalk boards. One child sits for a sustained period of time drawing and then uses the sponge to rub off her picture before starting again. The childminder sits with the child and begins to base a simple discussion on what the child is drawing. Several other children then join the activity and they sit down and have fun drawing and making marks. Another child enjoys playing with a tractor and a trailer, they show awareness that when they pull

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who attend

the sheep back that this will then propel the tractor forward. They do this several times and are pleased with their achievements when the childminder offers praise. Younger children continually babble during play and older children are beginning to say recognisable words as they form simple sentences. Children over the age of two years enjoy chatting to people on their pretend phones. They also have fun speaking into a microphone and listening to the sound of their own voice. Toddlers play imaginatively with the dolls as they dress and undress them and pretend to change their nappies. All children engage in art and craft activities, which enables them to develop their creativity.

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

Children are settled and show security in their surroundings, they relate well to the childminder and her assistant. They form appropriate attachments with the childminder because she works with parents to gather and exchange relevant information about their specific needs. The good organisation of the internal play space creates an environment which is accessible and welcoming for all. This helps children to feel safe and secure in the childminder's home. The childminder acts as a positive role model as she values and respects children's individual needs. This helps children to learn to respect themselves and to value the uniqueness of their peers. Children's good behaviour is promoted through positive reinforcement, with the childminder offering regular praise and encouragement to promote their self-esteem.

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

Children's awareness about developing a healthy lifestyle is promoted through appropriate health and hygiene routines and through the childminder providing and encouraging healthy eating. Children rest and sleep when needed, in line with their individual requirements. With the agreement of parents, children sleep outside in the fresh air either in the enclosed back garden or under a covered area at the side of the house. The childminder ensures children are wrapped up warmly and she has clear procedures in place to ensure children's health and safety is maintained. For example, the areas where children sleep are constantly monitored through CCTV and the childminder also completes regular physical checks on the children. Regular walks and opportunities to play outside provide children with opportunities to be active. During these walks, older children are encouraged to learn about road safety and the childminder also begins to help them to

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

learn about their future transition to school.

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

Children's independence and social skills are developing as children are encouraged to learn to put their own coats on and to develop independence with toileting. Toddlers enjoy playing alongside their peers, watching what others are doing but playing independently. Older children develop relationships with their peers as they begin to form friendships and to play cooperatively together.

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provision

The childminder understands her role and responsibilities and she aware of the requirement relating to the total number of children she can provide care for when working with an assistant. However, she has not fully ensured that her assistant understands this requirement, which resulted during the inspection, in the childminder exceeding the total number of children she can provide care for. As a result, the childminder was in breach of requirements. Attendance registers show that the childminder does usually work within ratios and meets these requirements, therefore, the impact on children's care was minimal as it was only for a short period of time.

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provision

Relevant policies, procedures and documents are in place and completed with necessary information. They are generally understood and appropriately implemented by the childminder and her assistant to safeguard children. For example, risk assessment policies and procedures ensure the identification and minimisation of potential hazards and a suitable outings procedure is in place and adhered to. Children are supervised at all times and the childminder is knowledgeable about child protection procedures. However, the childminder is waiting to complete a paediatric first aid course as her certificate has expired. The impact of this on children's well-being is minimal because the childminder does have a first aid kit and the assistant, who the childminder works with for the majority of the day, holds a current first aid certificate.

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provision

The childminder works in partnership with parents to ensure children's care needs are fully met. Links with other providers are continuing to develop to aid children's continuity of care and learning. The childminder has made improvements since the last inspection by working on the recommendation raised. She now ensures exits are kept clear for ease of access in an emergency situation, which contributes to keeping children safe. The childminder's adequate process of self-evaluation provides her with a general overview of her strengths and areas for further development. Parents contribute to this process through completing questionnaires. The childminder takes parents' comments on board and makes any improvements necessary to enhance children's experiences. The most recent questionnaires completed by parents show how they are happy with the childminder's provision.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 the registered person must ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first aid qualification (Welfare of the children being cared for) (both parts of the Childcare Register).  take action as specified above (Welfare of the children being cared for).

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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 303134 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 887811 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 10 Number of children on roll 34

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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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