Yates, Jennifer

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/11/2012 28/09/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder shows a very good awareness of how young children learn and develop and is committed to extending her knowledge through training and her own research.  Children have settled well and benefit from very warm and comfortable relationships with the childminder and her assistant. They show great confidence and curiosity as they explore the learning environment.  Children have access to a spacious and inviting learning environment, both indoors and outside, where they enjoy a wide range of accessible resources.  Children's welfare is very well supported by excellent standards of health and safety.  Excellent partnership working with parents and others ensures all appropriate information about children's learning and development is shared to support their individual needs.

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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 child-led play in the playroom and a meal time.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's development folders, daily diaries and a selection of children's records, policies and daily records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and her assistant at appropriate times during the visit.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector was not able to speak to parents on the day but took account of their views expressed in their written comments and letters of recommendation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 2009. She lives with her partner, two adult children and two children aged eight and six years. The whole ground floor of the house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden area, accessed via steps, for outdoor play. The family has two dogs, two cats and fish. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She works with two assistants. The childminder is currently caring for nine children, of whom eight are within the early years age range. She takes children to and from local schools and pre-schools and uses amenities within the community. The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification.

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

 develop further opportunities to display print and words in different forms within the play environment to support children's letter and word recognition.

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who attend

The childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn and develop and is currently focusing on the prime areas to engage and support young children. Children are welcomed into an inviting and well-resourced playroom where they move freely around to access resources of their choice. Regular outdoor activities provide further interesting learning opportunities, such as sand and water play, chalk boards and mirrors. The childminder engages naturally with children and responds positively to them so that they feel secure in the setting and are able to explore and try out new things. Young children have a wide range of developmentally appropriate toys set out which are placed within easy reach so children can freely access and make choices. The childminder and assistant spontaneously and enthusiastically encourage children's interest by engaging with them, sitting alongside and offering different resources for them to explore and investigate.

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who attend

Learning is fun and children are fully at ease with the different adults in the setting and respond to them with smiles and cuddles. Conversation is a natural part of children's day, and everyday routines, such as nappy changing, provide opportunities for talking or singing songs and nursery rhymes. Young children are beginning to make recognisable noises and the childminder responds encouragingly by repeating these sounds and linking them to words. There are a wide range of age-appropriate toys to stimulate children's interest, such as musical toys with lots of buttons to push which make different noises. Children pick up and ring the bells and listen to the different sounds they make. They are learning to recognise different shapes as they use the shape sorters or try and place pieces in the puzzles. For older ones there are many opportunities for mark making with a range of resources and children confidently access the row of desks to draw and create

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who attend

their own designs. Children have a wide selection of books to look at or listen to as they develop a love of stories or begin to recognise words, although opportunities to display print and words in other forms within their play environment are not fully maximised.

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who attend

The childminder is fully aware of the importance of creating an easy and calm settling-in period and therefore tries to gain as much information as possible from parents about their children to aid this process. Very useful observations taken during the initial settling- in period help her to assess a child's needs and level of development, which enables appropriate resources and challenges to be given. Play is very much child-led with adults there to encourage, engage and stimulate children's interest and support their development through the effective use of prompts and questions. For example, when friends made at the childminder's house emigrate, children are eager to find out more about that country and to share their experiences of other countries they have visited on holiday and display these on the world map. Observations of children at play are routinely taken through photos and written descriptions and these are used to identify children's

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who attend

next steps. Informative learning journeys capture special moments in development through photos, observations and examples of children's work. The childminder ensures she is supporting each child appropriately by tracking their progress alongside 'Development Matters' and then completes summary assessments which she shares with parents and also with other providers. This ensures that all key people are fully involved in children's development, their comments are sought and any support needed for an individual child is clearly identified, discussed and actioned.

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

The childminder has worked very hard to provide a bright, spacious and very welcoming environment where children benefit immensely from attention and positive engagement with different adults. Initial discussions with parents and observations taken during the settling-in period help to assess a child's needs and level of development so that appropriate toys and challenges can to be given. Children's behaviour is well supported through the strong attachments they have made with the adults and the positive role modelling and regular praise they receive. The childminder supports and includes children of different ages and they are encouraged to learn about the needs of others and the importance of sharing and taking turns. Older ones are encouraged to help out in small tasks and to be sensitive and understanding of young ones who are still developing their social skills. The childminder spends time explaining and preparing children in advance

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

Children's health is very well promoted through lots of outdoor play in the garden and regular walks and trips to the park. Young children are provided with ample safe space to move around in as they develop their crawling and walking skills, confidently using low- level equipment and furniture to balance and support themselves on. They use soft play equipment inside to balance and jump on or enjoy rides on the see-saw. Young children are encouraged to reach out to examine and explore resources set out just within their reach or investigate the contents of the appropriately stocked storage units. Children also have access to a paved outdoor area throughout the year with a range of sit-and-ride toys and bikes to support their growing physical skills and coordination. Children's health is well promoted as the childminder maintains a very clean environment with rigorous pet procedures. The childminder understands the importance of promoting

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

children's health through regular routines and has created a well-designed and equipped changing and toilet area to support these. Children are provided with healthy snacks and have regular drinks. They learn how things grow as they visit the allotment and help plant and tend seeds and then harvest the produce, which is made into something tasty to sample afterwards, such as carrot cake. Meal times are seen as good social opportunities as the childminder engages and supports children with smiles and develops independence skills by encouraging them to start feeding themselves. The childminder prepares children very well for the next stage in their learning by developing their confidence and providing a range of different experiences from which their social and learning experiences can grow. She encourages social engagement with their companions in the setting or as they welcome visitors. Children enjoy trips out into the community as they visit the boating

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

lake, the shops and the sealife centre and attend other early years groups, such as music and movement sessions.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of the importance of providing a welcoming and stimulating environment where children feel secure and happy and are inspired to play and learn. She is fully aware of how to encourage progress in all areas of learning and clearly recognises the importance of her role in supporting children's development in the three prime areas. She shows a very strong commitment to improving her knowledge and practice through training and is proactive in updating this through her own research, for example, using appropriate websites. She also ensures both her assistants have attended courses to update their awareness. The childminder and assistants continually discuss and reflect on their practice in order to ensure they provide the best play and learning opportunities for individual children. Since the last inspection they have worked very hard to provide a very safe and spacious indoor and outdoor

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provision

learning environment for children of all ages to enjoy. Reflection and improvement are an integral part of the childminder's practice. Discussion with parents, including seeking their written comments on her service and children's progress, alongside the establishment of action plans to identify areas for development, have greatly improved the overall quality and enhanced the experiences children receive in the setting.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of her safeguarding responsibilities and how to respond to any concerns. She and her assistants have attended training in this area to enhance their awareness and there is a clear policy which is shared effectively with parents. Children's safety is a priority and very high standards of health and safety within the setting and outside ensure children are kept safe and secure and can explore and investigate the play environment freely. All necessary information and consents are exchanged with parents and all other procedures, such as safe collection, are routinely carried out to support children's welfare. All outings are carefully planned and risk assessed before children take part in them, and regular fire evacuation practices take place. The childminder is fully aware of the correct storage of all confidential information and further safeguards children through providing clear guidance about, for example,

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provision

social networking and the use of cameras.

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provision

Partnership with parents is a real strength of the setting as the childminder recognises its fundamental importance in her ability to meet children's individual needs from the start and to support their ongoing progress. A staggered settling-in process ensures they all get to know each other well and all necessary information is exchanged. Regular information is shared through relaxed conversations, texts and memory sticks, and the childminder uses emails to provide a continuous flow of information including sharing policies, planning, photos and newsletters. The exchange of an informative daily diary where parents add their comments continues to keep them fully involved. The childminder uses these introductory sessions and the first few weeks to complete an initial summary on each child. This identifies children's interests and capabilities, which are carefully discussed with parents so they all work consistently to support children's next steps.

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provision

The bright and welcoming environment is spacious and very thoughtfully organised to inspire children's participation and provide a wide range of accessible resources in low storage units to support independent choices. The childminder is very aware of the importance of making links with other early years settings where children also attend and is proactive in engaging with practitioners and sharing development information. She completes an informative transition document and has invited comments from the different settings as to its usefulness in supporting children's development. This ensures a constancy of approach to help children settle and to offer appropriate support as needed.

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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 EY388724 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 821735 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 10 Number of children on roll 9

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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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