Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/09/2012 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children have very secure attachments to the childminder and clearly feel safe with her. This gives them the confidence to explore their environment and become active, independent learners.  The childminder has achieved an extremely good balance between providing a very safe environment, but still allowing children to freely explore and take acceptable risks.  The childminder works closely with parents to ensure each child's individual needs are met very well. Relationships are particularly strong and productive.  A stimulating outdoor environment motivates children to be outside every day, enabling them to investigate the natural world and be energetic.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to socialise and take part in activities with others, for example, collaborative games in larger groups, are infrequent.

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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 the children and their activities throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed activities with the childminder and reviewed assessments and planning documents.  The inspector took into account the views of parents through written testimonials.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 and lives with her husband and two children aged 10 and 12 years in a village near Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children in the early years age range on roll. Minded children have use of the whole of the premises and there is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder currently works Monday to Thursday all year round. The family has a dog and two guinea pigs as pets. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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

 create more opportunities for children to play alongside others and take part in collaborative games and activities.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder provides a stimulating environment that promotes their independence very well. The childminder has a good understanding of each child's stage of development, enabling her to plan effectively for their future learning. When a child shows an interest, she uses that information to motivate children to learn, for example introducing bubble painting into the daily activities. Children select their own resources with confidence and enjoy varied choices, such as large building blocks or balls. Books are readily available and children choose their favourites with pleasure, sitting down to turn the pages and point to the pictures.

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who attend

The outdoor environment is available to the children throughout their time in the setting. It gives children excellent opportunities to explore nature, such as watching a butterfly, and to run about and be active. Children grow fruits and vegetables and harvest them for their meals. Water and sand play promote children's exploratory instincts well. They have an enjoyable time pouring water into containers, or sit in the sand to make marks with their fingers. Regular visits to local play areas enables children to extend their physical skills on large equipment. However, visits to groups, where they would socialise and play games with others, are infrequent. The childminder uses gestures and body language where children have little spoken language, to ensure they understand what is expected of them. As a result, children are secure in her care. Children's language and communication skills are developing well in line with their age and stage of development. The childminder

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who attend

encourages their verbal interactions and ensures they have lots of opportunities to explore new words. For example, she reads stories and encourages children to sing well-known songs and rhymes.

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who attend

The childminder makes good observations on children's learning; she plans for their next steps and works well with parents to find out what children do at home. Each child has their own learning journey, which documents their achievements well. Parents are encouraged to take the learning journeys home so they gain a clear picture of children's progress. The childminder talks to parents on a daily basis and encourages them to take their children's learning journeys home, this enables them to gain a clear picture of children's progress. The childminder uses Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage effectively to track children's progress and ensure they are developing as they should. She skilfully interacts with the children and includes each child into the planned activities. The childminder carefully takes into account children's age and stage of development; for example, she considers the safety aspects of sand play for a young child

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who attend

and through appropriate supervision enables them to enjoy themselves safely.

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

Children settle extremely well into the childminder's home and clearly feel emotionally safe and secure. The childminder is skilled at helping children settle in, for example, she offers a range of options for parents to enable children to build a sense of security, such as regular visits, or bringing in a favourite comforter. Children show a warm affection for the childminder and enjoy sitting close to her or sharing cuddles. The childminder encourages children to share their resources and activities; she is calm and patient with them and as a result their behaviour is very good. Children show high levels of confidence and self- esteem, which is due to exemplary organisation of the setting, enabling children to be motivated and independent.

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

Children who have allergies or medical needs are cared for extremely well due to the very robust systems in place. The childminder ensures she follows parents' instructions carefully when administering essential medications or preparing special diets. Children enjoy a very good range of meals and snacks that promote their good health. The childminder is a keen and experienced gardener and she uses this expertise to involve children in tending and harvesting an impressive range of garden produce, such as potatoes, peas and beans. Young children show a very good awareness of their own safety, for example they know they must take care on the stairs because they might fall. A very high standard of hygiene is maintained in order to maximise children's good health on an ongoing basis. Children learn about good hygiene because the childminder is an exemplary role model, which motivates children to follow her example with consistent

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

The childminder gathers a wealth of information from parents and carers to ensure each child's needs are well met. Her knowledge of children's family backgrounds enables her to talk to the children about the key adults in their lives. This contributes extremely well to their sense of belonging. Resources and activities are chosen so they relate very well to individual children's skills and interests; as a result, children are well-motivated to be active learners. Individual home routines for sleeps and meals are followed, ensuring children know what to expect. So far, the childminder has not been in a position to prepare children for transitions to other settings. However, through discussion she shows a very good understanding and would work with parents to ensure children were fully prepared for their future learning experiences.

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provision

The childminder has comprehensive procedures for safeguarding which enable her to ensure children are kept safe. She has attended safeguarding training to increase her ability to protect children from harm. She keeps her home secure and makes daily checks of the premises to ensure children play in a safe and secure environment. The childminder has achieved an excellent balance of safety and acceptable risk. For example, although she reviews her garden to ensure it is as safe as it can be, it remains an exciting and varied natural environment, where children can explore, get wet or messy and have lots of fun.

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provision

The childminder has an effective self-evaluation process that enables her to identify her strengths and areas for improvement. She seeks the views of parents to inform her practice, and is responsive to their suggestions, for example, she introduced more painting activities and amended the fee structure to meet families' needs. The childminder is ambitious about her business and has worked hard to implement underpinning policies and procedures. She has attended training to help her understand the new Early Years Foundation Stage framework and uses her knowledge to keep parents informed.

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provision

Parents say they are very pleased with the quality of the childminding provision. They say they trust the childminder and believe the quality of care is outstanding. One family indicated they were particularly pleased with the way their child was introduced to the family dog, as he was nervous of them. This was achieved so sensitively the child no longer fears dogs at all. The childminder provides parents with clear policies and procedures so they understand about the service she offers. She works closely with them to ensure children's needs are known and effectively met. The childminder is beginning to build links with others who care for the children. At present, this is mostly via parents as she does not directly access the other settings. However, she is fully aware that partnerships with others enable her to offer consistent care and learning experiences.

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provision

The childminder has effective systems in place to ensure children achieve as they should in their learning and development. She keeps consistent records, including the children's starting points, so she can be confident activities cover all the areas of learning efficiently. She recognises when individual children need additional support; for example, where children lack spoken language, she monitors their progress closely and liaises with parents so practice is consistent both at home and in the setting. As a result, children thrive in her care.

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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 EY438362 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 789951 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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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