Childminder in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2012 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 provides fun and challenging learning opportunities for children. This helps them to make good all-round progress towards the early learning goals as they become motivated and active learners.  Children are happy and content in the childminder's care because she promotes their emotional well-being effectively, enabling them to feel safe and grow in confidence.  The childminder understands the importance of supporting the children's well-being by providing consistent care through working closely in partnership with parents.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although children enjoy many opportunities to handle books, they do not have access to those that are of personal interest to them to further enhance their pleasure, for example, albums containing photographs of their family and other significant people in their lives.

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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 compulsory part 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 spent the majority of the inspection time with the childminder observing her and the children she was minding. This took place in the living room of the childminder's home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the children's information and development records and asked the childminder questions about them.  The inspector sampled the childminder's policies and discussed safeguarding issues.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives with her husband and pre-school aged child in South Harrow in the London Borough of Harrow. The whole of the first floor flat is available for childminding. It is accessed via internal stairs. There is no access to an outdoor area but the childminder makes use of the local park. The childminder is currently minding one child in the early years age group. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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

 extend opportunities for children to see books containing pictures of their family and other familiar people and objects to further promote their interest in handling books and support their self-esteem.

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who attend

The childminder provides a safe and nurturing environment for children. Her secure knowledge of the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage means that children make good progress and are ready to take the next steps in their learning and development. The childminder observes the children as they play and uses tracking sheets to monitor their progress and identify the next step in their individual learning journey. She plans activities to meet the identified learning needs of each child and promotes all seven areas of learning. The childminder intends to use this information to prepare their two-year progress checks, when the time arrives.

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who attend

Children enjoy their play. For example, they have great fun feeling the texture of cooked spaghetti. They compare the difference as the childminder adds oil, and watch with fascination as she applies food colouring. The childminder talks to the children about the length of the strands, how the colours change, and how it feels, such as sticky or oily. Consequently, children are learning new words and thinking about comparisons. Young children enjoy repetitive number rhymes, join in the actions and anticipate with excitement what happens next. They also enjoy sitting with the childminder as she reads a favourite story and illustrates it with props. These activities help children develop good numeracy and communication skills. Children also visit the library to encourage their enjoyment of books. However, they lack the opportunity to look at and talk about books that directly reflect their life experiences. For example, there are no books containing

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who attend

photographs of themselves, their family and other significant people and objects in their lives.

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who attend

Parents have regular access to their child's development records to make them aware of the progress their child is making. In addition, the childminder keeps notes of significant events that arise during the day. She shares these with the parents and invites them to add comments in the book. This system keeps parents up to date with how their child spends the day, and helps them to support their child's learning at home.

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

The childminder's home provides a welcoming environment for children. They choose from a wide range of clean and good quality play materials that supports their independence. There is plenty of space to enable them to explore the resources with enthusiasm and imagination.

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

Children's behaviour is very good. This shows that they feel safe in the home and are learning boundaries, such as not jumping on the couch, and playing nicely together. The childminder also encourages children to learn to share and take turns. In addition, children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they regularly participate in emergency evacuation procedures and become familiar with the routine of looking out for the red and green man when crossing the road.

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

Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks that take account of particular dietary needs and preferences. The childminder discusses the menu with the parents and provides lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to promote children's understanding of healthy eating. From a young age children become familiar with the routine of washing their hands at appropriate times during the day to further promote their health. Children regularly play football and run around in the local park for physical exercise. They also have fun dancing to music indoors and scrambling around at a soft play centre. The childminder also takes children to local children's centres. This gives them the opportunity to socialise with others to help prepare them for school.

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

Children are happy and relaxed in the childminder's care. They laugh and smile as they sing and play games together. Children form secure attachments with the childminder because of the affection and care she gives them, and because of the effective settling-in period at the beginning of an arrangement.

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provision

The childminder has a thorough understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is mindful of her responsibility to promote the overall well-being of the children in her care. The childminder is vigilant about children's safety. Routine checks of her home ensure that all obvious hazards are minimised. She also carries out risk assessments for outings, such as to the park and shops. The childminder's secure understanding of safeguarding issues means that she is aware of the importance of recognising when a child could be at risk of harm, and how to report concerns. She has recently attended safeguarding training to increase her understanding of child protection matters. The childminder also maintains all the necessary records and documents required to support children's well-being. The childminder has begun to self-evaluate her practice. She recognises the value of

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provision

continuously developing her skills for the benefit of the children. She aims to gain a professional childcare qualification and to learn in more depth how to care for children with disabilities. Parents have completed a questionnaire as part of the self-evaluation process. Their comments include that they have peace of mind because the good level of care their children receive.

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provision

The childminder develops positive relationships with parents and works closely with them to enable her to provide appropriate and consistent care. The childminder is aware of the need to share all relevant information with other early years settings children might attend. This will allow her to further support children's learning and development, and ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of learning in school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY446211 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 800744 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 1

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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. 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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