Childminder in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2012 11/09/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has a very strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures that children are cared for to a high standard and that their well-being and safety are effectively prioritised.  Children are highly motivated and engaged by the wide range of activities on offer. They make good progress in their learning and development as they benefit from the childminder's good teaching style and quality resources.  Children benefit from the highly effective partnerships that exist between the childminder, their parents and other childcare settings. Information is regularly shared to enhance their care and learning.  A sense of freedom and fun enables children to become confident explorers and active learners. Their play is valued and enhanced as the childminder understands how to let them direct play, and builds in learning through their favourite games and activities.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to play and extend their learning in the outside environment have not yet been fully embraced.  Young children and babies do not have visual cues to help them recognise or predict routines to further increase their sense of security.

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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 in the lounge and dining room, observed the rest of the areas used for minding purposes and checked the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, the childminder's self-evaluation information and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the written comments provided by parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2005 and lives with her husband and their four children aged 13, 11, five and four-years-old in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently, the childminder is caring for three children, one of whom is within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The whole of the ground floor and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding. Children have access to an outdoor play area. The setting operates each weekday throughout the year. The childminder has two dogs and chickens.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is a member of a childminding network and has a National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Childcare and Development.

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

 improve the outside area so that it provides a range of learning opportunities and is regularly accessible to children

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

 provide ways to help young children and babies recognise and predict routines.

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who attend

The childminder has a good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and provides a wide range of activities that inspire and stimulate children's imagination. Children's language development is successfully fostered through regular conversations throughout the day and through the good use of repetition, which enables even very young children to become familiar with frequently used words and their meaning. For example, as the childminder asks them to pass her two cars, she points to the toys and shows how many she wants as she says the instruction again. Children respond correctly, showing that they understand what is being asked of them. Consequently, they quickly build an understanding of spoken word. Toy boxes have pictures on then alongside words to show what they contain and children can confidently select what they want as they start to notice and understand the printed words.

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who attend

Personal and social skills are developing rapidly as the childminder encourages good self- care and positive interactions. She introduces children to toddler groups so that they can mix with their peers and provides a high level of support while they develop their confidence in doing so. Early literacy skills are also being developed as children enjoy favourite stories again and again. The childminder reads a popular children's story as it is repeatedly requested and even provides a copy so that parents can read it to their children at home. Mathematical skills are also successfully promoted through a range of play activities. Children enjoy counting the cars as they put them away and learn about matching size and colour as they select the red or blue maracas from the music box. Activities, such as baking further develop their understanding of concepts, such as size, quantity and measure. Children have lots of opportunities to engage their imagination and

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who attend

be creative. They enjoy a range of craft activities, sticking, gluing and making pictures to their own design. They also like dressing up, becoming fire officers and pretending to put out fires.

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who attend

The childminder effectively observes children as they play. She makes a note of their achievements and successfully identifies activities and experiences to move them on. Consequently, children are continually moving forward and are fully engaged in activities as these are pitched appropriately. The childminder tracks their development towards the early learning goals and shares their achievements with parents. This ensures that children's progress is monitored and any need for additional input in any area is swiftly identified and addressed.

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

Children are generally relaxed and confident in the childminder's home. They are helped to settle in as the childminder takes time to get to know them and shows them genuine warmth and acceptance. She values their unique personalities and adapts her approach to meet their needs. For instance, she willingly sits with shy children at toddler groups, giving them time to develop their confidence to mix with other children. The childminder has considered making a pictorial representation for the general routine of the day so that young children can see what will happen next. However, this has not been implemented, and consequently, children are not able to predict what will happen in order to build on their already good sense of security.

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

The childminder obtains information from parents and carers about likes and dislikes and then provides a wide variety of toys and resources to help them enjoy her time in their care. She observes children as they play to determine their preferences. Favourite activities are then on offer throughout the day, alongside new experiences which are provided to encourage the development of new skills. For example, the childminder introduces messy play so that children can experience the feel of different textures, such as flour on their hands. Children make marks and enjoy the feel of the flour as they swirl it around. Throughout the day, the childminder communicates with the children, asking them what they want to do and responding positively as they indicate that they want the musical instruments or the toy cars out. She follows their ideas, playing along as they empty out the containers and put the plastic tubs on their heads. The childminder does

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

the same and children laugh with surprise.

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

Children's behaviour is good. Even young children know what is expected of them as they follow clear routines, washing their hands after nappy changes and before eating, and helping the childminder put away toys before they start playing with different ones. Self- care is promoted effectively as they feed themselves at snack time. A healthy lifestyle is encouraged as the childminder takes children outside every day with visits to the park or exploration in the back garden where they enjoy hunting for bugs. The childminder also encourages them to eat healthy food as she provides them with wholemeal toast and fruit at snack time and home cooked meals, such as chicken curry for lunch.

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

Children are also encouraged to learn how to keep themselves safe. The fire drill is regularly practised and children are reminded about road safety as they go out and about. Older children are encouraged to consider their own safety as they enjoy climbing on fallen trees. This helps them to develop a sense of responsibility for their own well-being.

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provision

The childminder is dedicated to her role as a carer and educator. She prioritises children's safety and well-being and ensures that she is fully focussed on children's needs throughout the day. The childminder is keen to continually develop her service and regularly considers how to bring about positive change for the benefit of the children. For instance, she has addressed all the recommendations from the last inspection, updating her risk assessments and ensuring that her first aid certificate is updated. She also reflects on how well children respond to the resources on offer and makes changes to encourage them to get the most out of activities. For example, after realising that children did not access stories from the book box, she now displays a few books in a rack so that they are not over-whelmed by a large choice. The childminder is aware that her outside area requires further attention. Currently, it provides children with opportunities for physical

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provision

play but has not been fully developed as an inviting learning environment. There are less resources for other areas of learning outside, and is not often used during bad weather due to its current layout. Consequently, it is not always available and children cannot access it freely.

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provision

The childminder asks parents and carers for their views and seeks to act positively on any comments they make. Written comments indicate that parents are very happy with the care provided, commenting that they 'love the great activities' and that they appreciate the high level of support the childminder provides, attending school events when parents are unable to do so. The childminder has built strong relationships with other settings that children attend. She is aware of the topics they cover and provides complementary activities to extend their learning. She also shares her skills with other childcare providers. Recently, she has had a member of the local parent and teachers association attend her home to show her how to make Christmas crafts with children. This excellent approach to partnership working encourages settings to share good practice and promote continuity of care for the benefit of all children. Additionally, it contributes to a smooth transition for

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provision

children as they embark on their next stages of learning, as strong links with local schools enable them to move on with confidence.

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provision

The childminder has a secure knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and children's safety is well-promoted. The home is safe and secure, with all exterior doors kept locked. The childminder ensures that children understand how to handle the pets safely and keeps the two dogs separate from the rooms used for play. Children can stroke the dogs under close supervision and enjoy learning about how to care for them. They love to help the childminder feed the chickens outside and collect in the eggs, which they sometimes take home. The childminder uses risk assessments to identify and minimise any hazards in the home and outside. She encourages children to be aware of any risks and even young children know to wash their hands after touching the animals, so that they do not get ill. The childminder is very clear about her role and responsibility in delivering the learning and development requirements. She has devised effective systems

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provision

to plan and provide for individual children's needs, and consequently, they make very good progress.

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provision

The childminder has positive relationship with parents. She regularly shares information about children's routines and the activities they complete. Any concerns are promptly recorded and shared as required. The childminder has also encouraged parents to share information about their child's learning and development at home and these observations are included in the child's individual file. This contributes to the planning for future activities, ensuring that she is putting in place challenging and appropriate experiences, based on what children know and can do.

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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 EY302630 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 820250 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 3

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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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