Childminder in Dudley

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2012 22/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 settled and build warm relationships with the childminder and her assistant.  Children make choices from a wide range of play resources to support their learning.  Children of different ages mix well and enjoy playing together and sharing meal times.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder's awareness of potential risks to children, both in the house and when walking outside, is not always secure.  Some of the documentation required to support the effective management of the childminding business is not in place or efficiently organised.  The childminder does not effectively reflect on her practice to ensure all welfare requirements are being met.  Children's progress is not fully supported as observations are not used to clearly identify and plan for their next steps, and opportunities to fully involve parents in their progress are not maximised.

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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 play sessions with the assistant and two meal times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and her assistant at appropriate times throughout the visit.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of one parent at the setting and those expressed in notes and letters.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002. She lives with her husband in Halesowen, West Midlands, close to local shops, schools and the park. The childminder works with an assistant. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and the premises are accessible via one step at the front door. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family has a dog. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She currently has 16 children on roll, of whom eight are in the early years age range. The childminder is a member of the local childminding network and cares for one child who is in receipt of early years funding. She holds an appropriate level 3 qualification. The childminder attends the local toddler group on a regular basis and takes children to and from the local school. She offers care to

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Information about the setting

children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance  ensure that children are left in the sole care of childminder's assistants for two hours at most in a single day and that permission is obtained from parents and/or carers to do so.

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

 review risk assessment procedures to ensure children are kept safe from all hazards in the house and are transferred safely to and from school

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

 extend further the two-way flow of information with parents in order to find out about children's starting points and enable parents to be involved in their development

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

 develop methods for self-evaluation to identify the setting's strengths and set challenging targets for improvement

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

 develop further the use of observations to identify children's progress and plan more effectively for their next steps.

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who attend

The childminder provides a welcoming and relaxed environment where children settle well and move comfortably around. She has a wide range of resources to engage their interest and promote their learning, which are easily accessible so that children can confidently initiate their own play. She has updated her knowledge of the new Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and is aware of the importance of helping young children make progress through focusing on the three prime areas. There is a general routine to the day and the programme is based around children's choices and some adult-led activities and topics of interest, such as nature and transport. Children are becoming confident talkers as they are engaged in lots of conversation throughout the day with both adults. They enjoy reading stories and join in songs and nursery rhymes, and listen with fascination to the toy hamster who repeats their words back to them. The older ones are supported in any

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who attend

homework tasks and receive praise and encouragement for their creative talents as they proudly share their own compositions.

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who attend

Children are developing their knowledge of shapes and sizes as they sit contently trying to find pieces of the jigsaw puzzles or try and construct the road and train track. They have a range of mark-making materials and develop their creativity and imagination as they sponge print with different colours, help paint and decorate their tree collage or have fun icing biscuits. The childminder is generally aware of the needs of different children and will seek out appropriate activities to engage their interest, such as sitting together to encourage their concentration as they make paper chains. The childminder has attended some Forest School training and has now developed a range of natural resources for children to explore, both inside and out. Children have opportunities to engage with others and extend their social and play experiences as they attend the local toddler group where they enjoy a wide range of different experiences. They are developing their knowledge of

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who attend

their local community as they go out on trips to the local nature centre or visit the canals to look at different forms of transport. At the end of the day, older and younger children share tea together and then engage in different activities, such as card games or drawing, or just sit happily chatting as they relax after a busy school day.

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who attend

The childminder understands how to help children develop and make progress by providing a range of different experiences to make learning fun and by promoting their interests through questions and prompts. She is also building up a laminated folder of the different toys so that children can select their own. The childminder talks generally to parents at the start about their children's needs and observes them as they play and settle, using documents, such as 'Development Matters', to check on their progress and identify their next steps. She collects samples of their work in the development folders and captures them at play through photographs. She does record some of her observations and evaluates these to identify children's next steps, although this is not yet effectively used to plan and support the progress of individual children.

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

The childminder has created a welcoming environment where children are able to access toys of their choice from the wide selection available. Children have settled well into the routine and confidently initiate their own play, engaging happily with their companions. Children build warm relationships with the childminder and her assistant and benefit from the extra attention this provides. Younger ones engage confidently with different adults and are developing their social skills in preparation for school. They are supported and encouraged in their toilet training and independent self-care skills like dressing themselves in their outdoor clothes. Children of various ages mix well at the end of the day as they meet after school, talk about the day's events over tea and then happily engage in activities together.

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

Children's health is promoted through regular exercise and fresh air as they walk to and from school or visit the park where they can use the large equipment or go for nature walks and pick up leaves and other autumnal objects. They have use of the childminder's garden in the better weather and have fun using their imagination as they build dens. Children enjoy meals together around the table and have a daily selection of different fruits to sample. The childminder is aware of the importance of protecting children from infection and checks with parents about the health of their children, while providing attention and comfort to those who feel unwell.

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

Children are encouraged to play safely and to follow guidelines for safe walking when outside as the childminder is generally aware of the need to ensure clear routines are followed to protect children's safety. Older ones are given some independence to take responsibility for their own safety while being encouraged to walk sensibly along the pathway in twos. They take part in regular fire drills so they know how to evacuate the premises quickly in the event of a fire and are encouraged to use equipment safely, for example, to sit properly on the chairs at the table. Children are learning to play well with others as they are encouraged to share toys and take turns. As part of a large group of children at the end of the day, they respond well to the necessary routines and are encouraged to understand the needs of others and how to engage harmoniously together. Younger ones spontaneously find the box and start to collect the toys as they tidy away.

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provision

The childminder works alongside her assistant to provide care for early years children in the day and a large number of older children before and after school. She has attended a range of training to support continuous development, although there is no real self- evaluation system in place to monitor the educational programme or identify any plans for improvement. Consequently, not all the welfare requirements are being met. The childminder has a sound understanding of most of her safeguarding responsibilities and how to pass on any concerns about a child in her care, and she has attended recent training to update her awareness. Most of the required records and policies and procedures are in place to support children's welfare, although these are not very effectively organised or fully up to date. Also, the childminder has not maintained a daily record of children's attendance, which means she cannot demonstrate that ratios are

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provision

being maintained so that children are appropriately safeguarded. She has drawn up forms requiring parental consents for such things as transport, outings and leaving children with an assistant, but these have not been fully completed for all children. The childminder maintains a generally safe and secure house but her awareness of potential risks to children inside, such as trailing leads and the storage of accessible cleaners and chemicals, and her school collection routines, are not always carried out to fully safeguard children.

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provision

The childminder has a friendly and open partnership with parents and always ensures she or her assistant is there to talk at the end of the day. She offers a relaxed settling-in period when she exchanges information about her setting, showing them her policies and photos of activities she and the children have enjoyed. She offers a daily diary for younger children and has collected some photos and written observations together with examples of their work to show how they have progressed. However, information about children's starting points and the continued involvement of parents in their children's learning is not effectively encouraged, which may impact on their overall progress. The childminder has experience of looking after children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is aware of needing to work with parents and others so she offers the right support. She has well-established links with the school and nursery and makes sure she talks regularly

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provision

to the early years practitioners and teachers, and shares any relevant information to help children's transitions and ensure they work together to support their progress.

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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:

 keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Records to be kept) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  take action as specified above (Records to be kept).

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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 EY240196 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 894160 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 16

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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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