Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/11/2012 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

 Relationships between the children, the childminder and her co-childminders are strong. Effective transition arrangements between the children's home and the childminder's setting ensure that they develop caring and warm relationships with the adults caring for them.  An effective key person system ensures that each child has a special person to care for them.  The childminder's effective systems for safeguarding and promoting children's welfare, ensure that they play and learn in a safe and secure environment. Well-presented and comprehensive written polices support her practices.  Children are happy, excited and motivated to learn. They show good levels of independence and engage in purposeful play and learning throughout their day.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Partnership arrangements with both parents and the other settings children attend are not robust enough to ensure that there is an effective shared and complimentary approach to supporting children's learning.

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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 childminder's lounge and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder and her two co-childminders at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a range of records and documentation relating to the childminder's service, including written policies, information about the children, records of their progress, training certificates, risk assessments, fire evaluations records, accident records and children's daily diaries.  The inspector took account of the views of parents, provided in written testimonials.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, her three adult children and three foster children in a house in Loughton, Essex. The whole of the property and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has three cats. The childminder has completed basic training, including first aid. She collects children from the local pre-school. The childminder works with two other co-childminders.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 13 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She cares for children all year round from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays.

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

 enhance partnership working with parents and the other settings children attend, so that there is a shared knowledge about children's learning and development needs and a common approach to how this is supported.

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who attend

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of the seven areas of learning. This enables her to provide the children in her care with a well-organised, stimulating and well- resourced learning environment. She demonstrates a good understanding of the individual needs, likes and dislikes of each of the children in her care. Her effective systems for obtaining clear information about children's starting points, family backgrounds and capabilities enable her to carry out initial assessments for each child. She uses this information to inform her future planning and assessment of every child's learning needs. The childminder is actively involved in children's play and her timely intervention and clear questioning supports their progress well.

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who attend

Children are interested and keen learners, who display clear characteristics of effective learning. They find out about the world around them by exploring the toys and play materials on offer to them. For example, younger children crawl around the main play area, engaging in play with the selection of resources set out for them. They are also provided with opportunities to play in the sectioned area of the room, which is set up for younger children's play. They are active learners, constantly moving from one toy to another; their concentration developing as their abilities progress. For example, very young children have fun knocking down the towers of bricks, which the co-childminder helps them to build, while older toddlers collect bricks to contribute towards the tower. Their critical thinking is enhanced by the childminder using appropriate open-ended questions and building on their initiated play.

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who attend

The childminder actively promotes children's enjoyment of books and story-telling by providing a range of interesting and age-appropriate books and resources. They enjoy puppet play, acting out stories and rhymes using a selection of hand puppets and visual images provided for them. Older children enjoy playing in the childminder's garden. They participate in sand play, using appropriate tools and play resources to enhance their knowledge of mathematics. For example, they fill various sized containers and compare the amount of sand required. The childminder's assistant supports this learning, through the appropriate use of language. Children participate in a range of planned and freely chosen play experiences. The planning in place sets out general activities, which the childminder plans for all of the children present at that time. Activities are then adapted and tailored to meet the individual children's learning needs and stages of development.

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who attend

For example, older, more able children select creative materials, such as, used boxes, toilet rolls, scissors and various types of paper, to make models and collages, while younger children enjoy simpler materials, such as, crayons, stickers and pre-cut shapes.

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who attend

Parents are provided with a daily diary, which details their children's routines, meals and sleep patterns. It contains some information about the range of activities their children have participated in. However, arrangements for effectively involving parents in their children's learning are not yet fully robust. For example, parents are invited to view their child's learning journeys, but are not actively encouraged to share what they know about the things their child learns at home or at other settings. This hinders the childminder in developing a complete picture of all children's achievements and from building on what they learn elsewhere. The childminder is aware of the requirement to carry out progress checks for two year old children and is in the process of discussing these with parents.

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

The childminder's effective settling-in systems ensure that children develop strong and positive attachments with her, her co-childminders and the other children attending. Well- presented and informative 'all about me' booklets are completed by parents. These provide good opportunities for parents to share information about their child's family, likes, dislikes, favourite foods and things, which worry them. The effectiveness of this information sharing enables the childminder to provide a smooth transition between home and her setting. It also promotes smooth transitions between her setting and other early years provisions, which the children may attend. The positive relationships in place result in happy, content children, who feel safe and secure in the childminder's care.

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

The childminder uses clear praise and encouragement to promote children's self-esteem and confidence. She effectively encourages children's independence, for example, by providing young babies with their own spoon to practise their feeding skills. Older children independently access the toilet and understand that it is important for them to wash their hands when they have finished. Children develop a good sense of belonging in the childminder's home through her effective routines and practices. For example, younger children always sleep in the same cots and are encouraged to take their comforters with them to help them settle. The childminder has robust systems in place for checking sleeping babies. Each room used for sleeping children has a baby monitor in. A timer is set when a child is placed in their cot, which alarms every 20 minutes. The childminder, or one of her two co-childminders carry out a physical check of the babies following the

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

The childminder promotes children's health and well-being effectively. She provides them with very healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. They enjoy a good amount of fresh fruit and raw vegetables for their mid-morning and afternoon snacks. Lunch and dinner is provided and always includes fresh, healthy ingredients. The childminder prepares all meals in advance to ensure that her time is dedicated to the children. Children remain very safe in the childminder's care because she conducts effective risk assessments of her home and garden. A clear record of fire evacuations shows how children's understanding of fire safety in the home is promoted.

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provision

Children are effectively protected from harm because the childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge of safeguarding them. She has been a foster carer for a number of years, which has provided her with opportunities to attend a wide range of training around protecting children. She ensures that all adults living on the premises or having regular contact with children are vetted and proof of their clearance is available for inspection at all times. Children play and learn in an extremely well-organised, safe and secure environment as the childminder's effective systems for risk assessing her home ensures their safety.

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provision

This is the childminder's first inspection since registration. She has been actively caring for children for the past five months. She works with her husband and one other co- childminder. They work well together, providing children and their families with good quality, professional and consistent care. Regular discussions between the childminders provide good opportunities for them to constantly review the provision. They identify areas for improvement through their self-evaluation processes. For example, a recent review of practice led to identifying the need for more resources to meet children's ongoing needs, and this was quickly acted upon with additional equipment purchased. The childminder uses her self-evaluation systems to identify any training needs and as a result, has booked a place on a safeguarding course to ensure that her child protection knowledge is in line with current best practice.

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provision

Parents are provided with good information about the childminder and her setting, through a well-written and informative prospectus and through effectively written policies and procedures. The use of daily diaries ensures that they remain well informed about their children's routines and how well their care needs have been met. Parents provide the childminder with written feedback on her setting. Comments shared through this process detail how happy the parents are with the setting and how complimentary they are of the childminder's professional, welcoming service. Arrangements are in place to enable the childminder to work in partnership with the other early years settings, which children attend. However, these are not yet robust enough to enable all parties to work in partnership together, so that there is a shared understanding and a common approach to supporting children's learning and development.

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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 EY442945 Local authority Essex Inspection number 800913 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 13

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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. 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

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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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