Sheryl Mary Summers

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/12/2012 03/03/2009

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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

 Children have developed strong bonds with the childminder, who has a caring and fun approach. This helps the children to feel secure and comfortable in her care.  Children make good progress as the childminder's practice is based on a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote their learning and development.  Partnership with parents and other early years professionals are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs.  The childminder gives a high priority to promoting children's safety and well-being. She takes effective action to reduce potential hazards to children.  The childminder is committed to updating her professional knowledge and making improvements to her service. She has made an accurate self-evaluation of her service and has many ideas for further development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Outdoor opportunities for children to enhance their knowledge of the natural world and explore how things work are not yet fully maximised.  The childminder does not yet consistently make the most of the document 'Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' when completing her summary assessments of children's achievements. This may occasionally result in learning experiences that are not fully matched to children's needs.

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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 indoor learning environment and toured the premises.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed evidence of qualifications of the childminder, risk assessment, policies and procedures and other documentation in relation to health and safety checks.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from references obtained by the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and three children in a house in Canewdon, Essex. All areas of her home and the rear garden are available for childminding. The childminder has completed the Cache Level 3 Diploma in Home-Based Childcare and has attended first aid, safeguarding and food safety training. She attends local toddler groups and meetings at the local children's centre. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and an approved childminding network. She is accredited and receives funding for early education for children aged three- and four-years-old. There are currently five children attending who are within the early years age range, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years and walks to local schools to take and collect

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Information about the setting

children. She works all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays agreed in advance.

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

 develop the resources and activities offered in the garden to give children greater opportunities to explore the natural world and to find out how things work

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

 sharpen the approach for assessing children's achievements and consistently use the document 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' as a prompt to make best-fit judgements of the stage/age band which best describes each child's current development.

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who attend

Children flourish and make good progress in all aspects of their learning because the childminder offers interesting activities that children enjoy. She has a good understanding of how young children learn. Planned activities are flexible to take account of children's interests and capabilities and the childminder is always close by to offer support and guidance. She joins in children's play, giving them time to talk and think, so they can work things out for themselves. Children's speech and language is developing well and they thoroughly enjoy story times. The childminder uses resources well to capture children's interest in the stories about the 'Three Little Pigs' or 'Red Riding Hood'. They take an active role, anticipate what is going to happen next and recall key phrases with great enthusiasm.

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who attend

The childminder has moved premises since the last inspection and has worked hard to make the indoor environment beneficial to children's learning. Overall, the environment is well resourced, providing children with access to a varied range of toys and play materials. Many resources are easily accessible, with the childminder rotating other equipment to provide children with different choices. There are labels and signs displayed to help children become familiar with words and numbers. Children enjoy being creative and there are numerous examples of art work displayed on the walls. The rear garden is currently being renovated. Consequently, the childminder is not yet consistently introducing high quality outdoor activities that encourage children to investigate, explore and experiment in all areas of learning. She acknowledges that this is an area she wishes to develop in order to give children a full range of learning opportunities.

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who attend

Children take part in activities that help them develop the skills they need for future learning. They learn to recognise the sounds of letters as they match the pieces of a puzzle and have access to mark making materials in everyday play. The childminder encourages parents to be involved in children's experiences so they can work together to encourage their development. She organises a variety of outings to extend children's experiences in the world around them, and she invites their families to join them. They enjoy music sessions or social experiences at toddler groups. Special trips are also made to local farms and parks so that children can develop their understanding of animals and living things.

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who attend

The childminder knows the children well and she efficiently monitors children's progress. This is through the systematic use of photographs and observations, which are clearly recorded in individual development journals. Learning priorities are regularly identified and discussed with parents. The childminder also completes progress reports when children reach the age of two. She liaises closely with parents to complete these and they are shared with other professionals working with the children. Although the childminder is knowledgeable about each child, she is not always identifying the stage/age band, which best describes their current development. As a result, there is potential to enhance children's progress by making more effective use of the document 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage', when completing these summary assessment reports.

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

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They have developed close relationships with her and the other children, helping them to feel safe and secure. When children first start, home visits are organised to enable parents to provide additional information about their children. The childminder uses this information to settle children and help her plan for their individual learning. Children who tend to be shy, gain confidence and benefit from the familiar routines and the friendly atmosphere. The childminder positively encourages children to become independent and manage tasks for themselves. She makes sure that children can reach toilet and hand washing facilities and coat pegs are labelled with children's names to give them a sense of belonging. Suitable child-sized furniture is available so that children can eat and play in comfort.

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

Children are making good progress in developing the social skills they need in later life. They play harmoniously, treat each other respectfully and respond well to the childminder's consistent approach to supporting behaviour. They take part in charity events and learn how they can help other people. For example, they make Christmas cards to send to hospital patients. All children are offered plenty of praise and encouragement for their efforts. There are effective arrangements to prepare children for the transition into full-time education. Children regularly visit the local school when they use a classroom to attend the music group.

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

The childminder consistently encourages children to develop healthy practices, such as good hygiene and eating healthily. They learn that hand sanitising gel helps to remove germs. They sing a special song as they carefully wash their hands before sitting to eat nutritious meals and snacks. Drinks are constantly available so they do not become thirsty. The childminder is very knowledgeable about any allergies or special dietary requirements. She meets individual medical needs well and has attended specific training to deal with severe anaphylactic reactions. Children have regular opportunities to exercise and develop their physical skills. For example, they take part in gymnastics or dance sessions and hold conversations to talk about the effect that energetic movement has on their bodies.

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provision

The childminder is efficient and has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a clear range of policies and procedures and places a high priority on promoting children's safety. The childminder makes sure her home is safe and secure so that children do not come to harm. Good use is made of safety measures, such as, safety gates and a fireguard to prevent children accessing potential hazards. The childminder has a thorough knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. She has attended training to update her skills and confidence. There is a clear safeguarding policy with the procedures she needs to follow if she has any concerns and also guidance about the use of mobile phones and cameras.

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provision

The childminder has a very positive attitude to the continual development of her childminding provision. She is accredited to provide funded nursery education and this means that regular visits are made by local authority advisors to monitor her practice. The childminder makes good use of the support and advice she receives and also continually reflects on her strengths and identifies areas for further improvement. She enthusiastically attends training courses that benefit the children, and meets with other childminders to focus on good practice and share ideas. The actions from the last inspection have been successfully addressed. The childminder now undertakes sensitive observational assessment in order to plan to meet young children's individual needs. Risk assessments are now regularly conducted in relation to the premises and for each outing. There is now a written complaints policy that is consistent with the welfare requirements.

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provision

The childminder develops very good relationships with parents. She makes sure they are fully informed about all aspects of children's care and her childminding service. A detailed welcome pack is provided and a wealth of important information is displayed in the entrance hall. The childminder has started gathering parents' views to contribute towards the evaluation process. Parents say they are highly appreciative of the care their children receive and the varied experiences they enjoy. Well-established links with the local school and other early years providers promote continuity in children's care and learning.

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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 EY350176 Local authority Essex Inspection number 820871 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 3 Number of children on roll 7

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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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