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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Childminder 141331

Inspected 18 Dec 2012 · published 16 Jan 2013 · URN 141331

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Summary

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    18 Dec 2012

  • Inspectors verified

    Cordalee Harrison

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Inadequate

  • URN verified

    141331

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • OverallInadequate

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

−66Very criticalmore positive than 15% of reports of this type graded Inadequate
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

Reads more critically than most reports of this type graded Inadequate.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praisepositivepositivelyconfidentvery wellsuccessfullystrengthsrespectfulconsistently
Criticisminadequateinsufficientineffectivepoornot metlimitedunsafenot effective

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings235w−66
  • What needs to improve2124w−64

Strengths

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No standout praise found.

Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
10
Words of findings
2,305
longer than usual (typical 907)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 44, typical 48
Average sentence
18 words
Next steps
8
typical 7
Hedged sentences
6%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 7%What needs to improve 66%About the inspection 27%

Full report text

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/12/2012 14/07/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The childminder does not meet all of the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, she does not hold a valid and relevant first aid qualification and her risk assessment is inadequate. Consequently, she does not do all that is necessary to assure children's health and safety.  The childminder does not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and she makes inadequate use of her resources. As a result, children make limited progress in relation to their starting points.  The childminder is not maintaining the required records for the safe and efficient management of her setting. This reduces the effectiveness of the arrangements to safeguard each child.  The childminder does not make effective use of self-evaluation and this greatly reduces her ability to drive improvement for the benefit of the children.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 The manner in which the children interact with the childminder shows that they feel at ease in her care.  The childminder gains appropriate information from parents, which enables her to provide children with loving care.

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and discussed activity plans with the childminder.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed suitability information with the childminder and checked qualifications.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation, discussed self-evaluation and improvement plans with the childminder.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1994. She lives with her husband and their adult daughter in Bradville, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The childminder's daughter is registered to assist her. The ground floor of the childminder's home is available for childminding and toilet and washing facilities are on this level. There is an enclosed garden at the rear of the premises for children's outdoor activities. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently, there are four children on roll. Of these, two are in the early years age group. The childminder also cares for children over eight years. The family has a cat and a dog.

p.2

must:

 obtain a paediatric first aid certificate and ensure this is maintained  ensure that any assistant who can be left in sole charge of the children for any period of time holds a current paediatric first aid certificate  put in place a well-understood procedure for assessing risks to children's safety and review risk assessments regularly  ensure that there is a record of each child's full name and date of birth, the name and address of every parent and/or carer who is known to the provider and information about any other person who has parental responsibility for the child, including which parent(s) and or carer the child normally lives with  improve observation of children to understand their level of achievement, interest and learning styles and reshape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations  make sufficient good quality play and learning resources readily available to

p.3

must:

children at all times to enable them to play and explore freely to support their learning across all areas  develop the educational programmes for expressive art and design to encourage children's make-believe play and to gain a true understanding of their interest.

p.3

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

 develop self-evaluation to carefully monitor and analyse the provision, identify areas for improvement and prioritise these to promote children's achievements over time.

p.3

who attend

Overall, the childminder makes inadequate provision to meet the needs of the children for whom she cares. Although there is positive interaction between the children and the childminder, children are not supported well in their learning and development. This reduces children's chances to make good or better progress in all areas of their learning. The childminder has a basic awareness of children's developmental stages and shares information about children's activities with parents. This gives her an idea of what children are doing at home. However, the childminder makes ineffective use of the information to help children to build on what they know and to discover new things. For example, she does not make available good quality learning resources for children to use for planned or unplanned learning. This limits children's chances to learn through exploration and develop their unique interests and learning styles.

p.4

who attend

The childminder carries out basic observations of children at play. However, she does not use these effectively to plan for the next steps in their learning. For example, she does not link them to guidance documents to help her to assess where children are in relation to their expected level of development. Therefore, she has no reliable information to inform her of children's progress in relation to their starting points. Children willing have a go with the resources that are available to them and the childminder engages with them. For example, the children play with the blocks and invite the childminder to play. The childminder joins in; however, she does not extend the activity well. For example, she uses numbers that are beyond the children's level of understanding and they quickly lose interest.

p.4

who attend

The childminder's random approach to providing children's activities does not cover all areas of children's learning well enough. For example, the childminder provides children with some foods, such as fruits that are good for their health. However, she does not develop their learning to help them to distinguish between the foods that they eat that are not healthy. This reduces children's understanding about why it is important to make healthy choices about food.

p.4

who attend

The childminder provides a limited range of resources for children to develop their creativity. Although children have some opportunities to use creative activities, they have insufficient opportunities to use pretend play or take part in messy activities. This infrequent use of these learning materials limits occasions for children to use a range of media to express themselves, make marks, test their ideas and actively learn as a core part of their play experiences.

p.4

who attend

The childminder helps children to sequence numbers and she uses some mathematical language, including positional language. Children have insufficient experiences to develop deep understanding using mathematical thinking in context. For example, the childminder knows that the children can sometimes successfully fit shapes into inset boards and jigsaw puzzles. However, she does not make these resources readily available for children to use independently.

p.4

who attend

Children develop their physical skills as they walk in the local area and make use of resources such as swings and slides in the park. These activities contribute to developing children's understanding of obtaining fresh air and exercise in maintaining healthy lifestyles. These activities also promote children's understanding of the world and their environment. For example, they interact with others as they visit the local school, which develops their ability to interact with others and to practise their communication and social skills. Children are learning good manners and they often remember to say 'please and thank you'.

p.4

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

The childminder speaks positively of the benefits of settling children over time. However, she does not make effective use of the information that she gains from parents about their children. For example, although the childminder gains good quality information about what children can do, she does not relate the information to guidance to ensure that she provides all that they need to keep them moving forward. The childminder states that children are clever; however, she does use guidance, such as Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, to find out how clever they are to make sure that she is providing the correct level of stimulation and challenge for them. This poor practice puts children at a disadvantage, because the childminder is not providing learning and developmental opportunities that reflect their unique abilities. This does not promote equality well. Furthermore, it does not equip children well for school or the next stage of

p.5

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

learning. Children are not learning that it is very important to continue to strive and capitalise on their individual strengths.

p.5

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

The childminder cares for children from different cultural backs grounds. She is respectful of children and their families' cultural practices and observances. For examples, she makes sure that she follows parents' guidance for their children's dietary requirements. This shows parents and children that the childminder welcomes and values them. The childminder interacts positively with children and this makes them feel emotionally secure. The childminder's behaviour management methods are suited to the children's understanding and this helps children to develop good manners. The childminder's positive acknowledgement of children pleases them and helps them to recognise when they do well.

p.5

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

Children are clean and comfortable because the childminder takes appropriate care of their personal hygiene needs. Their good health is generally promoted through regular opportunities to be active and have fresh air. Children eat an adequate range of food, mostly provided by their parents. It is the usual practice for children to wash hands or use sterilising gel to clean their hands before eating. These practices go some way towards raising children's awareness of habits that contribute to healthy lifestyles, self-care and personal safety. The childminder takes some appropriate steps to help children to learn about safety; for example, she helps children to develop their awareness of road safety as they walk in the area. However, overall the childminder's safety measures are inadequate. Although she addresses fire safety properly and stair gates prevent children's access to the first floor, the childminder is over confident in what children will and will not do.

p.5

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

Therefore, she does not take all the necessary safety measures to safeguard children. For example, she shows surprise when children open the low-level drawer and remove dangerous equipment, such as large scissors. This demonstrates the safety measures that the childminder implements are insufficient to safeguard children and place children in unsafe situations.

p.5

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

Children do not have easy access to sufficient good quality play resources and the childminder's lack of planning for children's play hinders their ability to develop their individual learning styles. Children make very limited choices about play and this hampers their curiosity and curtails their openness to learning, which are key skills for the future and their transition to school.

p.6

provision

The arrangements that the childminder makes for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare are inadequate. Although the childminder attempts to meet the children's needs, her practices are casual. They are not based on good knowledge of how to promote learning and development or safeguarding and welfare. The childminder does not make effective use the Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage or the related guidance. The childminder breaches a number of learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements. The childminder's planning and delivery of educational programme is inadequate to support children's learning across all areas. The childminder does not make sufficient good quality resources available to support children's play and exploration to support active learning in all areas. The childminder does not put systems in place to monitor and evaluate the next step for children's learning. Overall,

p.6

provision

children make inadequate progress in learning in relation to their starting points.

p.6

provision

The childminder's understanding of safeguarding is patchy and her actions are careless in some parts. For example, the childminder is confident about what to do if there are concerns about children's well-being. However, she consistently fails to maintain a valid first aid certificate. This means that there is no assurance that she is able to deal with accidents with the required knowledge and skills of a qualified first aider. In addition, she does not maintain evidence to show that her assistant holds a valid and relevant first aid certificate to meet requirements when she is in sole charge of children. Furthermore, the childminder does not maintain all required documentation to safeguard children. For example, she does not have a record of all of children's details and information for parents as required. The childminder's risk assessment is inadequate to assure children's safety. The childminder does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and voluntary parts of

p.6

provision

the Childcare Register. She does not maintain appropriate first aid certificate and her ineffective risk assessments do not create and maintain safe environments for children.

p.6

provision

The childminder does not use self-evaluation and reflective practice to evaluate her provision. She does not give enough attention to learning and development and safeguarding and welfare matters and this results in poor childcare practices overall. The childminder has not met actions raised at her last inspection. For example, she does not identify her training needs to ensure that there are no lapses in essential qualifications, such as first aid. The childminder is not proactive in advancing her learning to make sure that her childcare practices are based on up-to-date information to reflect recent advances in areas, such as children's learning and development. This limits her ability to support children to make good or better progress. The childminder works cooperatively with parents. She willingly shares information with them and listens to the information that they give her about children. The childminder establishes suitable relationships with other

p.6

provision

providers. She maintains a two-way flow of information with teachers at the local school and this goes some way to maintaining continuity for children's care. Although the childminder has not been proactive to make links with other agencies, such as local authority development officers, she now realises that she needs to do so to move her practice forward.

p.7

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.7

actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

p.7

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 obtain an appropriate first aid qualification (applies to both parts of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks. (applies to both parts of the Childcare Register)

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 141331 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 814004 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

p.8

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10

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