Childminder in Darlington

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/01/2013 13/07/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development as the childminder provides a suitable range of activities and interacts appropriately with them to extend their learning.  Children's welfare needs are supported as the childminder works closely with parents at the start to gather all required information to help her to get to know the children.  Children are happy, secure and settled with the childminder as she provides a safe, clean and welcoming environment where they can make independent choices from a wide range of resources.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not consistently use observations and assessment to monitor and track the children's progress. This means that it is not clear to see how planning is based on children's individual learning needs.  The childminder is not aware of her responsibility to review a child's progress when they are aged between two and three years to provide an accurate assessment of their learning and development. This has a minimal impact on children's learning at present as the childminder currently has no children in this age range.  The childminder has not fully explored ways to share information about children's ongoing learning with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This does not effectively support continuity of learning for children.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journeys, a selection of policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through written comments that they left for the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with husband in a house in Darlington. The family has a pet dog. The whole of the ground floor, the first floor spare bedroom and bathroom and the rear yard are used for childminding. The childminder has completed basic training, including first aid. She visits the local shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently nine children on roll, six are in the early years age group, who attend for a variety of sessions and three are school-aged children, who attend before and after school. The childminder provides care all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, except for family holidays. The childminder provides overnight care for a maximum of two children under the age of eight years of age.

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must:

 ensure each child's level of development is consistently assessed against the early learning goals and use information about children's individual needs and interests more effectively to support their progress across the prime and specific areas of learning  develop a secure understanding of the progress check, which is carried out between the age of two and three years, its purpose, who is responsible for undertaking the check and when it should be carried out.

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

 develop further the arrangements for sharing information and partnership working with other providers that children attend, in order to fully support their learning and development.

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who attend

Children are making steady progress in their learning and development because the childminder is generally aware of their individual learning needs. She provides children with a suitable range of activities, which cover all areas of learning and mostly sustain their interest. The childminder has completed learning journals for each child, these include, examples of their work and observations of activities. This is combined with a suitable understanding of what each child can do. However, the childminder does not use the information she gathers to assess where children are in relation to their expected development stage. This means that she has a limited understanding of how children are progressing towards the early learning goals and does not ensure that planning is based on children's individual stage of development. In addition, the childminder does not have a secure awareness and understanding of the progress check required for children aged

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who attend

between two and three years of age. However, she currently has no children in this age range.

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who attend

The childminder supports children appropriately as they play. For example, during arts and crafts sessions, she supports younger children to hold scissors correctly and gives them praise as they use glue sticks and paint brushes competently. Children are confident in the childminder's care, for example, they tell her when they have finished an activity and make independent choices about what they would like to do next. The childminder is getting to know the children well, for example, she recognises when they need to have a run around in the yard to 'let of steam'. Children have suitable opportunities to develop their language and communication skills. They join in enthusiastically with the childminder as she reads favourite stories to them. She encourages them to name items in the pictures and they use puppets to join in with the story. Regular questioning from the childminder, for example, asking children 'what colour the paint is' further supports their language

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who attend

development. Children are beginning to develop their mathematical understanding through everyday activities, such as counting the stairs as they climb and talking about which of them is 'bigger.' The childminder helps them to begin to learn about the wider world as they talk about butterflies and she shows them how each side is 'the same'. Children clearly enjoy dressing-up. This supports their imagination as they pretend to be police officers and postmen and look after babies.

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who attend

The childminder has adequate systems to identify children's starting points. She meets with parents at the start and gathers information about children's likes, interests and routines. This helps her to provide consistent care. She provides parents with appropriate feedback about their children's care and learning through daily diaries for babies, regular discussion and access to their child's learning records. Information about the week's activities is clearly displayed for parents to see. This helps to keep parents involved in their child's ongoing learning.

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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. The indoor environment provides a warm and welcoming space where children move around confidently. A wide range of resources are stored in low-level boxes, which children can independently access. Examples of children's work are displayed, along with welcome signs for new children. This helps children's transition to the setting and supports them in developing a sense of belonging. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging in the childminder's care. The childminder supports children's behaviour appropriately. She encourages them to share and gives them praise and encouragement for their efforts. Children are clearly developing close relationships with one another. They give each other cuddles and help each other as they put on their dressing-up outfits.

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

Children's good health is appropriately supported by the childminder. Meals are provided by parents, however, the childminder provides healthy snacks of fresh and dried fruit and ensures that children have regular drinks. Regular opportunities for physical play, such as running around in the rear yard or going for walks to the park provide children with suitable opportunities to be healthy. Visits to local toddler groups and to collect older children from schools and nursery provides children with opportunities to socialise with their peers. This also supports them with the smooth transition to school when they are older as they begin to become familiar with the concept of 'going to nursery or big school'. Children are beginning to learn about how to keep themselves safe through planned activities, such as role playing fire men and practising road safety.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates an adequate understanding of her responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she does not consistently assess the progress the children are making towards the early learning goals. This makes it difficult to see if there are any gaps in children's learning and progress. Children are appropriately safeguarded in the childminder's care as she has a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She is clear about child protection procedures and knows what to do if she had a concern about a child in her care. Written risk assessments, along with daily checks of the home and appropriate safety procedures, such as locking external doors and using stair gates, ensures that potential risks to children in her care are minimised.

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provision

The childminder receives support to improve her setting from her local early year's advisor and shares information verbally with other childminders. She has made progress with most of the actions and recommendations raised at the previous inspection, including identifying the next steps in children's learning. This helps to promote outcomes for children. The childminder has a suitable understanding of her areas for development. She has identified areas she would like further training in and gathers feedback from parents to help her to develop her service. The childminder has developed secure relationships with parents. A wide range of information is displayed for them at the entrance, including her certificate of registration and her insurance details. Information about the childminder's policies are shared with parents at the start. This ensures that parents are suitably informed about how the childminder works. She shares some information verbally

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provision

with other provides of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, there is scope to improve this by sharing further information about what children know and can do, in order to support continuity of 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 EY423520 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 875759 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 9

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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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