Childminder in Gloucestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2013 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

 The childminder supports children well in learning through play, using their interests and interacting skilfully with them. She effectively encourages their good behaviour and emerging language skills.  Children settle in quickly and build strong relationships with each other and the childminder so that they are secure and happy.  The provision for meeting the requirements for children's safeguarding and welfare is good.  The childminder has developed good relationships with the parents. They value the time she spends with the children and the information she shares with them about their children's development and welfare.  The childminder is well organised and committed to further professional development to improve her provision for children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend partnership with new parents by inviting them to share their views about their children's starting points in each area of 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 home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed aspects of childminding with the childminder as appropriate.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation which included the childminder's planning and assessment records, training certificates and some policies and daily documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents in letters left with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives with her husband and two children at Charlton Kings in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The majority of the property is available for childminding purposes, although children generally play downstairs in the play room, kitchen-diner and lounge There is an enclosed garden with grassed and patio areas. There are pre-schools, a library, shops and other local amenities in walking distance. The childminder takes and collects children from local schools and frequently attends various children's groups. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She offers childcare before, during and after school, in school holidays and overnight. The childminder is currently minding four children in the early years age group.

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

 extend information from new parents to further support the process of using what children can do as starting points for their learning.

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who attend

The childminder has a particularly good understanding of how children develop and learn through, for example, her studies in child psychology. Overall, she gains an effective overview of their starting points through in-depth conversation with their parents and perceptive observations of their play during early visits. Children are well on target to make good progress as they freely move around the home and explore the wide range of accessible activities. The childminder has a clear understanding of how to analyse her detailed observation into aspects of the areas of learning and to check children's progress. She understands well the process to complete progress checks for two-year-olds and is applying for further training. She knows to provide a summary of the child's development in line with the early learning goals; she intends to share this with their parents, the health visitor and any other setting involved. She ably uses the Development Matters publication

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who attend

and children's next steps and interests in her plans. As a result, they reach, and often exceed, the expected levels of development. The childminder has established a flexible routine that enables children to feel secure and includes their choosing outdoor play each day. Children enjoy exploring the world around them as they frequently visit a farm park. They talk about their favourite animals and purchase picture postcards of these; at home, they draw and 'write' messages and post these to their parents.

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who attend

The childminder reacts confidently and calmly to children's feelings and expressions of emotions to help them settle and engage in activities. She enthusiastically follows their play and the interests that they show. For example, she commendably extends babies' physical development as they practise their walking; she teaches social conventions when a young child explores a toy telephone and strongly encourages pretend play. The childminder is well aware of the value of joining in the play that children choose and are enjoying. She enthusiastically responds to babies' interests in picture books to confirm the value of their activities and to help them learn new words. Young children listen attentively as the childminder sings songs linked with books, including 'Row, row, row the boat', and places good emphasis on rhyming words. The childminder offers many challenging open questions to support children to think. She continually talks about their

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who attend

activities, helping them to be aware of different words that they can use.

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who attend

Children's understanding of mathematical language develops well, for example, through conversation about their actions. The childminder asks a baby if a toy figure 'sits in here at the top?' The child carefully and in her own time places the toy in the top of the crane's bucket. Children effectively learn through making choices; for example, when babies play with their shoes, the childminder asks whether they want these 'on' or 'off'. The childminder is well aware that children learn through their senses. As a result, she provides a wealth of sensory play, including encouraging their interests in different sounds. Babies know to press the same button on a toy to repeat a favourite tune; they enjoy responding to the music by swaying. Young children are engrossed in stimulating play activities, such as drawing items beginning with their initials on tin foil covered with paint. Older ones glue leaves they collected onto their thanksgiving tree and share what is

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who attend

most special to them in their lives. All children are strongly encouraged to carry out their own ideas. As a result, they achieve independent learning skills to stand them in good stead for their next stage in learning.

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

The childminder's strong practice ensures that children develop close bonds and good emotional attachments to her. Babies and young children arrive happy and eager to enjoy their day with her. They demonstrate that they feel secure with the childminder and quickly settle with her when they feel tired. From a young age, they respond well to the good examples continuously set by childminder. For example, they are polite and ask to leave the table. Older ones are eager to be involved in setting the positive house rules, including 'to be gentle and kind to each other'. Children receive good support to learn how to keep themselves safe. They discuss why they regularly practise emergency drills, suggest different kinds of fires and explore their feelings about these through their own choice of craft activity. They learn from professionals about road safety and take considered risks as they negotiate local woodlands. Through the childminder's consistent,

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

focused interaction, she strongly fosters children's physical and emotional well-being.

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

The skilled childminder supports children well in exploring the spacious, attractive learning environment that includes many opportunities for decision making. She supports babies to choose from plentiful sensory equipment stored at their level. Older ones refer to a catalogue of photographs to extend their play resources. They are keen to play with the wide range of equipment, including natural materials such as sand and water.

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

Young children demonstrate their pride in their achievements and the childminder continuously encourages young children to do things for themselves. From a young age, they develop good independence, for example, in eating and personal hygiene. The childminder supports them well to gain a good understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and physical exercise. All children have access to drinking water so they do not become thirsty. Older ones talk about the varied fruits and vegetables they eat in their snacks and meals. They eagerly spend long periods in the fresh air, exploring and digging in the garden. They enjoy a wealth of stimulating outings, negotiating challenging large equipment at a nearby park and a soft play venue.

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provision

The childminder understands her responsibilities well in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a good knowledge of how to use the ages and stages of the 'Development Matters' document to implement and monitor the educational programme for each child. She frequently checks that her planning and assessment are consistent with children's individual requirements. She has good awareness of what each child needs to learn next to provide any additional support that is required, for example, for babies and young children.

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provision

The childminder effectively fulfils her responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage at all times. She implements these consistently to make her home welcoming, safe and stimulating. She demonstrates a robust knowledge of child protection procedures, including how to respond if she has a concern about a child. The childminder effectively risks assesses the home, garden and outings so that hazards are minimised for children. She has a good knowledge about legal ratios and how many children she may care for; she is entirely clear about when to notify Ofsted. She has devised all of the required policies in detail so these are a good reflection of her day-to-day practice.

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provision

The childminder works well, overall, in partnership with parents. She has created detailed and attractive documents to inform them about her provision and about the new Early Years Foundation Stage. She gives parents a complete set of her policies for which they sign to show their understanding. Although information about new children does not include their starting points in each area of learning, parents are involved well in their children's learning. The childminder establishes good partnerships with other providers and is proactive in linking with children's school teachers. She has a good understanding of the importance of partnership working for children to receive the support they need.

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provision

Effective systems for evaluation inform the childminder's priorities and she uses these to set challenging targets for improvement. Her self-evaluations are realistic and she seeks advice from other professionals. She has good regard for young children's expressed wishes and preferences and values the views of parents and carers. The childminder has effective plans for her continuous professional development. She aims to attend further training courses and to gain qualified teaching status to further improve her provision for children.

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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 EY448426 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 807413 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 4

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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.

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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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