Childminder in Bury

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/01/2013 03/12/2009

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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

 Keeping children safe is a high priority and the childminder has undertaken several courses to enhance her knowledge of safeguarding children.  The childminder provides a welcoming and friendly environment, which helps children to develop confidence, and there are plenty of accessible resources and varied outings provided.  The childminder makes some plans for children's future learning, based on her observations, their interests and information from parents and she is familiarising herself with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage in order to do this.

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It is not yet good because

 The methods used for assessment and planning, including monitoring these and finding children's starting points in learning, are not consistently used or precise enough. This results in some activities not being challenging enough to ensure children make the best progress.  Self-evaluation is not yet sufficiently detailed across all areas of practice to bring about consistently effective change, particularly in relation to children's learning and development.

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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 toured the areas of the premises used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 Children were observed whilst engaged in activities in the sitting room and the inspector talked to them about their play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection and observed her interactions with children.

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Inspection activities

 Various documents were examined, including plans for children's learning, policies and records related to maintaining the welfare of children.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and two children aged four and two years in a house in Bury, and uses the whole of the ground floor and the rear yard for childminding. Toilet facilities are situated upstairs. The childminder attends childminder and toddler groups including ones at the local children's centre. She visits the local shops, play centres and parks on a regular basis. The childminder collects children from the local schools and nurseries.

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Information about the setting

There are currently four children on roll, three are in the early years age group who attending for a variety of sessions and one is a school-age children who attends before and after school. The childminder provides care all year round from 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, except for family holidays.

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must:

 improve the assessment of children's development so that observations from all seven areas of learning are consistently used to understand each child's level of achievement, and improve precision of planning for individual learning.

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

 monitor the consistent implementation of planning, observation and assessment to support individual children's learning and development, including establishing children's starting points in detail with parents on entry.

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

 consolidate the existing methods for self-evaluation across all areas of practice, to include developing consistent monitoring of planning, observation and assessment of children's learning.

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who attend

The childminder makes plans using a range of topics and information, in order to support breadth in the educational programmes she devises. She uses themes such as 'Starting school', 'Road Safety' or 'Bonfire Night' to enrich her planning for all children and has a year-long plan for these. The childminder makes weekly plans that cover outings and activities on the premises. These are flexible, to take account of spontaneous opportunities for learning, such as snowy weather, when the childminder incorporates a creative activity to make 'sparkly snowflakes'. The weekly plans build on children's observed interests or those provided by parents, although, each child does not consistently have an activities planned for them that are based on observations of what they already know and what they need to learn next. The childminder is aware of the need to monitor planning more effectively in order to better challenge children to support

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who attend

their learning and is beginning to work towards this. She makes use of the document 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' in order to assess children's development against that expected for their age and stage. However, this is not effectively monitored to ensure that assessment takes place consistently across all seven areas of learning. Consequently, children receive a programme of outings and activities that supports their overall development, although, planning and assessment lack the precision needed to ensure their individual learning needs are met and that they are consistently challenged to learn more.

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who attend

The childminder shows a suitable knowledge of children's interests, and uses these to support their learning, such as providing small world toys of children's favourite television characters. She supports children's play by solving disputes over sharing and distracting them by extending their idea of taking the characters on a car ride across the floor. Children persist with their play when the childminder engages with them, and are enthusiastic, as they tell adults present who the different figures are. The childminder develops their communication skills by emphasising words for colour and size as she plays with them. Children enjoy opportunities for painting and messy play at the local children's centre; developing their manipulative skills, and improving their social and emotional development as they meet and make friends with other children. Pre-school aged children are confident when asked to identify numbers to ten, and young children under three can

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who attend

say some numbers in the correct order when they try to count small toys; showing that they are making progress in their early maths development.

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who attend

The childminder helps parents to engage with their children's learning by sending their learning journeys home each term and has made suitable plans to implement the progress check for children aged two. This includes using her assessment and observations of progress in the three prime areas of learning as well as information from parents and the children. She obtains some information about children's interests and learning when they join the setting; however, this is not always in enough detail to support effective planning across all of the prime and specific areas of learning, limiting its impact. The childminder provides copies of song booklets from the local children's centre for parents to use with children, to complement what they do in her setting and provide another way for them to support their children's learning. Overall, children make satisfactory progress, given their starting points.

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

The childminder provides a welcoming environment for children, and displays their artwork to help them contribute to this, helping them to feel valued. They show a sense of security by asking the childminder for help to pull out drawers of toys when they want to extend their play with more resources. The childminder uses gentle reminders to manage children's behaviour, such as when they find it difficult to share, in keeping with her behaviour management policy.

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

Frequent use is made of local parks and the outdoor areas at the local children's centre to help children gain an understanding of how to challenge themselves physically and take safe risks as they play on large outdoor equipment. The childminder uses outings, such as walks to schools, to make children aware of road safety and, consequently, children develop the basis for independence and staying safe they will need as they get older. Children have the opportunity to choose from a range of fruit snacks, as part of learning about a healthy diet. Water is accessible at all times in cups labelled with children's names, and the childminder encourages children to learn to recognise the letters in their name, as part of her plans to develop children's readiness for school. She supports children to develop self-help skills, such as hanging up their coats and putting on their shoes, so that children have some independence when they attend group settings. The

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

childminder encourages children to talk about where others are, who they meet at her house, including those who go to school or nursery, so that children become familiar with the idea of moving on in their education.

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

Safety on the premises is supported by a range of measures, including safety gates, socket covers, and keeping external doors locked with keys out of reach. The childminder has an evacuation procedure in case of emergency to help children stay safe. The bathroom, kitchen and playroom are clean in order to help prevent the spread of infection and the childminder makes daily visual checks of the premises to minimise hazards.

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

Before children join the setting, the childminder obtains information from parents about health and dietary needs or food preferences in order to meet children's individual needs. She also asks about children's interests to inform her initial planning. The childminder is sensitive to the needs of parents and children joining the setting and operates a flexible system of increasing hours gradually when needed, to build confidence and meet the emotional well-being of both children and parents. She works in partnership with parents to decide on the preferred method of informing them about their child's day and uses either daily diaries or simply gives verbal feedback if this is what parents wish.

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

The childminder is aware of the importance of exchanging information to support children's well-being and learning, when this is required, such as when they move on to part or full-time education in another setting. She has agreements in place between herself, parents and school to share information that promotes continuity of children's care and development. Overall, the provision for children's well-being is satisfactory as the environment for childcare is secure, although children's emerging skills and knowledge are not consistently well supported.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge of how to recognise signs of abuse in children. She has undertaken appropriate training in safeguarding, including courses on how to recognise the signs of abuse and what to if an allegation is made against her or someone on her premises. She has suitable policies to meet statutory requirements to support the safe running of the childcare service, and has a range of risk assessments that she reviews as needed, to help keep children safe. The childminder keeps appropriate records for accidents and any first aid needed, along with records for the administration of medicines with parents' permission. She maintains a daily register showing the times when children enter and leave her care. These procedures help to protect children's welfare. Adults who live on the premises, have been checked as suitable, to support safeguarding practice.

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provision

The childminder forms adequate partnerships with parents and is aware of the need to share information, in order to support continuity of learning and care. Information exchange is by verbal and written means, as the childminder is sensitive to parents' wishes and tailors her methods for information exchange accordingly.

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provision

The childminder is beginning to familiarise herself with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage and identify some areas where she would like to improve practice, such as gaining a better knowledge of observation, assessment and planning. She has completed an additional qualification in childcare above level 3 since registering, showing some commitment to developing her skills and understanding when providing care and learning for young children. All actions from the previous inspection have been met and she has made progress to implement the recommendations regarding self-evaluation, planning for children's learning and information sharing with parents, so improvements in practice are evident. The childminder accesses support and training when available, from the local children's centre, in order to improve her provision for children's care and learning.

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provision

Self-evaluation and monitoring of practice, especially with regard to children's learning and development is weaker and has less impact on improving planning for children's learning. The childminder has begun to seek the views of parents through discussion, to inform her practice, although this is in the early stages of development. She is aware of the importance of taking children's views into account whenever possible, in order to match her practice to their needs.

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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 EY392876 Local authority Bury Inspection number 821840 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 4

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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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