Childminder in South Gloucestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/01/2013 18/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is excellent. The childminder demonstrates extremely good understanding of how children learn and she provides them with varied and imaginative experiences that stimulate their interest and support learning in all areas.  Assessments of children's progress are precise and include all involved in promoting individual learning. Plans for the next stage in children's learning are extremely well focused and provide high levels of challenge. As a result, children make first-rate progress relative to their starting points.  Support for children who speak English as an additional language is excellent. The childminder focuses extremely well on helping them to develop their communication and language skills, resulting in any gaps closing rapidly.  Immensely effective partnerships with parents results in children's needs being identified and met extremely well.  Children form secure emotional attachments to the childminder, who promotes their

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This provision is outstanding

confidence and self-esteem extremely well. As a result, children are curious and inquisitive, keen to develop personal independence and confident when faced with new challenges.  The childminder's exceptional understanding and implementation of the safeguarding and welfare requirements promotes children's health, safety and well-being most effectively.

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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 the childminder's interactions with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector tracked children's progress and activities and reviewed planning and assessment records.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector accompanied the childminder to collect children from pre-school and observed the childminder's interactions with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation supporting children's safeguarding and welfare

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2009. She lives in the Oldfield Park area of Bath, with her husband and two children. The family has a pet cat. Childminding generally takes place on the ground floor of the house which includes toilet facilities. Children have access to an enclosed rear garden. The house is within walking distance of local facilities. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children in the early years age range on roll.

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

 explore ways to use the garden, as a learning experience, when it is waterlogged and boggy.

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who attend

Children of all ages and abilities make extremely good progress relative to their starting points in all areas of learning. This is because the quality of teaching and learning experiences provided by the childminder are consistently excellent. The childminder's very good understanding of how children learn, and her in-depth knowledge of each of the areas of learning, enables her to provide varied and stimulating activities that promote individual progress extremely well. The childminder uses her very good knowledge of children's individual interests and learning styles when planning. As a result, children are eager to explore and quickly engage in chosen activities. The excellent quality of the childminder's ongoing interactions with children challenge and stimulate them, encouraging them to think and to build on what they know in order to make further progress. For example, very young children are currently interested in investigating how

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who attend

things work and thoroughly enjoy using interactive toys of varied complexity. They select a merry-go-round but cannot make this operate properly initially. The childminder encourages them to consider another toy they have played with earlier and looking again at how they made this work, drawing attention to the 'on-off' switch and suggesting they look for one on the merry-go-round. Children quickly find this and go on to explore how to make it go faster and slower, and how to make the toy play different tunes. Throughout the activity, the childminder supports the developing skills of very young children extremely well. For instance, as children select figures to ride the merry-go-round, the childminder encourages them to name the animal on which each is placed. When they respond in their home languages, she praises them and repeats the animals name in this and in English to further develop their communication and language.

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who attend

The childminder's systems of monitoring children's progress are excellent. She makes astute and perceptive observations of children to enable her to make precise assessments of each child's current stages of development and to plan for their next stage in learning. The childminder's excellent focus on promoting communication and language skills, and children's physical, personal, social, and emotional development, results in children making rapid progress. As a result, children are immensely confident and active learners who enthusiastically explore their own ideas and choose their own ways to do things. They are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including moving on to school. For example, older children link sounds to letters very well and are beginning to name and sound letters of the alphabet in familiar words, such as their names. The childminder supports this most effectively, encouraging them to read stories with her and

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who attend

to look at words in recipes when cooking together. This is further extended by using technology such as computers and the Internet to spontaneously look up information in response to questions from children, and to search together for number and word games.

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who attend

Parents are actively and routinely involved in their children's learning from the beginning. The childminder's extremely good settling-in processes enable her to gain extensive information from parents about their children, which she combines with her initial observations to establish each child's starting points. The childminder provides a weekly overview of children's learning, and parents respond with information about their child's achievements when at home, which she incorporates into planning. For example, where parents inform her that children are struggling with aspects of dressing themselves, the childminder encourages the use of dressing-up clothes with different types of fastenings so they can practice and learn to manage these. The childminder has an extremely good understanding of the requirements for an assessment of children's progress between the ages of two and three Parents are fully involved in this, helping to identify aims and

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who attend

objectives to promote further development.

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

The childminder supports children's emotional well-being exceptionally well. She uses her excellent understanding of each child's individual needs to provide a nurturing environment where children's self-esteem and personal confidence are consistently supported most effectively. As a result, children demonstrate strong attachments to the childminder and show they are secure that their needs will be met. The childminder's excellent relationships with parents means that she is well informed about any changes at home that may have an impact on children's feelings and emotions. She prepares very well to support children through periods of adjustment, such as moving house or changes to parents' work patterns. For example, she understands that changes to the everyday routines of very young children may result in their becoming reluctant to separate from parents until they re-adjust, therefore, she provides high levels of comfort and

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

reassurance. Children demonstrate that they are happy, content, and very fond of the childminder in their spontaneous shows of affection, such as giving her a big hug to show their delight at successfully completing a puzzle. The childminder is an excellent role model to children and has high expectations of them. She shows respect for children, listening to what they have to say and valuing their thoughts and ideas. This encourages children to show respect and care for each other and results in very positive relationships between older and younger children. For instance, when older children arrive from pre- school they are happy to see younger friends and to spend time playing with them before becoming engrossed in their own chosen activities.

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

Children make extremely good use of the learning environment. The childminder's very effective organisation of resources encourages children of all ages to make their own choices about what they want to do The childminder considers how toys and equipment can be deployed to encourage children to explore further. For example, a huge sheet of paper and a variety of mark making and creative materials, spread across the floor, are immediately inviting to children who are keen to investigate what they can do with these. Young children particularly benefit from the very good organisation of these resources as they have been placed to encourage them to stretch and move to reach items of interest. Their skills in grasping, holding and using tools are well developed because they have a good variety of sizes and shapes of crayons and markers that enable them to experiment. Generally, resources to support learning in all areas are freely available to children both

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

indoors and outside and children choose where they prefer to play. The childminder uses the outdoor environment effectively to promote specific aspects of learning. For example, cultivating vegetables with children and then cooking and eating these together encourages them to develop an understanding of a healthy diet.

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

The childminder promotes the children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle extremely well. Children enjoy a good variety of activities that encourage them to move, co-ordinate and control their bodies. For example, they enjoy songs and rhymes, with actions to follow, immensely and frequent visits to local playgrounds and activity centres support children's confidence as they run, jump and climb. Daily routines are organised to ensure children benefit from good levels of regular exercise, for instance, walking to pre-school and exploring the local community. Their physical development is supported most effectively and very good use is made of the garden. However, the childminder has not yet explored ways to use the garden as a learning experience, when it is waterlogged and boggy, to further extend children's learning. Children rapidly learn about good hygiene practice and develop independence in managing their own needs. For example, very

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

young children know when they have washed their hands properly because they smell the soap before they begin and then check that their newly washed hands also smell of soap to demonstrate they are clean.

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

Children's growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe is supported extremely well.The childminder uses daily routines, such as helping to prepare meals and snacks, to teach children of all ages how to use knives and other kitchen utensils safely. For example, young children are confident as they slice fruit and they demonstrate how to hold the knife correctly to minimise risk. Children are beginning to learn to make their own simple risk assessments and this further demonstrates their developing understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, when collecting children from pre-school, the childminder talks to children about potential temporary hazards she has seen on their usual route home. Children confidently suggest alternatives, such as where they might cross roads safely.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a superb knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Systems to monitor the effectiveness with which these are implemented are rigorou, and as a result children's welfare is consistently supported very well. The childminder's very good safeguarding knowledge and her thorough implementation of health and safety procedures help to protect children from harm.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement in order to achieve and sustain the highest standards of practice. For example, she develops her skills and knowledge through training and takes personal responsibility for keeping informed of best practice issues through using professional journals and the Internet. Systems of self-evaluation, including the monitoring of the effectiveness of the educational programme, are excellent and have resulted in improvements that benefit children. For example, the childminder has been highly successful in encouraging parents to become actively involved in their children's learning and development. Parents regularly review their children's progress with the childminder, sharing their observations of what their children achieve at home and helping to identify objectives for future learning. Where applicable, the childminder has taken care to ensure parents understand the relevance of

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provision

the two-year-old progress checks and have been fully involved in these assessments of their children. The childminder has further reviewed her systems of self-evaluation to include children's feedback. For example, simple discussions about activities, such as what they have enjoyed and how they think activities can be improved in future, provide the childminder with good information about how children view what they do.

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provision

The childminder's exceptional partnership with parents, and the effectiveness with which the learning and development programme is monitored, are particularly apparent in the excellent support provided for children who have English as an additional language. She makes it clear to parents that, particularly for very young children, strong foundations in their home languages support the development of English. As a result, parents are immensely supportive and provide her with songs and stories that are familiar to children from home. They take time to explain any words and phrases that their children use that the childminder is unclear about. In addition, the childminder makes every effort to develop her own understanding of children's home languages by extending her knowledge of everyday words and phrases that may be used by children. This means that she is, in most cases, able to follow children as they switch between languages Where she is not

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provision

clear she has the skills to ask for, and understand, further explanation. As a result, children who have English as an additional language are not in any way disadvantaged because they make rapid progress from their starting points in the acquisition of communication and language skills, with any gaps closing rapidly. Therefore, they are extremely well prepared for school or the next stage in their learning.

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provision

The childminder understands the value of partnership working in supporting children's all round learning and development. She develops strong relationships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as nurseries or pre-schools, where children attend more than one setting. This results in extremely good processes to share information about children's progress, ensuring that learning objectives in each setting complement and support each other and provide consistency 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 EY396048 Local authority Bath & NE Somerset Inspection number 816060 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 3

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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

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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