Childminder in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/02/2013 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's past experience and training provide her with a sound understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This supports her ability to successfully observe children's development and plan and provide for the next steps in their learning through interesting and challenging activities.  The childminder builds very strong relationships with the children and this ensures she is in tune with their need for rest, refreshment, comfort and activity. This allows children's needs to be met and maximises their ability to benefit from the learning activities that are provided.  Adaption of the indoor environment has been well thought through and excellently resourced. Similarly, enhancements to the outdoor environment have been well planned to provide access in a range of weather conditions. Consequently, children play and learn in a stimulating environment, which support their independence.

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This provision is good

 The childminder reflects on how her setting operates and what she needs to do to improve the provision to support children's learning. This and her strong commitment to ongoing professional development, has a very positive effect on the quality of the environment, the childminder's knowledge and the learning activities she provides.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further develop the range of activities that children can use in the garden in order to maximise outdoor learning opportunities, for example, with regard to the investigation of the natural world.

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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 main downstairs rooms.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation, and a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and three children aged 15 months, four years and 10 years in a house in Chester, Cheshire. The whole of the ground floor, first floor bathroom and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a dog as a pet, which is kept in a separate area of the property.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a number of childminder and toddler groups. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently five children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She has an appropriate childcare qualification at level 3 and is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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

 extend children's opportunities for investigation of the natural world, for example, by providing chimes, streamers and bubbles to investigate the effects of the wind or caring for plants to understand change over time.

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who attend

The childminder has a strong knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, which is based on her previous experience working in a group day care setting and the training she has undertaken. This supports her ability to provide a wide range of interesting activities that help to develop children's abilities and skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning, such as school. She carefully plans the transition from home to the childminding setting through introductory visits where both children and parents become comfortable and confident in her abilities. She gathers information about the children's care routines and abilities from parents during these sessions. This means she can meet children's physical and learning needs right from the start of the placement. She confidently observes children's development and links these with the 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage'

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who attend

guidance. This allows her to monitor their progress and identify useful next steps in their learning, which then guides the activities she provides.

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who attend

The childminder organises activities each week to link in with children's next steps in learning. Evaluation of activities allows the childminder to review their success and plan improvements. Parents have been shown their children's development records and parents' evenings provide an opportunity for the childminder and the parents to develop a shared understanding of what the child needs to progress with next and how that is to be supported both at the setting and at home.

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who attend

The childminder encourages children's thinking and comprehension before they can speak by using one sided conversations. For example, she talks about routine events so children understand what is going to happen next. All children are encouraged to enjoy books and stories and have a wide range of ways to start to make marks, for example, with paint or in shaving foam. Older children are helped to use phonic sounds, which supports their preparation for the next stage in their learning and the move to school when the time comes. Children use their imagination to recreate everyday situations with the equipment they have access to, for example, using small world figures. All children are encouraged to express themselves and use their senses through the use of paint or tactile materials, such as shredded paper or dough with additional scents and make music using drums or homemade shakers. Children's understanding of volume, shape and size is developed

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who attend

through activities, with ready access to shape sorters and construction blocks. The garden has been designed to allow play in a range of weather conditions with the addition of a covered area. Local parks also provide equipment to support children's climbing and balancing skills. However, there is scope to consolidate the development of the garden to extend the range of activities children can access to develop their understanding of nature and the passing of time.

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

The childminder builds strong relationships with the children and gets to know them very well. She responds quickly to their emotional and physical needs and this produces a bond which allows children to settle, try new experiences and develop their abilities. The childminder has also introduced clear routines, which means even very young children understand about mealtimes and rest times. Consequently, children's physical requirements for food and rest are addressed and this allows them to be ready for active play and learning. The meals provided are freshly prepared and include a wide range of fruits and vegetables. The children also have easy access to water throughout the day. They have regular access to the outside play space and local parks. They are, therefore, well supported to develop an understanding of the importance of a balanced diet and exercise in the fresh air. The play space inside the home promotes children's

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

independence well. The children start to manage their own care needs, for example, by feeding themselves or by selecting activities.

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

The childminder manages the children's behaviour in a very positive way, praising the children, using distraction and helping them learn to negotiate with one another. This allows young children to develop an understanding of other people's feelings and what is acceptable behaviour. Children start to understand about safety issues as they take part in emergency evacuation practices and have safety issues explained to them, such as why they should not throw a toy. Close links with the local community provide opportunities for children to meet up with larger groups and develop their social skills, for example, by attending childminding groups in the local community hall. This shows that although only young children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend at the present time, clear plans are in place to ensure children of all ages will make good progress in developing skills for the future and the transition to school when the time comes.

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provision

The childminder is continually reflecting on her provision to see how she can make activities and the general organisation better for the children she cares for. For example, she has made major alterations to the building and outside play space to enhance her ability to supervise children and provide spaces which support a wide range of activities and cosy corners children can enjoy. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to developing her own skills and has attended an extensive range of training courses and undertaken formal qualifications in childcare. This ensures she has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements for children. She is committed to providing a quality service and has a training plan in place which identifies areas she wishes to expand or refresh her knowledge on, such as behaviour management training. She welcomes the input of the local authority development worker as a source of good practice

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provision

guidance and exchanges best practice ideas in the local childminding groups to ensure a the continuing improvement of her provision. She has accessed information about the revised Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure all requirements are fully met. She is also developing plans for how she will record children's progress for the progress check at age two.

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provision

Children are safeguarded appropriately. Through her previous experience and attending specific safeguarding training, the childminder has a gained a sound understanding of the signs that may cause her concern. She fully understands the importance of her role in protecting children, of the importance of keeping clear records of any concerns she may have and quickly accessing help and advice should that become necessary. She undertakes comprehensive risk assessments for the home and outings and is aware of the supervision requirements of younger children both when inside and on trips off site. The building and garden are safe and secure. This helps to ensure children are protected from harm.

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provision

The childminder builds good partnerships with parents. Good communication is developed through talking with parents each day and providing a daily diary, which sets out children's care needs, such as nappy changes, as well as the activities they have enjoyed taking part in and illustrated on some days with photographs. Parents are encouraged to provide information about their child, which helps the childminder ensure continuity in the children's care between the home and the setting, for example, whether they think their child may be tired and in need of a rest. Written policies are shared with all parents, which gives them a further insight into how their child's care is organised. The childminder is aware of the need to develop links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage who may also care for the children when this becomes necessary. The childminder has plans in place for how she will exchange written summaries of children's progress. She

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provision

is also confident about forming links with other provisions and professionals to ensure a coordinated service for children with additional special educational needs and/or disabilities because she had done this as part of previous jobs. She also has experience of supporting children with hearing losses or English as an additional language and is confident about supporting children to develop their communication skills in such circumstances. This ensures that no child is disadvantaged and all children have their needs met appropriately.

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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 EY450412 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 811983 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 5

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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. 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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