Childminder in East Sussex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/02/2013 01/12/2008

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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 childminder supports all children extremely well to reach their full potential in a fun and stimulating way, linked to children's individual interests.  The childminder's systems for monitoring, evaluating and improving her setting are robust and very effective.  The partnerships with parents and others enable children to make significant progress in all areas of learning.  The childminder inspires children to learn in relevant and meaningful ways to enhance their all round 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 childminder was interviewed and observed.  Children were watched and spoken to.  Documentation was sampled.  Parents were given the opportunity to speak privately with the inspector.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 2008. She lives with her husband and two school-aged children in walking distance of the town centre, retail park, library, parks and beach. All areas of the ground floor are available to minded children, with occasional use of bedrooms on the first floor for sleeping. The back garden is also available for outside play although this is only used under the childminder's direct supervision. The family keeps goldfish. 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:

 enhance the learning environment further, for example by providing more regular opportunities for children to make and enjoy snug dens and cosy spaces.

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who attend

The childminder offers a broad range of interesting and challenging experiences to children that are carefully matched to their individual interests. For example, she takes children who have a particular interest in sea life on regular trips to the local aquarium. She helps them to remember their visit as they buy souvenirs linked to this topic. This helps children to consolidate their learning and motivates them to be interested in learning.

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who attend

Children particularly enjoy looking at the photograph display at child height, showing them at play, alongside family photographs of themselves at home, their family pets and relatives. This provides an excellent talking point, while promoting children's secure sense of belonging and self-esteem. The childminder has developed unique methods to help children learn in a meaningful and relevant way. For example, on local outings, children take photographs of numbers on houses, road signs and notices. The childminder displays these at home, to prompt learning and discussion about the local environment, while learning to recognise numbers and their uses. In addition, children become familiar with uses everyday technology, such as cameras.

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who attend

The childminder carefully monitors the educational programmes to ensure that she promotes all areas of learning very effectively. She places a strong emphasis on promoting children personal social and emotional development, their communication and language and their physical development. She has an excellent understanding of how these form the basis for all other areas of learning. She understands that all children develop at their own pace and gains information about children individual needs and interests. This helps her to provide tailored learning through play, and this is highly effective.

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who attend

The childminder supports children very well to reach or exceed their expected levels of development and uses 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage,' to identify their progress. The assessment of each child involves parents and information from other settings that the child attends, along with the childminder's own sharply focused observations. As a result, the assessment of children's progress is very accurate. Any gaps in children's learning are promptly identified and the childminder is proactive in tackling any weaknesses. She uses the expertise of speech therapists at her local children's centre to ensure that children receive targeted professional support at the earliest opportunity.

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who attend

The childminder completes the two-year check highlighting children's progress across all seven areas of learning. Children's strengths and any areas for development are clearly identified and parents share this assessment with health professionals such as Health Visitors.

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who attend

Parents are exceptionally well informed about their child's day and developmental progress. The childminder engages parents fully in their child's learning. Parents comment that they feel very confident in the care and education that children receive because of the excellent communication between them.

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

Children have very secure relationships because the childminder encourages and promotes their personal, social and emotional development very effectively. They visibly grow in confidence with her support, showing high levels of independence and decision-making skills. They interact with visitors to the home and others with increasing confidence and enthusiasm.

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

The childminder supports children's friendships with each other by sharing photograph of them together and organising continued contact if a child leaves her setting. Children feel very safe in her care. They settle well because of the excellent help they receive to feel welcome and valued and they laugh and smile often while in her care. Relationships are warm and affectionate. Parents say that their children ask to see the childminder, and very much look forward to going to her home.

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

The childminder enables children to learn about managing their own safety in child- friendly manner. They learn about how to minimise risks without feeling worried. This helps them to understand how to keep themselves and others safe, and provides them with the tools needed undertake new challenges with greater confidence. Children, who have previously been afraid of heights, celebrate climbing to the top of a slide, having worked out a way to make it safe for them to do so. Children are able to explore play spaces freely in the home, because a detailed and thorough risk assessment makes sure that whole of the childminder's home is safe. Outside they enjoy the challenges of negotiating the different levels and surfaces in the garden. Children know they need to hold the rail on the steps in the garden and are confident to manage their own safety. They enjoy occasional den building as the spaces available are large, and this provides

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

them with a cosy snug space in which to relax or hide away with friends. Behaviour management strategies are well thought out, they are consistently applied and take account of children's age and level of understanding. Children clearly understand what is expected of them and their behaviour is exemplary. Passers-by regularly compliment the childminder on children's behaviour on outings.

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

All children clearly understand about healthy eating and the benefits of exercise. From an early age they begin to make informed choices that positively support their health and well-being. They are highly independent in their self-care skills and the childminder encourages them to be as independent as possible through discussion and reinforcement. Visual aids, such as health posters at child height, help them to remember the importance of good hygiene routines. They happily clean their teeth after meals and have a very clear understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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provision

The childminder is highly committed to continually improving her provision. She is proactive in seeking support from the local authority. She is in the process of completing a recognised quality assurance scheme. The childminder continuingly strives for excellence and clearly documents her practice, analysing and evaluating all that she does. She regularly makes small changes to build on her already high quality provision. Development plans prioritise aspects that will have the greatest positive impact on the children. The childminder is dedicated to improving her knowledge and very regularly attends childcare courses covering a wide range of subjects. She uses the information gained from training, to feed back into her self-evaluation and quality assurance processes.

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provision

The childminder seeks best practice examples from other childminder's, childcare publications and health professionals. She takes time to share examples of her own excellent practice with others, which as a result, supports children's care and education beyond her own setting.

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provision

The childminder enjoys significant success in engaging parents. She communicates with them verbally, by text and email. She shares her written policies, procedures and assessment files. She inspires parents to take a larger role in their children's assessment and learning, which helps children to make more rapid progress in all areas of their development. She has an excellent understanding of how to promote the safety and welfare of children, and takes action that protects them effectively from hazards including unsuitable adults. The childminder has a range of very clear and detailed safeguarding systems that she implements consistently. She gives clear information to the children and parents about these so that they too can understand and support the procedures in place. The partnerships that she forms with others who have input into children's care and education are strong and very effective in promoting a team effort to meet the needs of

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provision

The childminder maintains a clear overview of her educational programmes and ensures that she is following the latest guidance in relation to childcare practices. She monitors her provision very effectively to make sure that no child or group of children is left behind or excluded. Planning arrangements are sharply focused and assessment is highly accurate. The childminder promptly identifies any gaps in children's development and seeks high quality advice and intervention, so that gaps are closed.

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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 EY374488 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 844387 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 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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