Childminder in Plymouth

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/02/2013 11/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children have formed a strong bond with childminder, they are happy and very secure in the childminder's care.  The childminder has developed a good partnership with parents and regularly shares children's progress to further encourage children's learning at home.  The childminder provides activities that promote children's understanding of keeping safe and being healthy.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although the childminder gathers sufficient information from parents to identify children's starting points these do not always fully reflect the child's stage 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 the childminder and children as they played in the kitchen, lounge and upstairs bedroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documentation, including the childminder's observation records, children's details, first aid certificate, insurance certificate and some policies, including the safeguarding policy.  The inspector viewed all areas children have access to in the childminder's home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1999. She lives with her husband in the Ham district of Plymouth. She lives within easy walking distance of shops and local parks. All areas of the childminder's house are used for childminding purposes. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The family has two dogs. The childminder takes children to and from local nurseries and the primary school.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently minding two children in the early years age range. The childminder is registered to provide overnight care and also provides care for older children. The childminder is available seven days a week from 5.30 am until 9.00 pm. She is open all year apart from two weeks holiday, as agreed with parents.

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

 develop partnerships with parents to collect further information to fully identify children's starting points and aid planning opportunities.

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who attend

The childminder has a good level of knowledge of all the areas of learning, and effectively promotes children progress, given the age of the children she cares for. Children make good progress as the childminder plans interesting activities and daily routines. She organises her home to provide suitable challenges to maintain children's interest and effectively promote their individual development.

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who attend

The childminder encourages communication as she talks with the children, commenting on what they are doing or using specific activities to aid speech and sounds. Children's playthings are easily accessible to allow children to make their own choices and begin to develop their own play ideas. The childminder successfully engages children in their play introducing additional resources to extend children's interest. The childminder uses resources, which she knows children particularly like, such as music and song. She uses actions songs to aid children's communication and language skills as well as their physical development. For example, children sing along to familiar songs with great enjoyment, dance to the music, follow instructions, stand up and clap.

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who attend

Children begin to learn about number as the childminder helps them count out the bricks as they make towers. They talk about how high they are going to build with the bricks and look at patterns of colour, all of which promotes children's awareness of early mathematics. Children play with mark-making tools to promote their early writing skills. Push-button resources engage children's interest and interaction as they share a story together. Children's coordination skills develop as they take time to manoeuvre different shapes around a circuit. The childminder plans appropriate activities to aid individual children's progress, from her observation records. She carries out these observations on a regular basis to help her to identify the next steps in each child's learning. She is then able to target activities to meet children's individual learning needs.

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who attend

The childminder obtains detailed information from parents about their child. However, the information about children's starting points does not always fully reflect their learning and development at home. Parents can access their child's observation records at any time. She has daily conversations with parents during which they discuss the child's learning and next steps in their development. Every two months the childminder provides parents with copies of her observations. The childminder is aware of the need to complete the two-year progress check and will use her observation records as a basis, revisit these and fully share her findings in writing for the parents.

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

Children are very confident in the childminder's care. Children eagerly express what they want to do next, such as read a particular storybook before going to bed. Any potential changes, to their usual routine, such as additional adults being present, do not appear to worry the children. As a result, children are extremely secure and demonstrate they feel safe in the childminder's home. The childminder clearly knows the children well and plans activities around their interests, effectively promoting children's learning and development needs. She happily allows the children to dictate play as they make their own choices from a variety of playthings readily available. They learn about difference and diversity through suitable play items and through discussion and support from the childminder. As a result, the childminder encourages children's understanding of how to care for each other.

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

The childminder uses routines to encourage children to develop their own level of risk taking. Children reach to hold onto the childminder's hand as they walk up and down the stairs. Through recognition of accomplishment and praise, the childminder effectively boosts children's self-confidence and their sense of achievement. Children's behaviour is good. They carefully replace toys back in boxes when they have finished playing with them. This encourages children to respect the playthings so others can enjoy them too.

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

The childminder seeks out activities, which widens children's awareness of keeping safe and helps them understand the benefit of fresh air and exercise. She has organised sailing trips, where all children take an active part, wearing the suitable clothing and buoyancy aids. The childminder plans an interesting range of outdoor activities, particularly through the school holidays, predominantly in the outdoor environment. In addition, children daily access the outdoors on trips to local play parks or walking to and from school. All of which encourages children's development of healthy lifestyles. The childminder makes good use of attending local childcare groups to extend children's play experiences and encourages play with a wider range of children. The childminder is secure in promoting children's health and safety, particularly in relation to minor accidents, as she holds a paediatric first aid certificate.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding and awareness of the welfare requirements and the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are safeguarded, as the childminder is secure in her responsibilities and procedures to follow should she have a concern about any child in her care. Further safeguarding practices are in place, for example, the childminder ensures she does not leave children unsupervised when visitors are present. The childminder conducts daily risk assessments of her home and uses equipment to maintain children's safety. For example, the use of safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, and an external security system warning the childminder of people within the vicinity of her front door.

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provision

Since moving to her new home, the childminder has updated her range of policies and procedures, which underpin her practice. For example, she has identified suitable exit points and a safe place for all to congregate in the event of a fire. Fire evacuations, in which the children regularly take part, further aid their awareness of what to do in an emergency. The childminder maintains a fire log, which she uses to identify smoother and effective evacuation processes to further safeguard children.

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provision

The childminder is enthusiastic about her provision, finding great satisfaction as the children progress. The childminder seeks additional support and advice to improve the service she provides from various sources. For example, she has recently sought guidance from school practitioners to update her practice in phonics. As a result, she is able to follow the current practice in pronouncing sounds and letters correctly to promote children's learning further. This demonstrates the childminder's commitment to continuous improvement.

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provision

The childminder shares information with parents in various formats, depending on the child's age and parents' feedback. For example, daily diaries are available as a means of communication, particularly for babies. Recording information, such as how the child has been, the quantity of milk consumed and length of sleep individual children have had during the day. In addition, the childminder discusses the day's events with all parents when they collect their child. Parents regularly receive copies of the observations carried out on their child and the areas the childminder is going to concentrate on to further promote their child's learning and development. This two-way sharing of information enables the childminder to be familiar with home practices and provide consistent care for each child.

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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 117303 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 813539 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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