Milne, Laura

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/03/2013 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 provides a warm, welcoming and stimulating environment which enables children to show high levels of curiosity and make independent choices.  Children's learning and development is effectively promoted as the childminder plans activities based on children's interests.  The childminder promotes children's self-esteem and confidence through her use of praise and encouragement.  The childminder demonstrates a strong drive to improve the service she provides. She has clear plans for the future development of her service that are well-targeted to support children's achievements over time.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend opportunities for children to express their own ideas through drawing and discover new and better ways of doing things.  There is scope to extend opportunities to support children's use of early number and counting in everyday play.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities and the areas of the home that they have access to.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed and discussed with the childminder regulatory documentation regarding children's details, and a sample of policies, risk assessments and safety procedures.

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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 three children aged nine, seven and five years in a house in Delves Lane, near Consett. The whole of the ground floor, bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has as a pet cat.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local library. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre- schools. There are currently two children on roll, both of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She 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 the programme for expressive arts and design by: providing children with opportunities to use their skills and explore ideas through representations. For example, by allowing them to draw their own picture of an Easter eggs

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

 extend children's mathematical understanding by encouraging them to count the things they see and talk about and use numbers in everyday play activities.

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who attend

The childminder provides a wide range of activities and experiences for the children in her care. She has good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses this effectively when planning activities for children's individual needs and interests. Children develop curiosity and use their senses to explore the world around them as the childminder encourages them to explore and discover new things. She plays alongside them on the floor and praises their efforts which helps develop their confidence and self- esteem. The childminder makes sure resources are relevant to children's interests and joins in play sensitively, fitting in with children's ideas. For example, when children show an interest in 'shopping', she provides an electronic till and other relevant resources and helps them to 'find all the things they need'. The childminder extends this line of enquiry further when she skilfully uses the toy shopping trolley to encourage children to tidy up

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who attend

and return toys and equipment to their designated place. This supports children's independence in finding and returning what they need.

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who attend

The childminder has a generally good understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children and, although they have been attending for a short period of time, children are beginning to make good progress. They are developing a good range of skills that will support their readiness to move onto the next level of their learning. The childminder encourages children to begin to use the language of size. For example, she uses vocabulary such as 'bigger than' and 'smaller than' when building towers with bricks. Children enjoy comparing their own height against the tower and laugh as they make comments such as 'it needs to be bigger'. However, the childminder does not make such good use of these activities to fully develop children's counting skills. This means that opportunities to enhance their mathematical skills further are not always provided.

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who attend

The childminder supports children's expressive language skills well by providing interesting and stimulating play opportunities. She helps children expand on what they say, introducing and reinforcing the use of more complex sentences. For example, when children say 'tree broken', the childminder replies, 'yes, the tree is broken, we will have to fix it'. Parents make comments about their children's acquisition of language and use words, such as 'speech is developing well since they started attending' to describe how happy they are about progress made. The childminder helps children to show an interest in books and provides a wide selection of good quality materials for them to look at independently and share. They enjoy cuddling up on the sofa and listen to stories, developing personal favourites which they hear over and over again. The childminder provides a wide range of materials to enable children to experiment with and explore

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who attend

colours and textures. For example, easily accessible trays contain resources, such as coloured paper, crayons, pens, paint, stickers and glue. However, children are occasionally provided with worksheets to colour in. As a result, children are not always able to express their own ideas through drawing and discover new and better ways of doing things.

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who attend

The childminder carries out regular observations of children's activities which she records in individual folders. These are supported by photographs as evidence of what children are achieving. This information is linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage and the childminder confidently reports and talks about how next steps in learning will be achieved. The childminder gathers information about children's starting points and uses tracking documentation which aims to show children's progress over time. The childminder regularly shares information with parents to provide consistency of learning between home and the setting and provides a daily written summary. This ensures parents are kept well informed about their children's progress.

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

The childminder provides a warm, welcoming home for children. She is very sensitive to their individual needs; for example, providing cuddles on the sofa when they appear unwell. Children are well supported when separating from their parents. The childminder talks gently to them and provides verbal reassurance. As a result, children quickly settle, enjoy exploring the toys and equipment on offer and show they are developing secure attachments. The childminder manages the introduction of new children and settling-in procedures well. Parents and children are encouraged to make a number of visits prior to starting. This eases the transition process and enables the childminder to gain a wealth of good quality information which she effectively uses to inform observations on entry. Information in children's learning folders demonstrates how parents are delighted with how their children make the transition into the childminder's care.

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

There is good range of developmentally appropriate toys and resources which are readily available and easily accessible in the living room and kitchen area. The outdoor area is equally well resourced and provides opportunities for children to enhance their learning and development and experience the weather first hand. The childminder has improved the safety in the outdoor area by providing a high fence. This prohibits children accessing the upper section of the garden and effectively addresses recommendations raised during the childminding registration process.

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

The childminder provides guidance for children about what is acceptable behaviour. She provides clear rules and expectations for them to follow while in her home. For example, she ensures toys are put away before children move to new activities. The childminder skilfully uses strategies, such as 'I bet you can't tidy up by the time I count to three'. This motivates children and helps them to engage in tidying up in a fun, playful way. As a result, children behave well in the childminder's home. Children learn about safety within the home environment as the childminder provides regular prompts about keeping the living room safe. For example, they are reminded to place their drinking bottles on the table to avoid any spillages on the floor.

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

The childminder provides children with fresh, healthy and nutritious food and ensures drinking water is available at all times. Children are introduced to new tastes and textures and the childminder works alongside parents to ensure dietary needs are well met. Children develop an understanding of the need for physical exercise when they make regular visits to the park and use other facilities in the local community. The childminder supports children's independence well and helps them to develop good hygiene routines. For example, washing their hands before eating and after using the potty.

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provision

The childminder regularly reviews the broad range of experiences she provides for children. She has a good, secure understanding of the areas of learning and skilfully adapts activities and opportunities to ensure all children are included and can take part. She has an accurate understanding of all children's skills and abilities and has clear tracking documentation in place which will enable her to monitor the progress children make over time. The childminder works effectively with parents to ensure children's individual needs are targeted and appropriate interventions are sought. There are plans in place to work alongside speech and language therapy services. The childminder describes how she will incorporate strategies in to her practice to support children's individual language and communication needs.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded as the childminder has a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow should she have any concerns. She has attended training and is aware of the need to keep her knowledge up-to-date. The childminder has a paediatric first aid qualification and keeps written records of all medication administered to children. She has a first aid box, which is accessible at all times with appropriate content for use with children. Children's safety is further protected as the childminder's home is secure, all doors and stair gates are locked at all times.

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provision

The childminder continually reflects upon the service she provides and demonstrates a strong drive to improve. She is committed to furthering her professional development and has plans to attend a variety of training courses which aim to enhance children's learning and development over time. She has very good awareness of the strengths of her practice and talks confidently about plans for the future that aim to support children's developments over time. For example, enhancements to the outdoor garden include a large chalk board which aims to improve children's early writing development. The childminder works well with parents and gathers their views about the service she provides through verbal feedback and written questionnaires.

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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 action. 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 EY388994 Local authority Durham Inspection number 724161 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 3 Number of children on roll 2

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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