Childminder in Dorset

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/03/2013 14/04/2009

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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

 The childminder is well-informed about children's individual routines and comforters, which support her in settling young children into her care.  Children's developing independence is actively encouraged through their daily play experiences and self-care routines.  Children make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn through play.  The childminder develops a good relationship with the parents and ensures that they are fully involved in their children's learning and development in the setting and at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although the childminder has established very good relationships with parents, partnerships with other early years settings are inconsistent and do not fully support all children's learning.  Children enjoy looking at photographs of themselves and their friends in their learning journals and photographs albums, however not all children have photographs of their families to share.

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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 sampled children's assessment records, planning documentation and a range of other documentation and policies including the safeguarding procedures.  The inspector observed play activities with the children in the lounge and kitchen.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through talking to a parent and viewing written letters prepared for the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1999. She lives with her husband, two adult children and her younger child. They live in a house on a residential estate in the village of Charminster, near Dorchester in Dorset. Childminding is mainly carried out on the ground floor of the premises. Toilet facilities and sleep provision are accessible on the first floor. Children have access to an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. Access to the front door and garden is via several steps. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 12 children on roll, eight of these are in the early years age group. The childminder collects children from local schools and pre-schools. The family have a cat.

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

 extend systems to share information with others involved in the children's care and education

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

 display photos of children's families and other special people.

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who attend

The childminder has a good knowledge of how to promote the learning and development of young children. She fully recognises that they learn through play. Good use is made of documents, such as Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage to identify children's stages of development and effectively support their learning. A learning and development record is in place for each child and contains observations, assessment and identifies the children's next stages in learning. The childminder has positive relationships with parents. This enables her to gain clear information about what children can do and the abilities they have when they start with her. The completion of an 'All about Me' booklet and discussions with parents enables the childminder to settle children well and meet their individual needs effectively. The childminder uses successful teaching techniques. For example, giving young children time and space to try for themselves and

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who attend

to consequently learn and master new skills. As a result children become independent learners, gaining confidence in making decisions and developing their self-care routines. Children acquire the skills and attitudes they require to be ready for the next stage of learning. The childminder completes two year progress checks for children, which are shared with parents and the health visitor.

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who attend

Children enjoy trips to places of interest such as castles, farms and swan sanctuaries where they learn about local history and animals. They have the opportunities to play with resources that reflect positive images of diversity to support them in learning about the lives and beliefs of others. Young children are inquisitive and point out ears and noses on themselves and the childminder. They use mirrors to study and compare these facial features. Children excitedly look at photographs of themselves in their learning journals, in albums and on wall displays. However, some children do not have photographs of extended families, such as new siblings, to share with their friends and the childminder.

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who attend

Children make good use of a wide range of books and take care when handling them, turning pages one at a time. They particularly enjoy a book about farms and excitedly point to the pictures and make animal sounds. They ably control their fingers to press buttons on trucks and sit-and-ride toys and giggle with excitement as this action activates sounds and lights. Children spend considerable time drawing pictures. The childminder asks them open ended questions to encourage language. She asks, 'Can you tell me about your picture, what have you drawn?' Young children reply, 'A helicopter'. They draw other marks on the paper and then make circular movements with their arms, saying 'Round'. The childminder says, 'Well done, it is round', reinforcing their recognition of shape.

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

Children are happy, settled and confident as they explore the homely environment due to the warm and welcoming atmosphere provided by the childminder. The children have formed strong bonds with the childminder, which helps them to feel safe, secure and valued. The childminder gains a good understanding of children's likes and dislikes and individual routines through her close relationship with parents. For example, she puts young children down for a nap at their usual time in line with what happens at home. The strong bonds formed means that children confidently snuggle in next to her when she sits on the floor sharing a story. Children are able to use an extensive range of resources stored at low level in the lounge and conservatory. These support children's progress in all areas of learning. Children confidently make choices in their play and help themselves. They take care of the resources and help to tidy away when they have finished using

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

them, for example, putting crayons back into the tub. This demonstrates respect for others and their environment.

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

The childminder fosters children's independence very well and they are encouraged to try to do things for themselves, with support available if needed. For example, young children are encouraged to pull up their trousers after nappy changes. As they tug at the sides of their trousers the childminder praises their efforts telling them how clever they are. The childminder does not rush children as they develop new skills and independence, for example as they move up and down the stairs. She is always close by to support them as they learn. Consequently, children are confident and prepared well for their move to other settings. Young children are familiar with what is expected of them and sit at the table to eat their healthy snacks of fresh strawberries and sliced grapes. Behaviour is good and the children are very caring towards each other. For example, young children pass crayons to their friends; they smile back in recognition of this kind act. The childminder encourages

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

sharing, provides praise and talks to the children about being kind.

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

Children are kept safe through good supervision. They learn about road safety, stopping to look and listen for traffic before crossing the road. They take part in regular evacuation procedures so they are familiar with how to behave in an emergency. The childminder implements good hygiene practices to help minimise the risks of infection. Young children are well supported as they wash their hands. The childminder reminds them to rub the soap thoroughly between their fingers, demonstrating the movement herself for children to follow. The use of individually named towels further supports good hygiene. Children who need a daytime sleep have a quiet space provided where they can sleep undisturbed whilst others continue their play. Regular outings to the park and farms provide children with opportunities to use different equipment and build their large muscles and stamina.

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provision

The childminder has a secure knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and has written records in place to support children's welfare well. She has a good understanding of how to protect the children in her care and the action to take if she has any concerns. The childminder has a set of clearly written risk assessments to ensure that hazards are minimised. In addition, she completes a daily visual check of the premises and makes sure that safety measures such as locks and gates are in place to avoid children accessing sharp utensils, or having unsupervised access to the stairs and kitchen. She is aware of being vigilant when out and about and has written risk assessments for outings to support children's safety. The childminder carefully considers if venues are suitable for the ages and number of children in her care.

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provision

The childminder is committed to offering good quality of care to the children and their families. She has a clear understanding of how children learn and develop and her responsibilities to deliver the education programmes. Her observations and assessment support children to make good progress in their learning and development. She completes a self-evaluation document to identify her strengths and areas for development. In addition, the childminder works closely with her development officer to create continuous improvement plans. She has addressed all recommendations logged in this document. For example, she has updated the safeguarding policy to include information about the use of mobile phones and cameras at the setting.

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provision

The childminder has developed good relationships with parents. Daily diaries, verbal exchanges, photographs and a detailed parent notice board keep them well informed of the provision and their children's day. Parents' verbal and written comments reflect their positive views on the provision. Comments include 'attentive to the children', 'provides a very relaxed, friendly and homely atmosphere' and 'provides creative and stimulating activities.' The childminder has formed long standing relationships with some early years settings that children attend. However this is not consistent at other settings. Therefore this does not always support a shared approach to children's learning.

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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 139251 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 813953 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 12

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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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