Childminder in Leeds

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/03/2013 24/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The childminder is qualified and experienced. Her provision covers all areas of learning. Children clearly enjoy their time with her and make satisfactory progress.  The childminder uses her large garden to help children find out about living things. For example, children grow and harvest their own fruit and vegetables and feed birds.  The childminder is friendly and treats children with respect. She makes sure there is a smooth transition from home into her care. This helps children feel happy and secure.  The childminder considers possible dangers in her home, both indoors and outdoors, to help ensure she keeps children safe.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not reflect enough on the ways children learn well. For example, she does not often ask questions with more than one right answer, provide a wide enough range of reading materials or introduce mathematical ideas into play, planned activities and everyday routines. This reduces children's progress towards the early learning goals.  The childminder does not monitor her provision sufficiently to ensure that all children make good progress towards the early learning goals.  The childminder does not give children enough opportunities to learn about people's similarities and differences, for example, by including resources that reflect lives that are unfamiliar to children.

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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 observed the childminder playing with the children and talked to her at convenient times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of policies and other records.  The inspector viewed the areas of the premises that are used for childminding.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1996. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two adult children in a house in Yeadon, near Leeds. The whole of the ground floor of the bungalow adjoined to the childminder's main house is used for childminding and there is a large enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a pet dog. The childminder takes children to a weekly 'Sing and Sign' group and 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, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions, including school holiday care. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years and a local childminding group.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has a relevant National Vocational Qualification at Level 3.

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must:

 reflect on the ways children learn well and incorporate these in practice. For example, make more statements and ask children fewer questions that have only one answer, provide a wide range of reading materials and introduce mathematical ideas into play, planned activities and everyday routines.

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

 improve monitoring of provision and children's progress, to ensure the resources and activities offered successfully promote the teaching and learning requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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

 extend the range of resources and activities that reflect lives that are unfamiliar to children, so that they can broaden their knowledge of their society.

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who attend

The childminder is qualified and experienced and children clearly enjoy their time with her. They excitedly talk about a visit to a cafe, when they had waved to pilots taking off from the nearby airport. This sort of activity helps children understand more about the world around them and develops their imagination. Children learn to get on with other adults and to express themselves through music, because the childminder regularly takes them to 'Sing and Sign' sessions at the local children's centre. The childminder has a large garden. This includes an allotment area where children find out about living things. They feed the birds and help grow their own fruit and vegetables. The childminder talks to the children about who would like to plant a sunflower seed during the Easter holidays. However, while the childminder's quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, she does not consistently use learning opportunities to best effect to teach children to count, or to

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who attend

encourage them to develop their thinking and language skills. For example, she asks lots of questions where there is only one answer. This means children are less likely to offer their own ideas, think about and explain why things happen.

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who attend

Children use a range of wax crayons and pencil crayons to draw and pretend to write at a child-sized table. Children excitedly show the inspector their work. The childminder values these drawing and pre-writing skills. Her enthusiasm and encouragement helps children become active learners. Children enjoy reading board-books with the childminder. However, the range of books is limited. This means that children do not have many opportunities listen to magical tales and stories, join in repeated refrains or rhyming words, or find out that interesting information can be obtained from books. When children select an alphabet jigsaw the childminder helps children to complete it. However, she does not use this opportunity to model the language of print by, for example, discussing the initial letters of the objects in the puzzles. This means children do not have many opportunities to develop their understanding of how words relate to sounds and letters. In

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who attend

addition, the childminder does not give children enough opportunities to recognise familiar words, such as their own name.

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who attend

The childminder is very good at supporting children's imaginary play and children discuss their ideas with her. She also provides a role-play area which is resourced with materials that reflect the children's family lives. For example, children dress up, have conversations on a pretend telephone and make 'tea' in the toy kitchen. This gives them opportunities to develop their imagination and confidence. However, the resources are limited and do not reflect different family backgrounds or communities. This reduces children's opportunities to broaden their knowledge of the differences and similarities within society.

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who attend

The childminder knows the minded children well and is beginning to use the guidance 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' to assess children's development. This, together with her experience, helps her to identify children who need additional support. She is also beginning to use this guidance to make sure that the activities she provides promote all areas of learning. However, she does not accurately monitor children's rate of development in all areas of learning. Teaching is not sufficiently focused on current ideas about effective teaching and learning, to enable children to make the best possible progress towards all the early learning goals. The childminder generally works well with parents. She discusses children's care and what children have done on a daily basis. However, because she does not accurately assess children's progress in each area of learning, she cannot work fully effectively with parents, in order to support

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who attend

children's learning, both in her setting and at home.

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

The childminder is friendly, experienced and treats children with respect. She encourages parents to visit with children and then leave them for short periods so they can all get to know each other before the children are left at the setting for longer periods of time. This means there is a smooth transition from home into the childminder's care and helps children feel happy and secure. Children develop strong attachments with her. The childminder is a good role-model. She has clear expectations of children's behaviours and manages these appropriately. This means children are very polite and considerate.

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

The childminder provides a warm, comfortable and light environment for children to play and relax. There is a large garden, which the childminder uses well during the summer months. The equipment and resources are safe and are generally appropriate to meet the needs of the children attending. For example, child-sized table and benches enable children to sit in comfort whilst they draw and colour. Resources are clean and well maintained. However, there are not enough books or examples of print, to promote children's communication and language development well. The role-play resources are also limited and do not teach children about their wider society.

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

The childminder promotes children's good health and helps them develop good eating habits by encouraging them to help grow their own food, such as tomatoes, strawberries, peas and beans. The childminder is qualified in paediatric first aid and has clear written procedures to manage children's health. The childminder ensures that children have daily fresh air and exercise and children know they need to wash their hands before eating to keep themselves healthy.

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

The childminder provides a safe environment. She has written risk assessments that consider how dangers in her home can be managed, both indoors and outdoors and she checks these on a daily basis. She encourages children to take responsibility for their own safety. The childminder generally works well with parents. They are very happy with the individual care she provides for their children. She also provides them with support and information about, for example, how to access health care and how to approach potty training. This helps support children's care well. However, the childminder is less successful in ensuring children become effective independent learners and make good progress towards all the early learning goals. This means children are less well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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provision

The childminder is committed to improving her practice and attends courses at her local children's centre. This means she understands her responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. She has fully complied with recommendations from previous inspections relating to safeguarding children. For example, she has comprehensive risk assessments including those relating to outings and trips. This helps ensure children are safe. The childminder has made less progress in meeting the recommendations relating to learning and development set at the last inspection, however, she is beginning to use the publication 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' to assess children's development and has a basic understanding of the learning and development requirements of the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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provision

For example, she has obtained information on completing the progress check at age two so that this can be completed when minded children reach the required age. This means the childminder takes appropriate steps to ensure children generally make sound progress. However, the childminder does not reflect enough on her practice to ensure the information she obtains from parents and the observation, assessment and planning of children's learning is used sufficiently well to make sure that all children make good progress in all areas of their learning. The childminder is beginning to monitor her provision, but currently does not place enough emphasis on developing the teaching and learning requirements. This means she cannot make sure she fully meets the learning needs of all children to enable them to make good progress. Letters from parents' refer to the childminder's strong links with the local playgroup and school. This helps children

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provision

settle into new settings quickly and promotes children's sense of well-being.

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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 320034 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 819138 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 3 Number of children on roll 5

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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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