Childminder in Kent

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/04/2013 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

 Children thoroughly enjoy playing with the childminder who promotes their communications skills through effective interaction.  A good range of play-based activities means children gain the skills, attitudes and dispositions to be ready for school or the next stage in their learning.  Children form warm and secure relationships, gaining a good sense of belonging in the childminder's care.  The childminder has a good understanding of the welfare and safeguarding requirements and promotes children's well-being in a safe environment.  Children benefit from a stimulating and well-resourced environment to support their all- round development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children, including babies, have fewer opportunities to play with real natural objects to help them make sense of the world around them.

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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 compulsory part 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 children playing and interacting with the childminder.  The inspector viewed documentation and looked at children assessment records.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder about her service.  The inspector looked at written feedback from parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives with her husband and three children in Dartford, Kent. The ground floor of the home is used for childminding, with supervised access to the first floor bathroom and two bedrooms. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play activities. The childminder is situated close to many local amenities including parks, a Sure start Children's Centre, a library and toddler groups. The childminder takes and collects children from local nurseries and school. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children on roll. The childminder is also registered to provide overnight care for one child under eight years.

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

 encourage babies and young children to explore and investigate a wide range of resources to make sense of the natural world around them.

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who attend

The childminder offers a wide range of experiences that help children move forward in their learning and development at a good pace. She works closely with parents to learn about their child's interests, abilities, likes and dislikes. This means she is able to make children feel comfortable and they settle well. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how children learn through play. She makes observations of the children while they play and uses the information she sees to assess 'what next' in their learning. She plans outings, activities and experiences based on their learning priorities. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy their time with the childminder and make good progress in relation to their age and stage of development.

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who attend

The childminder uses a secure online system where parents can access her observations of the children with photographs of them enjoying activities. Through this system, they have easy access to children's assessment records and can read them whenever they wish. The childminder welcomes parents' contributions to the records and speaks to them regularly to update them about their child's progress. This means that parents are effectively involved in their children's learning and development. Children have access to a wide range of toys and resources that offer them challenge as they learn through play across all areas of learning. The young children enjoy exploring interactive resources such as activity centres and musical toys. They press buttons to make sounds, showing they are learning how to operate simple technology. Older children use the computer and programmable toys, which helps them to gain a wider

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who attend

understanding of operating technology equipment. Children enjoy being creative, using a potter's wheel to mould and shape clay into pots. They develop good hand and finger control as they work out that they need to press hard in the centre of the clay to make the pot shape begin to emerge. They talk about the properties of the clay, remarking how it feels. They show that they know if they put water on to the clay it will help them to shape and develop the pot. This helps them learn how things change and they develop good physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination. This activity also helps them to learn how to cooperate, share and take turns well. For instance, one child presses the 'go' button to make the wheel move while another shapes the clay. They then swap over so the other child can have a turn. The older children also give simple instructions to the younger children to help them make recognisable shapes. This supports their

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who attend

The childminder uses effective teaching methods to interact with children and extend their learning experiences. She talks constantly to the very young children naming objects they show interest in and repeating words so they gain a wider vocabulary. She provides resources that she knows children are interested in, such as interactive books about dinosaurs. She asks children to name the dinosaurs and develops this discussion by asking 'what do they eat?' She introduces words like herbivore and carnivore and asks them what each word means. The children successfully describe how one eats meat and the other eats leaves and plants.

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who attend

There is a strong emphasis on languages within the setting. The childminder has many children's books in her home language and teaches children simple words from them. She also learns words from the children's own home languages so she can communicate with them effectively. This means children gain a good understanding of the wider world. Through this effective interaction, children also gain good skills for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children enjoy their time in a warm and welcoming environment. The childminder responds well to children's individual needs to help them feel comfortable and safe. For instance, she recognises when a child is getting hungry, warms a bottle and cuddles the child while they feed. The babies benefit from following their own familiar routine for continuity of care and to feel secure. When they get tired, the childminder rocks them quietly. They show strong emotional attachments to her as they fall asleep in her arms. Children clearly have good relationships with the childminder and are confident to explore the home, moving from room to room, making choices about what they play with. There is a good range of age-appropriate toys and resources that are easily accessible and cover all areas of learning well. However, babies and young children have less access to natural objects from the real world, for example, in treasure baskets. Consequently they have

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

fewer opportunities to explore and handle objects such as shells and wood to make sense of the natural world around them.

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

Children learn to adopt healthy lifestyles in the childminder's care. She cleverly freezes fresh fruit pures into ice-lollies so she can offer a wide variety of healthy snacks to tempt them. Children benefit from daily outside play to get fresh air and exercise. They enjoy playing in the garden, at play centres or on trips to local parks. They use equipment such as slides, climbing frames and wheeled toys that challenge their physical skills well. The childminder is sensitive to children's physical and emotional well-being. She provides resources such as high chairs so all children can sit at the table together. She promotes their independence by encouraging them to manage self-care tasks for themselves. They develop good hygiene practices as they wash their hands before they eat.

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

The childminder is a good role model and speaks to children in a way they can understand using simple words to remind them what is right and wrong. She offers children lots of praise for positive behaviour, which means they develop good self-esteem and confidence. The childminder takes great care to make the environment safe and secure. She has a good range of equipment, such as safety gates to prevent access to areas that may present hazards to children. Children learn effective safety procedures when out with the childminder because she teaches them good road safety and how to use crossings. She lets them press the buttons and talks to them about waiting for the 'green man' to show them when they can cross. This means children gain the skills they require to help ensure they are ready for school.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of her responsibilities regarding the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She has a wide range of policies and procedures to underpin her good practice so that children are safe and secure in her care. She has a well-developed knowledge of how young children learn through well-planned and effective play-based activities. She demonstrates this through her effective planning for each child's individual needs. The childminder has a good understanding of the local safeguarding children procedures and knows what to do if she has a concern about a child. She shares the safeguarding policy with the parents to inform them about how she protects their children while they are in her care.

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provision

The childminder reflects on her service to identify her strengths and areas for further development in order to improve outcomes for children. She uses the Ofsted self- evaluation form to note her priorities for improvement, such as promoting children's understanding of different languages within her setting. The childminder is keen to develop her skills and knowledge by attending regular training and moving on to the next level in her qualification. This demonstrates her enthusiasm for maintaining a good standard of care for all children.

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provision

The childminder works productively in partnership with parents and others to meet children's needs. She uses media well, for instance sending text messages and emails to keep parents updated about their children's well-being during the day. She seeks their views using parent questionnaires. Consequently, the parents have good opportunities to make suggestions and share ideas about the childminding service and care of their children. Parents provide written comments about the childminder, saying that they are very happy with the care their children receive and are pleased with the progress they are making. The childminder works well with other professionals involved in the children's lives to make sure that she meets the needs of all children. This means that no child is disadvantaged given their individual starting points and capabilities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY451372 Local authority Kent Inspection number 886399 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 3

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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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