Childminder in Dorset

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/04/2013 27/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children play in a vibrant, welcoming environment. The dedicated, professional childminder meets their individual care, learning and welfare needs exceptionally well.  Children are well supported to acquire the skills and capacity to develop and learn effectively, and to be ready for the next steps in their learning.  Children are fully involved and engrossed as they play an active role in the setting, making choices and decisions. They benefit from an inspiring, enabling environment where they are eager to learn.  The childminder maintains meticulous documentation, accurately identifying children's starting points. She regularly records their progress through observations and assessment and skilfully identifies children's next steps to effectively inform planning.  The childminder establishes highly successful partnerships with parents and others in order to actively meet children's individual needs.

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder provides an extremely warm welcome to all children and their families. Safeguarding all children is given the highest priority.  Relationships between children and the childminder are highly secure and warm.

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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 majority of the inspection was spent with the childminder observing her practice and discussing the management of her provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's information and development records and sampled policies and other records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children playing and having their snack, and the interaction between the childminder and the children.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 1999. She lives with her husband, one adult child and one child aged 14 years. They live in a bungalow close to Verwood town centre. Shops, parks and schools are nearby. All areas of the property are available for childminding, with the exception of the second bedroom. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has one cat and one dog.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 17 children on roll; of these eight are in the early years age group. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

 extend children's language development further during routines and activities by, for example, helping children to expand and build on what they say.

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who attend

The childminder offers a stimulating environment and welcoming family home where children thrive. Experiences for children are varied and exciting and enable them to make outstanding progress. This is as a result of the childminder's extensive knowledge and implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She understands the importance of her role in children's learning. This is apparent as she sensitively and skilfully engages children as they play, making the best of every learning opportunity. She is very enthusiastic in her approach and positively channels her energies into interacting with the children while they play. This high quality play and interaction stimulates children's interest and involvement and prepares them exceptionally well for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Children are confident and settle quickly, developing an enthusiasm for exploration. There are excellent opportunities for children to initiate their own learning and planned activities are challenging but achievable. This ensures children are motivated to learn. Children are delight in exploring the copious amounts of toys in the playroom. The childminder makes sure activities reflect children's interests and skilfully adds to their challenges and experiences. For example, by adding natural resources to the nature tray, together with their favourite dinosaurs to inspire their imaginative play. Children's creativity is highly valued and an exceptional range of sensory materials is provided for children to explore and investigate. For example, children enjoy handling spaghetti, gloop and flour. They express themselves creatively and develop their senses through an extensive range of mediums, such as paint, dough, sand and water play. They enjoy mixing different

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who attend

coloured paints with their hands, and creating their own unique finger painting pictures. Examples of children's creative work are displayed on the walls. This gives children a strong sense of achievement and promotes high levels of self-esteem. The childminder frequently uses numbers as children play and she displays children's posters and artwork to provide them with opportunities to identify both numbers and letters. Around the home, pictures and resources reflect different cultures, backgrounds and religions. This helps children to develop awareness of the wider world. Books are easily accessible and are used as a source of knowledge and for pleasure. Children regularly go to the library to select books that they may then take to read at home, keeping parents fully involved.

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who attend

Children develop excellent skills for the future. They become inquisitive, independent learners because the childminder is an excellent role model and positively encourages children's self-care skills. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and manage age-appropriate tasks. For example, they enthusiastically make choices about what they play with, building on their natural curiosity as learners. The childminder chats with the children but although she promotes their communication and language very well, she occasionally misses some opportunities to extend their vocabulary further.

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who attend

The childminder makes excellent use of the local environment to extend learning opportunities. Children explore the natural world and experience different ways of learning using natural environments. They frequently go on forest walks and take bubbles or play dough with them. They use the dough to press against the tree bark and look at the differing patterns between this and the leaf rubbings they do. Children enjoy sitting in the forest to listen to a story or to simply enjoy a 'wellie walk' and jump in muddy puddles. They take the 'quest bag' and collect natural resources to use in their art and craft activities. The childminder supports this activity by putting laminated cards in the bag, asking children to bring back certain items or by asking them to find, for example, two pine cones or one leaf. Children have created a lovely display board depicting their forest walks. Children add photos of their adventures, draw pictures of the animals and trees

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who attend

they like best, and write their favourite things about the forest on the display board. This enables all children to demonstrate what they enjoy doing, and gives them the autonomy to do so.

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

Children thrive and are extremely settled and confident in the childminder's home. Children form a secure emotional bond with the childminder and clearly feel safe as they move around the home. They confidently explore their surroundings and thoroughly enjoy the play and learning activities on offer. Careful thought has been given to how toys and resources are made accessible and children choose their own throughout the day. Children with less confident communication skills make their choices as they look at the photographs of the toys on the pictorial toy catalogue on the notice board. All children and families are welcome in the childminder's home. Children's backgrounds and cultures are valued and respected. Children find out about the local community and begin to socialise as they attend a variety of groups with other childminders and children where they enjoy a range of activities and story time.

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

Children have an excellent understanding of the rules to keep them safe. They demonstrate that they have a strong sense of feeling safe. They are confident to try new skills and challenge their own abilities. They build caring relationships and are extremely well behaved. The childminder is a very positive role model for children, consistently praising and encouraging the children, building on their self-esteem in an exceptionally child-orientated and fun environment.

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

Children develop an excellent awareness of keeping healthy. They help themselves to their drinks and develop meticulous hygiene practices, such as washing their hands thoroughly before eating and using their individual towels to prevent cross contamination. Children enjoy a range of activities, which help them to start to recognise the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. For example, the childminder has designed a healthy foods board for children to use to play matching games, and learning about healthy food groups. Parents provide the children's packed lunches and the childminder makes sure that the food is stored appropriately and warmed for them prior to eating. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise as they play in the garden and go for local walks. Larger equipment is accessed in local parks, giving them the opportunity to develop their balancing and climbing skills.

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provision

The childminder is exceptionally confident about safeguarding and child protection procedures due to the training she regularly attends. Robust policies and procedures for safeguarding children ensure the childminder is able to take prompt action if she becomes concerned about a child's welfare. The childminder completes meticulous risk assessments, which address any potential hazards. She is extremely aware of children's safety and security at all times. This helps her to fulfil her role in keeping children safe. All required documentation to effectively support children's safety and welfare is in place.

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provision

The childminder is well qualified and demonstrates a highly professional approach to her role. Her constant drive to gather new ideas ensures that the provision continues to promote the very best outcomes for children. Self-evaluation is used extensively, and consequently, the childminder maintains an excellent capacity to build on her existing practice.

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provision

The childminder has thorough systems which enable her to monitor activities to ensure that they meet children's needs. She has an excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses guidance such as 'Development Matters in the Early Years' to assist her in tracking children's progress and identify areas where children may need additional support or encouragement. The childminder completes observations and assessments and holds a regular review with parents to discuss their child's progress. This includes the progress check for two-year-olds and involves parents and others involved in the children's care, such as the health visitor. This helps to promote consistency in welfare and learning.

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provision

Highly successful partnership working with parents and other providers promotes consistency in care. Parents are very well informed about the service provided by the childminder through a daily diary and learning journals to which they can add their thoughts and comments. Regular updates and summary reports from the childminder inform them of forthcoming activities and topics. This means that they are fully involved and can offer additional support to children's learning at home. Parents comment positively on the parent questionnaires, praising highly the childminder's care. They state that children are extremely happy, the childminder provides professional care, helps children achieve well and is a positive influence in their children's lives. The highly effective partnership working successfully identifies next steps to narrow any achievement gaps in learning and development. As a result, children make outstanding progress in the

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provision

setting. The childminder has excellent links with other early years provisions that children attend. This helps ensure smooth transitions to the next setting and provides excellent continuity in children's care and 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 153374 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 846729 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 17

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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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